T+L and Marcus Samuelsson in Addis Ababa
Where: Addis Ababa
Travel + Leisure does a fine tour of Addis Ababa, Ehtiopia, in this month's issue. Two T+L correspondents were guided by Marcus Samuelsson, the Ethiopian-born/Swedish-bred superchef of Aquavit fame who also hosts Inner Chef on Discovery Home. Samuelsson has been traveling back and forth to Ethiopia for years and he's got the tips to prove it.
First, make sure you check out the merkato, where the sights and smells can bring a tear to even the most hardened foodie's eye. Next, know your booze: tej is an Ethiopian wine made with honey and hops; if you want the good stuff, head for a round at Tej Bet. And if you are after the best food in Addis, and maybe a Samuelsson sighting to satisfy your crush, head to Habesha--it's his favorite restaurant in town. Just make sure the sauce from your dish lands on the delicious injera and not on your face--that can be off-putting.
One more thing: if you want to so much as even pretend you're hip, skip "new-Addis" establishments like Black Rose, quality as they may be. At night, it's all about traditional Ethiopian dance clubs. At Yewedal, you can get your dance on so long as you're prepared for another, more intimidating Addis activity: it's popular for clubbers to challenge others to a dance-off by verbally insulting them in front of the crowds first.
[Photo: mszmpkb]
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