Last week my wife and I had a hankering for some Ethiopian – a cuisine that we enjoy, but, admittedly do not know much about. In fact, in Chicago we’ve only been to Demera and aside from that just a few places in Southern California. With that in mind, we decided (on a recommendation from a friend we trust) to check out somewhere new to us. Enter Axum.
The space is empty and boring. White walls, cheap tables and chairs adorned with fairly sad flowers. None of the flair of the more popular Chicago spots. You order using a QR code and a Toast account- which makes the whole experience a touch impersonal. But, ultimately, none of that mattered – to date Axum is the best Ethiopian we’ve had to date.
We will definitely be going back.
We started with the sambusa combo – chicken, beef and lentil. Crispy hot triangles served with well seasoned filling an absurdly delicious and perfectly spicy chili and wine dipping sauce. A perfect appetizer.
Then, the main attraction: The combo platter for two. A deal at just $53, it came with three meats (lamb, chicken, beef) and every vegetarian item they have. It was both delicious and a crazy amount of food. It’s hard to describe why it’s better than other Ethiopian we’ve had, but what I’d say is that all of the flavors were just turned up a notch. The injera was more sour. The spicy dishes were spicier. The acidic dishes were acidier (it’s a word…I swear). Even the basic green salad had a dressing on it that blew us away.
Axum is serving up delicious food, and it was a little upsetting we were the only people in there dining on a Friday night (though, we were definitely eating on the earlier side). I’d encourage anyone looking to enjoy this kind of food to check ‘em out.
by wine-n-dive
Dining and Cooking