You ‘wot’ m8?

There’s nothing in the world quite like Ethiopian food. Unless you count Eritrean food, which is actually quite a lot like Ethiopian food.

Like their southern neighbours (Ethiopia), the good people of Eritrea are known for making all manner of tasty stews and sauces (called ‘wot’), which are served in generous dollops on top of a big, cold, sourdough pancake-style bread called injera. By tearing bits off to scoop up various dishes, injera serves as cutlery as well as a filling staple.

Unlike lots of places in the Northern Quarter, Asmara Bella is a low-key, unpretentious place, serving up very reasonably-priced grub. Its clientèle consists mostly of East African expats hankering for a taste of home plus a smattering of foodies seeking something a little bit different.

It has a fairly big menu, with lots of meat dishes and a couple of veggie options. Fun fact: followers of the Eritrean Orthodox Church don’t eat meat, eggs or dairy on Wednesdays and Fridays, so there are lots of vegetarian Eritrean dishes.

I went for the Yetsom Beyaynetu; a selection of five different dollops of tasty vegetarian stuff, served—you guessed it—on a great big piece of injera. There were also extra pieces of injera rolled up like edible bread flannels.

The spinach dish was mild and tasty, as was the chunky potato and carrot stew. The yellow split pea wot was deliciously creamy, and similar to an Indian dahl. The simple tomato and pepper salad dressed with a little vinegar and olive oil balanced nicely with the richer and spicier dishes.

The star of the show was the red lentil stew, Misr Wot, which had a deep and earthy spiciness imparted by a spice mix called berbere and which is used a lot in Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine. The injera itself was spongy perfection, especially after soaking up all the flavours of the dishes on top.

While the food at Asmara Bella is good, the price is incredible. Beers are only £2.50. The Yetsom Beyaynetu was less than £7 and easily big enough for two to share (that’s the best way to enjoy it, anyway). Split between two, it works out at a similar price to a Tesco Meal Deal. Especially hungry diners could share two dishes between three, if they don’t mind being unable to move for several hours after.

It was a bit quiet when I popped in, but then, it was a drizzly Tuesday night in March. It gets pretty busy on a weekends with diners and drinkers at the bar, with a lively atmosphere enhanced by the syncopated, synthy sounds of Eritrean pop music.

Price ££
Food 5/5
Drinks 4/5
Service 5/5
Atmosphere 3/5
Value 5/5