Reykjavík Grapevine - 08.05.2015, Qupperneq 55

FOOD
FOR YOUR MIND BODY AND SOUL
I was an Ethiopian food virgin until Teni.
Reykjavík may boast of many restaurants
serving authentic regional cuisine but
true culinary maturity is seldom achieved
these days unless your town has an Ethio-
pian joint. So I suppose we are heading in
the right direction.
My partner and I have dined at Teni
a few times now. The place, which is run
by sisters Liya and Tsiga Behaga, features
simple colour schemes without any of
that kitschy decor forcefully thrust upon
the diner. There is no pre-plated froufrou
or bothersome cutlery here. It seems to be
all about breaking bread together, literally.
For one of our first experiences, we
went for the vegetarian lunch offer, which
consists of Misir Wot (red lentils/masoor
dal cooked in a spicy berbere base) with
an assortment of vegetables, including
Fasolia (green beans, as in string beans,
not Icelandic baunir, and carrots sautéed
with onions), and Atkilt Wot (cabbage, po-
tatoes and carrots cooked with turmeric)
This platter is a good choice to try mul-
tiple dishes for 1,990 ISK.
At the heart of Ethiopian cuisine is the
berbere spice mix, a blend of sun-dried
chilies, ginger, garlic, cardamom, nut-
meg, cloves, cumin, coriander and other
spices. In his memoir, ‘Yes, Chef’, Marcus
Samuelsson, an Ethiopian-Swedish chef,
described berbere as "both masculine
and feminine, shouting for attention and
whispering at me to come closer. In one
sniff it was bright and crisp; in the next,
earthy and slow."
The Misir Wot lentils, which were
spicy in a way I wasn’t prepared for, were
cooked perfectly—soft, yielding to pres-
sure, but still with a texture that was not
gummy, a sign the chefs know how to
cook this underrated, overkilled protein.
The vegetables in the Atkilt Wot were
fresh, lightly sautéed in turmeric and on-
ions—they didn’t need much else to make
them shine. Together, they made for a
very satisfying meal.
On other occasions, we have tried the
Doro Wot (2,990 ISK), a succulent bone-
in chicken, slow cooked in a melange
of tomatoes, onions and spicy berbere.
Familiar yet exotic, this remains a firm
favourite of ours. I see it becoming a com-
fort food favourite for those cold, gloomy
days, which we have a lot of on the island.
We also tried the Sambusa (1,290 ISK),
deep-fried pockets of thin dough stuffed
with mildly spiced, fragrant lamb mince.
It definitely did not need the salsa sauce
that was served alongside. I see myself
going back for those meaty morsels. The
beef tartare, Kitbo (3,990 ISK), was a nu-
anced dish with hand-cut chunks of beef
(no sinew or fat), tossed in warm chili
powder and clarified butter, served with
Aybe (an Ethiopian fresh cottage cheese).
The hot clarified butter seems to flash
cook the meat ever so slightly. A must try
for tartare lovers for a regional variation
outside of the French classic version.
All the dishes come with the staple
accompaniment, Injera. A fermented teff
pancake-crepe with a pronounced sour-
dough taste, Injera looks like a dark buck-
wheat crepe and tastes like, well, Injera.
Don’t be put off by the sourness, it pairs
beautifully with the various accompani-
ments, soaks up any sauce like a dream,
and balances the flavours overall. (Note:
The restaurant currently uses a blend of
grains with teff, and plans to go all-teff
shortly, which is good news for those with
Celiac!).
It is heartening to see the presence of
international cuisine in Reykjavík. And
from what I can tell, Teni isn’t really ton-
ing things down to suit the local palate,
which is always a good thing when offer-
ing authenticity. The restaurant has 20%
off menu items during weekday lunches.
They also offer an Ethiopian coffee ser-
vice, which we are told is not to be missed.
The service is very good and thoughtful
touches like the warm towels after the
meal are little details that one takes home.
Portions are big, so bring an appetite or
a friend or two. Grab a table at Teni, and
you will discover a whole new world of
flavours, and culture, all on one plate.
An African Affair To Remember
SHRUTHI BASAPPA
ALÍSA KALYANOVA
What We Think:
Bottle that berbere sauce and
replace that funky grocery store
feta with some fresh Aybe.
Flavour:
Ethiopian classics.
Ambiance:
Casual.
Service:
Knowledgeable and friendly.
Price for 2 (no drinks):
6-10,000 ISK
Teni
Skúlagata 17, 101 Reykjavik
Hverfisgata 12 · 101 Reykjavík
Tel. +354 552 15 22 · www.dillrestaurant.is
Lífið er saltfiskur
#109 Dill is a Nordic restaurant with its
focus on Iceland, the pure nature and
all the good things coming from it.

It does not matter if it’s the
ingredients or the old traditions, we
try to hold firmly on to both.
There are not many things that make
us happier than giving life to old
traditions and forgotten ingredients
with modern technique and our creative
mind as a weapon.
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