Eat A Messob At Pune's First Ethiopian Restaurant In Koregaon Park

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What Makes It Awesome?

Food connoisseurs, here's news to cherish! Started by the founders of Saavya Rasa, Abyssinian is country's first one-of-a-kind Ethiopian fine-dining restaurant opening its doors for the public this Sunday, With a visit to this exclusive restaurant situated in KP, take a trip to the African country which boasts of colourful tribal culture, community meal practices and spicy delicacies.

Abyssinian, which is basically a historical name of Ethiopia, is touted as country's only exclusive Ethiopian fine-dine. Team LBB got the first look of the place and we are super-pleased to take you through this magically rustic place that will remind you of the African country. Starting with the decor- it is very exclusive and everything, right from the seating arrangement to the artefacts, wall-paintings to the cutlery, is specially brought from Ethiopia. Some of the artefacts were even 150-200 years old! We loved the leather pots, crosses and tribal lanterns with stories.

The seating arrangement is very different from what we experience otherwise. Their furniture is stout and sturdy and, trust us, you will enjoy this new experience. The place has an authentic Messob dining experience. Messob meaning a curated platter, it's similar to a large thali that has all the delicacies. When here, dine like the Ethiopians do- together in one Messob. Choose between the three types of Messobs which start at INR 799 per person and start your gastronomical journey.

We started with the tej, a special Ethiopian fermented drink, followed by some really strong Bloody Mary with authentic spices. You can choose from various cocktails where they have added an exclusive Ethiopian touch. We started by munching on the mandassi, fried dumplings with amazing green dip, followed by the adengare shorba and Timatim salad. Every meal must have their staple bread called Injera, which is a lot like a soft fluffy pancake. We were served a string of curries and veggies namely misir wot, yedinich alicha, fosolia, shiro and many more.

One thing about the food is that it is not at all heavy and has the goodness of native spices. You can find a lot of resemblance to the Indian cuisine in terms of spices, taste and flavour. We wholeheartedly enjoyed the meal and ended our journey with two special desserts- the sweet mandassi and sweet sombusa, a sweet variant of Indian samosa. No meal is complete without the Ethiopian dark coffee.

With amazing wot (food), decor and service, you are sure to love the experience. 

What Could Be Better?

We understand they are promoting the concept of community dining by serving platters with all the delicacies in it. However, we wish that they also keep the option of ordering some dishes separately, just in case, someone is not willing to try all the delicacies. 

Pro-Tip

The coffee ceremony happens in three stages- Sipping the dark, native coffee as it is, then adding a little-spiced butter and enjoying it without stirring and lastly, by adding a pinch of salt and finishing it without mixing it. This way, you enjoy the drink in layers and it gives you a much-needed dose of caffeine.