Thursday, Aug. 25, 2011

Are you Redi to et, again?

Redi-et Ethiopian Cuisine

 

Setting the Table

It's handy to remember three things when dining at Redi-et Ethiopian Cuisine in Myrtle Beach: Don't be in a hurry, don't be afraid to try new things and don't be put off by the decor.

Sara Seyoum, the restaurant's owner, is one of the most gentle, soft-spoken and eager-to-please restaurateurs you'll likely ever meet. She prepares excellent food, but interior design does not appear to be one of her strong suits.

So never mind the Limeade-colored walls, maroon tablecloths and mixture of turquoise and burgundy floral chairs. Instead, concentrate on interesting Ethiopian art and artifacts and enjoy the soothing, calm atmosphere.

(Editor's Note: We previously reviewed Redi-et's former location in Surfside Beach in the Sept. 11, 2008 edition of Weekly Surge, but decided to give you the Gut Reaction to its new location, too.)

Down the Hatch

First Seyoum will bring dense bread studded with caraway seeds cut in finger-long rectangles, along with glass ramekins containing a spicy dipping oil called Ethiopian butter. My dining companion, Kitchen Goddess columnist Lisa McLaughlin, and I agreed that we enjoy this oil more than the herbed oil served at many Italian restaurants, because it has a lively flavor.

Appetizers aren't a huge feature of this Ethiopian menu. Many of the entrees are akin to an appetizer smorgasbord, so there's really no need for more than the three starters ($3 each) Seyoum offers: Two simple salads and Shorba, which is a house-made hot (as in temperature) vegetarian soup containing carrot, potato, tomato, onion, ginger, garlic and rice.

Entrees ($8.50-$15) are divided into vegetarian, beef, lamb and chicken, and further sub-divided into mild or hot (as in spicy). Most of the dishes are served on long plastic platters covered with injera, which is a thin and spongy bread. Injera is made from teff, a grain that Seyoum says has a "...high calcium content, and contains high levels of iron and other minerals," and is "high in protein, carbohydrates and fiber."

Whatever entree you ordered, plus the side dishes it comes with, are mounded individually on the injera. The idea is to tear off a piece of the bread and use it like a scoop to pick up the veggies and meat before popping them in your mouth. All tables are equipped with hand sanitizing gel.

Whether you're vegetarian or not, these veggies rock. My favorite is Misir Alicha, which is red split lentils with flavors of garlic, onions, green bell pepper, ginger and turmeric. Those who want to kick up the thermostat can go for Misir Wat, which adds chili pepper powder called Berbere to the dish. Kik Kei Wat and Kik Alicha use green split peas instead of lentils.

Cabbage Wat and Gomen are similar to southern cooked cabbage and collard greens, but with Seyoum's special Ethiopian garlic/ginger twist. Another choice is Spinach cooked with stewed tomatoes, onions and garlic; while Shiro Wat has a medium-hot flavor and contains peas and beans.

McLaughlin and I adore the way Seyoum makes Atkilt Alicha: potato chunks cooked with whole green beans and carrot sticks. If you can't decide on one vegetarian entree, there's a platter where you can pick three.

Meat entrees continue the flavors of the vegetarian dishes. Siga Tibs is diced beef bits sauteed with onion, garlic, rosemary and Ethiopian butter, while Kei Siga Wat adds Berbere. Alicha Siga Bedinich gets potatoes in the mix, but nixes the chili powder.

A new beef entree not yet officially on the menu is Yegel Tibs, where the meat and spices are cooked in an Ethiopian clay pot with live embers in the bottom chamber that makes the food sizzle. It is outstanding: the beef is tender, and the seasonings make it delectable.

I ordered this on my most recent visit, and it took 40 minutes to get our food, but since McLaughlin and I were not in a hurry we were happy to wait for this thrilling (and slightly dangerous) dish. Other days when we've ordered so-called "regular" dishes, the wait is only 10 or 15 minutes.

The same spicy- or mild-flavored choices can have lamb as the meat, but the lone chicken dish changes things up. Kei Doro Wat features chicken drumsticks and hard boiled eggs, and it's spicy-hot.

To temper spicy dishes, order a side of house-made ayeb, which is a crumbly cottage cheese-like food.

Check, please

Ethiopia is the cradle of coffee, and it's served with ceremony in a pretty pot for $1.50.

Children can have fries, chicken fingers, hot dog or a chicken sandwich ($2.25-$3.50), and desserts ($2.85-$3.25) are all about cheesecake. There's Vanilla, Dulce de Leche Caramel, Godiva Chocolate and Caramel White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle.

Redi-et first opened in 2008 in Surfside Beach, but in 2010 it moved to its present location on Main Street in Myrtle Beach.

Redi-et is at 746 Main St. in Myrtle Beach. The phone number is 238-2879. It's open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturdays and opens at 1 p.m. Sundays.

Becky Billingsley serves up fresh news daily at MyrtleBeachRestaurantNews.com.