Finger-Lickin' Good

The multicolored vegetarian combo, reflecting the red, green and yellow of the Ethiopian flag, offers a similarly flavorful and hearty array of berbere-tinged items, including red lentils that share the smoky heat of the minchet abish. Collard greens and jewel-yellow cabbage with carrots and potatoes break up the texture of the beans, chick peas and lentils. Our favorite vegetarian item was the yellow lentils, a soft porridge of bright yellow pearls heavily accented with garlic.

Out of the deep fryer also come crispy sambusas, pockets of flaky fried dough filled with spicy minced beef with a bright green confetti of finely chopped jalapeño peppers. They make great appetizers, and are available in a vegetarian version.

The ambience at Abay is by no means festive. The posters boasting “Thirteen months of sunshine” give it the feeling of a travel agent’s office during lunch hour or an airport waiting room in the off-season. But if you arrive when Hannah is working the room, her warm personality and eagerness to explain the menu—not to mention the vibrant flavors of the food itself—more than compensate.

Abay is open Monday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.