Blue Nile, Osborne Road, Southsea
Haile Selassie, Ethiopia's iconic emperor, visited Portsmouth in 1954.
Twenty-four years into his 50-year reign, the head of state was met with firing cannons, an RAF Coastal Command fly-past and the Duke of Gloucester on behalf of the Queen in full formal red military plumed garb welcoming him on his State Visit to Britain.
Fast forward to 2009, some 45 years later, Ethiopia's first Portsmouth restaurant, Blue Nile, is opening with less fanfare but certainly no less welcome.
Despite the misconception about Ethiopia – yes, the country in the horn of Africa is regrettably better known for its political upheavals and drought than for its many attibutes (the much-loved and revered Haile Selassie was the last emperor of the 3,000-year Ethiopian monarchy in the cradle of civilisation) – the food is distinctive and unique in Africa.
Based on injera (the spongy bread made of teff flour) and wot (meat-based spicy stews), these are the staples on which Ethiopian cuisine is built.
What is equally distinctive about eating this type of food is how it progresses from receptacle to mouth: by tearing pieces of the injera, wrapping it around the stew and eating it.
No forks or knives or spoons is the custom, the beautiful owner of the newly-opened business reporting that '98 per cent of guests are fine with this'. Cutlery, however, is given to those less used to eating traditionally.
The owner also reports that the food is authentic, not watered down for British palates. Bebre, a combination of chilli powder and other spices, is used in many of the dishes alongside niter kibbeh, a clarified butter infused with ginger, garlic and spices. Teff, the flour, however, is a mite tricky to get, the women-only chefs using a mix of differing flours to obtain the honeycombed soft-as-a-baby's-bottom pancake.
The menu is small, with only a handful of dishes on offer. Nine to be precise. Beef dishes include lega tibs, the meat sauted with rosemary, onion, green pepper and the famed seasoned butter. Kitfo, finely minced prime beef, is served with specially prepared soft cheese and spinach. Kaywat, an Ethiopian delicacy, is slow-cooked for four hours in the bebre sauce with yet more spicing.
Bage tibs, a cubed lamb dish, dorowat, chicken with eggs, atklet, a vegetarian dish of lentils, potatoes, green beans, chick peas and carrots, and lasagna or pasta with aksale sauce are all reasonably priced at between 5 and 8.95.
Before I tuck in on your behalf, I must declare an interest in Ethiopia, my parents having lived in Addis Ababa, the capital, for half a decade during the political upheaval which culminated in the emperor's death.
They embraced the culture as all the family did, Coptic crosses, beautiful woven materials decorating our walls and furniture to this day, Ethiopian restaurants sought out in distant countries for a remembrance of this characteristic cooking.
At Blue Nile the look is one of the true Ethiopia with its warm earth-red walls, distinctive patterned tablecloths with their central traditional design, basketry, genuine hospitality as given by the owner and her white gauze-dressed staff.
The kaywat was how I recalled my mother's cook's version, a pungent, deeply satisfying dish of distinction and simplicity served in a grand metal, heated and lidded pot.
The meat was wonderfully tender, the side dish of lentils, spinach, beans and carrots adding a further layer to the injera on which the separate dishes were placed before being scooped up by pieces of torn pancake.
For those interested in dessert – none are Ethiopian – an incongruous chocolate sponge pudding, sticky toffee pudding or chocolate fondue can be had. But I would forego this in favour of the Ethiopian coffee made from tiny green beans roasted and ground by a staff member, its taste invigorating and refreshing.
Blue Nile is a welcome addition to the vibrant mix that makes up the eating-out culture in Portsmouth, its authenticity and charm making it stand out quite distinctly.
My bill came to just over 18, which included a glass of beer and the Ethiopian coffee.
Blue Nile, 18 Osborne Road, Southsea, PO5 3LT.
Open: From midday to midnight Tuesday to Sunday, although times are at variance with the information on their website. Call to check opening times.
Food: ****
Service: ****
Atmosphere: *****
Disabled access: Fine and dandy.
How to get there: Make your way from central Portsmouth to Clarence Parade. Osborne Road is off this road, with Blue Nile next door to the Grosvenor Casino. On-street parking.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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