Ethiopian food returns to Bloomington restaurant

Ethiopian food will be making a comeback to the Bloomington dining scene this fall. \nHalf of Italian restaurant Puccini’s La Dolce Vita, located at 420 E. Fourth St, will be converted into an Ethiopian restaurant. Robert Johnson, a Puccini’s manager, said the Ethiopian portion will open sometime toward the end of September. \nPuccini’s is already housed in two connected buildings, making the restaurant split simple. The new Ethiopian restaurant will be on one side of the building, and a new chef from Washington, D.C., has been hired to prepare authentic Ethiopian cuisine, Johnson said. \nThe new restaurant will be named Ashenda, after restaurant owner Ashenda Hagos, who is Ethiopian herself. \nBut the restaurant’s concept is not completely new to Bloomington. About 30 years ago, Hagos opened an Ethiopian restaurant in Bloomington, but in 1982 she closed it in favor of opening Puccini’s, she said. \n“A lot of people loved it at that time,” Hagos said. \nAshenda will be very much like its predecessor, Johnson said. It will be “a reflection of what (Hagos) was doing before.” \nTo those newer to Bloomington however, Ethiopian food may be unfamiliar as no local outlets currently offer this kind of cuisine. \nEthiopian cuisine typically consists of lamb and seafood served with injera, a type of flatbread that is a staple of Ethiopian cuisine, Johnson said. Injera is made from teff, one of the smallest grains in the world. The bread is fermented for about a week, then takes two minutes to prepare fresh for the diner, Hagos said. \n“We use a lot of injera with everything,” Hagos said. \nEthopian-style dining is largely based on a sauce called wat, a thick, curry-style sauce, Hagos said. With the wat sauce various dishes can be created and served with Injera. These include lamb wat, chicken wat or, for vegetarians, lentil wat. \n“We can do a lot of things for vegetarians,” Hagos said.\nThe dishes are also “very healthy,” Hagos said. The restaurant is even considering offering organic food. \n“I look forward to it because it is a healthy option,” said Rachael Gordon, an IU sophomore and Puccini’s patron. “It will be a good addition to Bloomington’s restaurants.” \nJohnson said the cuisine will be “affordable, good food.” Ashenda and Puccini’s open for dinner at 5 p.m., but Ashenda will also attract a day crowd with a lunch buffet. The buffet will be priced at about $7 per person, and will most likely be offered from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Hagos said. \nFans of Puccini’s can rest assured that they will still get their favorite Italian dishes. \nHagos is confident that once patrons try Ashenda, they will be hooked. \n“Once you try the food you’re not going to want to stop eating it,” Hagos said.