Jambo Jambo

Jambo Jambo, which means Hello Hello in Swahili, is an authentic Ethiopian restaurant located in a questionable plaza along the busy Willoughby Road of Crows Nest.

We dined as a group of four and opted for a platter of 6 varying dishes, so we can sample what they had to offer. We ordered their combination platter aka Gebeta which refers to a large wood cup or bowl, or a table made of bamboo. But it’s also used more generally to mean the platter on which the communal meal is served.

To enjoy the dish, we were given fluffy, brown bread rolled up like it was a hot towel. It actually came out cold and had a sharp taste of vinegar. The bread is know as Injera. Injera is a yeast risen flatbread with a unique spongy texture. It is a national dish in Ethiopia.

The dishes we chose were Doro Wot, Doro Alicha, Goden Tibs, Alicha Wot, Key Wot and Gomen. Unfortunately they had no Alicha Wot and the chef replaced it with two other dishes (Chilli Beef and a salad) as an apology. Wot is an Ethiopian stew or curry that may be prepared with chicken, beef, lamb, a variety of vegetables and a mixture of spices. Alicha is essentially a wot without berbere. Berbere is a spicy red pepper powder that gives heat to Ethiopian dishes. I hope that wasn't too confusing. I really enjoyed learning more about the cuisine and what I was actually eating.

I love how it was served on a massive communal platter. It made for great photos and you would notice everyone stopping to admire in awe as it was placed on the table. The base layer is Injera sitting on possibly some chilli oil to prevent it from sticking. It was great to eat the Injera at the end because it soaked up all the sauces from all the dishes. My favourite had to be the chilli beef, which I'm sure everyone there that night can bear witness to, as I nearly polished it all off by myself, even all the Injera sitting below it.

For me I have to say you come here for the experience of eating Ethiopian food. The quality is nothing to write home about but the experience was fantastic. People on every table looked like they were having a blast, eating with their hands and catching up with friends. 

The walls were lined with Ethiopian posters and pictures of people and the whole colour scheme of yellow, green and red was an explosion of Ethiopian pride. The asian lady they hired seemed quite new and inexperienced and her English wasn't the best which made it hard to order. The cooks at the back were more than happy to come out and help out as well as explain the dishes that were served. There was a sense of pride in their food which was nice to see. 

Be prepared to dine with your hands. Yes they will provide cutlery but half the fun is dipping the bread straight in. They will provide you towels to help cleanse yourself if it all gets a bit messy.

I recommend browsing the web for coupons as I notice a historical trace of deals from coupon sites for this place. You could find yourself saving a nice chunk of change.

I had fun eating this meal... sure it's not going to blow your taste buds away... but just for the experience I'd definitely recommend to come for that.