Ghion Cafe

A Saturday lunchtime trip to North End Road expecting to eat Korean grub didn’t go as planned. But it being shut turned out to be a happy coincidence for fooddialect. Across the road sat a mustard and burgundy-painted Ethiopian cafe that fitted the bill. In fact, the whole street did. It is a goldmine for my writing. So many spots I need to try. London’s streets reek of cheap, delicious and authentic cuisine when you know where to look.

Not necessarily easy on the eye, but in my experience, some of the best restaurants aren’t. They aren’t so fussed about material aesthetics. Rather, tailoring their budget and attention toward the ingredients used and food served. Inside, it’s quiet, quite dark and simply decorated. The staff were very relaxed and welcoming, almost knowing they were about to serve us a great meal. Because a couple of us smoke, we sat out front and quickly ordered some bits to share.

Ethiopoia’s main staple is injera, a spongy carbohydrate made from teff flour and water. The process is much like making bread, but its ingredients and fermentation process lead to a mildly sour-tasting and spongy pancake, perfect for mopping up spicy sauces and stews.

We ordered a sharing dish between the four of us that set us back exactly £30. The injera was spread out across a circular metal plate and generously topped with a mixture of colourful vegetable and meat Ethiopian dishes. In the middle, sat a humble boiled egg on top of a chicken stew. It looked beautiful and smelled even better. I don’t remember seeing a selection of food look so new and enticing. I had no idea what it would taste like. We all dived in, eating with our hands, making use of the extra rolls of injera kindly placed next to us.

Not often do I have the opportunity of eating with my hands. But when I do, I thoroughly enjoy it. And with food like this, it’s incomparable. The blend of subtle and bold spices almost seemed to taste more impactful when using my hands. As though there is more of a connection between myself and the food, with no cutlery as an intermediate. My friend told me that at Ethiopian dinner tables, it is a social custom and sign of respect to feed another a bite of injera coated in sauce. We gave this a go with several failed photo attempts. This is the most complimentary and least messy of the ones we took.

Yohannes, the owner, has been running Ghion Cafe for 22 years. He is clearly very proud of it, and rightfully so. It’s a little community in there, with locals hanging out in the back, often watching sports together. For the next two weeks, Wimbledon is entertaining them. Yohannes says they get people from all over to try their food, confidently but quietly saying with a sly smile, “Nowhere in London does Ethiopian food like this”. All their recipes are classically Ethiopian, his mother who still lives out there, frequently sends over all the vital ingredients that make this place stand out on its own.

Ghion Cafe is that place you walk past every now and then, always saying you’ll pop in at some point, but never do. Don’t leave it too late, come along, spend barely a penny and add an amazing African cuisine to your list of favourites.

248 North End Rd, London SW6 7RS