Having grown up in one of the most ethnically, and by default culinarily diverse areas in the country, it comes as a major surprise to me that I had yet to partake in the experience that is Ethiopian cuisine. That all changed a mere two nights ago when two friends and I headed to Enssarro in Oakland, right across from Lake Merritt.

Two dishes contained easily enough food for the three of us to share. As first-time Ethiopian diners, we decided to go with the supposed tried-and-true classics: doro wat and the veggie combo. Wat, meaning “stew,” is often prepared with chicken, beef, lamb, a variety of vegetables, and spice mixtures such as berbere and niter kibbeh, a seasoned clarified butter. Enssarro’s doro wat featured two chicken drumsticks, served with a generation portion of the sauce in which it was cooked, in addition to a similarly seasoned hard-boiled egg. The veggie combo contained a multitude of various stewed and seasoned vegetable items, including lentils, collard greens, and eggplant. And, in true Ethiopian style, all dishes were eaten with injera, the spongy flat bread made from the millet-like grain known as teff. Contrary to most cuisines, both dishes were served on a communal plate, with the vegetables taking one side and the doro wat on the other.

Enssarro was surprisingly slow for a Saturday night. Pricing was very reasonable ($9-12 for an entree), and the amount of flavors and ability to sample in the veggie combo was well worth it. (Note: The veggie combo is NOT on the menu. You must specifically request it.) The service, while nothing grand, was courteous and pleasant enough to deal with. Much of the night’s noise probably came from our table, with the three of us vocally and emphatically trading life stories from the past two years.

While I am not currently in the position to compare Enssarro with its African culinary brethren, I can say that if you are in the mood to try something new with little risk (other than some dirty fingers), Enssarro is an excellent place to start.