No matter where my travels take me as a commoner, I
always like to discover cuisines from different cultures I’ve never tried
before, even if that cuisine doesn’t necessarily seem to be a natural fit for
where I’m visiting. For instance, who
thinks of Ethiopian food when they visit Madison, Wis.? Well, once I read about Buraka, I did, and
I’m glad I tried it.
As I approached for the first time, the place didn’t seem
to look like much, but it was definitely colorful and looked the part. Additionally, the music I heard from the
inside was inviting, so I walked in eager to taste something new.
Judging from the exterior I was not expecting a rather
lengthy interior with several roomy booths on the left and the long bar on the
right. The woodwork seemed new and shiny
and lightened up the place. I later
learned that Buraka also has a roomy outdoor area with plenty of plants and
overhanging trees to provide a fun, al fresco dining experience.
Obviously, I had arrived on a weeknight, right after they
opened. But that turned out to work to
my advantage, as I was able to ask a few questions about the menu and, just as
importantly, the drink specials, from a very friendly and accommodating
bartender. I grabbed a bar stool near the
serving station and began absorbing the atmosphere.
Between the high backs and the artwork on the walls, each
booth seemed to have its own little sense of hominess.
Even the “gate” dividing the serving station from the bar
was designed to get your attention.
I was feeling more and more at home. So, when the bartender suggested I start
dinner off with one of their specialty cocktails, who was I to say no? As you might expect, the bar’s stock leaned heavily
toward rum and mixers designed for any Caribbean-influenced drink you can
imagine. I stayed on menu, and decided
to try their Dark and Stormy. Their
combination of dark rum and zingy ginger beer was excellent and a good choice
to slowly sip while I waited for my entrée.
And this is where things got really good. At the recommendation of my server, I had
ordered a combination platter – my choice, with a couple of exceptions, of any
two dinners listed on Buraka’s menu. As
a first-timer to East African fare, the two dishes which spoke to me most were
the dorowot toward the back of the plate, and the minchet abish at the front of the plate.
Dorowot is probably Buraka’s closest thing to tasting
like beef stew except it uses chicken as the protein. But everything in the dish is fall-apart good
and smothered in a thick reddish-brown sauce.
The dish relies heavily on a berbere spice blend for its earthy and savory
flavor. I was never familiar with berbere
before this meal, but I became an instant believer. If you like chili peppers and garlic with a
very slight citrusy zest, this spice blend is for you.
The minchet abish grinds beef, lentils, onions and
tomatoes together and flavors it all with a darker and slightly spicier berbere-seasoned
sauce. Maybe it was because I detected a
bit of a smokier flavor to this dish, but I think it stole the show from the
dorowot.
Although the rice itself was nothing to brag about, I was
glad I chose it with my entrées to help soak up all the gravy. All meals at Buraka come with either rice or
injera, a type of flatbread. I got an extra
order of injera to dip into everything, much like a tortilla, and it worked
exceptionally well. Lastly, the dollop
of sour cream worked perfectly to add a creamy kick texture to either dish.
Long after I had dinner at Buraka, I learned the name of
the restaurant comes from an East African language and means “joy and
contentment.” I think that effectively
sums up my meal and my experience there.
If you’re not familiar with East African cuisine and are looking to get
out of your comfort zone, you’ll find Buraka to be a real treat.
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