4.8
Superb
130 Reviews
9570 111 Avenue Northwest, Edmonton
Customers’ favorites
- Bete Veggie Special
- Vegetarian Platter
- Beef Shekla TIBS
- Neche Beef TIBS
“We tried a new restaurant last night and it was fantastic! I love Ethiopian food, and wanted to try a place I hadn’t been to before. First thing to note is that the word “Bete” is not the french word “bête,” meaning “beast” (as in animal). It is an Amharic word meaning house, similar to “Beth” in Hebrew and “bayt” in Arabic, as I was told. All this just to clarify that the restaurant’s name is more closely translated as “Africa House,” not “African Beast,” which I ignorantly thought prior to learning this from the owners. We told the host that it was our first time there and that we were willing and eager to learn from him and try new things. He was very helpful and guided us though the menu. Before making a decision, we noticed that some other guests were eating fresh banana with their injera (the ubiquitous crêpe-like sourdough bread served with virtually all dishes), which piqued our interest, Lindsay in particular. When we asked which dishes came with banana, he laughed and told us that they don’t serve bananas, and it’s a common way of eating injera for Somalians, and that those guys arrived with their own banana. Apparently this is a BYOB restaurant. So, with no bananas to be had for us, we decided that the $99 mixed plate was the way to go. As you can see, there is a wide variety of food in this dish. In the middle, ground beef topped with their homemade cheese (similar in texture to feta, not as strong in taste, yet oh so fresh). At first, I was convinced there was mint in this, then I realized it was rosemary. It made it very refreshing. Bottom left is a perfectly spicy lamb tibs in the most delicious red sauce. Next to that is a mild lamb tibs that was juicy and yummy, with a couple jalapeño accents just for fun. To the right was a fried beef strip dish with onions called cha-cha tibs. Up top, a variety of lentil and chickpea mashes, plus pickled beets and cabbage. We ate like the locals, with our hands, using small torn off pieces of injera as temporary, edible utensils, and were endlessly satisfied as we worked our way around the platter. The only problem was, we just couldn’t finish it, so we ended up with a takeaway box of a couple pounds of leftovers (aw, shucks). We had a wonderful conversation with the husband and wife team, who shared so much about their culture, including the beautiful artwork and artifacts throughout the space. We even got to meet their baby, who, I am proud to say, reached out for me to hold her. She was adorable! We also learned that the wife occasionally offers cooking courses. Would you be surprised to learn that my name is on the waiting list? One can’t help but salivate I’m thinking about such a culinary experience. I wish I had discovered it sooner, despite having driven past it countless times (it’s on 111 Avenue across from Tony’s pizza). To be honest, it’s not the classiest part of town (I reported a needle to 311 on our way out), so if you’re leery of that sort of thing, now is the time to get over it and see what rewards await you when you step outside your social and gastronomical comfort zones. Just be sure to invite me along when you do.”