On our last night in London, it was time to pay another visit to one of my old favorites, Zeret Kitchen in Camberwell. We reviewed them back in 2008, when they were a shining beacon of flavor in an otherwise fairly dismal stretch of Camberbell. You can read my 5 year old review here. Well, the intervening five years has seen one major change, since they’ve recently expanded into the next storefront (where it still says "Tony’s Cafe"). But more importantly, the food is still excellent.
First of all, Monday is a good day to go to Zeret. They are open on Mondays, but it’s not a particularly busy night, so they really rolled out the hospitality for us (that, and when my brother and sister-in-law, who know the owner, joined us, the owner realized I was the person who had previously reviewed the place). We were seated at a pleasant corner table, and next thing you know, we had Ethiopian beers (St George) and a giant mixed platter of Chicken Tib (sauteed chicken) various Wats (stew), and a variety of vegetables, all served over a nice platter of spongy but tangy injera. And, most importantly, a large serving of kitfo, the spicy marinated raw beef that I love getting at Ethiopian places.
Like before, the Kitfo was particularly nice, with a rich and very spicy marinate heavy with chile powder, but still a strong beef note coming from the underlying beef. This was a wonderful treat in both flavor and texture.
Finally, our meal concluded with an Ethiopian coffee service, with the beans roasted at the table. We soon had a full service with a rich, bold, and flavorful coffee served up at the table.
Overall, this was a splendid meal, and I’m happy to see that Zeret continues to produce some quality Ethiopian food years after my first visit.
