Desta Ethiopian Cafe
303A Oakland Ave
Oakland
Talk food with me for more than a few minutes and my long abiding love of Ethiopian fare will likely rear its stewed and spongy head. In a land of plenty — a plethora of Ethiopian and Eritrean restaurants near and far, one for each day of the month, even — I have been slowly chewing my way through a good number of them, including one I reviewed here nearly a year ago.
Housed in a charming white-washed space on a fast-driven, curved block of Oakland Avenue, Desta Cafe is a daytime and vegetarian-only destination for the injera lover. Upon arrival it appeared to be AARP happy hour, with two tables filled with white hair, sun hats, and more pairs of glasses than diners. With a backdrop of colorful baskets arranged artfully on the walls and simple, rustic wooden tables and chairs, the space is homey and welcoming. They boast a small but thorough menu with 100 percent teff sponge bread and the cheapest smoothie I have seen in years: at just $4.75 this pint of fruity goodness was a surprisingly affordable treat for a toasty summer day.
The smoothie was listed as “fresh fruit.” We tasted strong flavors from berries and banana. It was smooth bodied, not too thick, with many seeds left whole, which I did not mind; with no straws to distract, the extra texture felt welcome. My friend got an iced hibiscus tea, also served in a glass pint glass, and we were delighted to find it full of depth and lacking all sweetness, in a good way. We determined it was a ginger beer in disguise— what a delight! With all of the rich hue and fruity forwardness you expect of hibiscus, but none of the super-tart acidity at the front or drying tannins at the back. Instead, a lighter body, mild ginger bite, and different kind of dry finish — one devoid of sugars but full of bright cleanliness. It was my friend’s favorite part of the meal.
Eager to taste as many items as possible, I ordered the vegetarian combo plate, and my friend the butecha, a dish made of “chickpeas sautéed with red onion, turmeric& jalapeño pepper,” and the lentil sambussa to split. As my companion is a sweet potato hater (boo), the lentil-filled tricorner fried pastry we selected and received was a big one. The flavors were great, but the outer dough was softer than we would have liked — some crunch would have been great. The lentil filling also tasted good, with a nice kick from the jalepeño. But the whole lentils themselves were a bit too firm, not smooshing together into a cohesive filling, instead falling out easily in clumps.
My combo plate (pictured at top) arrived at the table quickly, with that sambussa stretched out over the edge of the platter, and nearly technicolor turmeric-rich placements of potatoes and cabbage (Atakilt Wot), yellow split peas (Alicha Ater Kik), and a zippy chickpea purée (Shenbera Assa). The yellows were balanced by a nice pile of gomen, or stewed greens, and misir wot, a red lentil stew. The underlying and framing injera was chewy and nutty, earthy from the whole grains, with little stretch but far from brittle.
The butecha, like all of the dishes aside from the atakilt wot, was lighter than it appeared, with a fluffy mouthfeel and a fresh kick from the peppers. Though made of chickpeas it sent me into a strong taste memory of childhood tofu balls, hold the meat— a hint of tahini’s earthiness, the tang of lemon and garlic and onion, the soft flop of a mashed plant protein. The turmeric.
All the dishes offered far more fresh garlic flavor, and often quiet pops of cardamom, than I am accustomed to, all of which were lovely surprises. The gomen were in hearty chunks with large slices of onion and pieces of garlic, a radically different approach than I’m used to, and a nice change for the season and to counter all of the other soft and soupy textures.
The most unexpected of the offerings was the second ground chickpea number — the freshest of them all, with flecks of green cilantro and pungent raw garlic. I was bummed not to receive salad with the meal (the menu lists it as included; I would have ordered one but once the food arrived there was so much it felt excessive), as I like a variance of chews and acidity and crunch. I will inquire next time, and go for the kale salad if not.
We left full and happy, with leftovers and appropriately stained nails.
Can’t wait to return for brunch — something tells me the home fries will be slamming.
Desta Cafe is open Weds-Sun 10 – 4.
