Emame’s Ethiopian Cuisine

This is one of my go-​to lunch spots! I’m pretty spoiled working downtown with all of these amazing food trucks right outside my office.
The vegetarian sampler is the way to go, IMHO. It’s delicious. I’m not sure I’ve gone to other Ethiopian places before, but if it’s this good, I’ll definitely go. The bread (injera)? The collard greens? The lentils? Mmmm. And I like to ask for some spice.
The truck is not the shiniest of the bunch as newer trucks continue to move in that have fancy designs that draw you in. I always enjoy talking with the woman (I believe her name is Dorka… not sure on the spelling) who runs and operates the truck. She’s so sweet.
I’m only bummed when it’s Tuesday and I want her food (because they’re closed on Tuesdays… and Sundays).

Siga watt with berbere sauce flavors was little spicy and injera was bit soaked. Not as filling as I’ve anticipated, but it’s not everyday I get to try Ethiopian dish so if was interesting to try, but probably not what I’d develop craving for. At least it seems easy to digest with simmered veggies so looked ore wholesome than many deep fried meaty food at many carts in the area.

This place lost my business today! Not sure what was wrong with the lady that works here but the service was horrible! First off the portions she tried to sell me was an absolute joke! I ordered the doro watt and it seemed like she just dipped the spoon in the pot and gave me whatever bit she pulled out of it. A teaspoon size of the greens and lentils and a two itty bitty pieces of injera. It was not even enough for a whole meal… not for an adult anyway, maybe for a 3 yr old child. And she still had the audacity to charge me $ 9.50 for it. I went back to her cart and asked her «for the amount of money I paid, shouldn’t I have more food than this?» She gave me one of those «no, you didn’t» looks and with a forced smile, added a ½ of a spoonful of food to my plate. I didn’t want to keep going back and forth with this lady so I left. Needless to say, I didn’t enjoy my food after that and I will NOT be returning to Emame’s Ethiopian Cuisine food cart!!!

This was my first venture into Ethiopian cuisine as I’ve heard good things about Doro Wat for a long time. I’d had the Doro Wat and having nothing to compare it to, it was a delicious blend of flavor and spice as I’ve heard for so long.
Didn’t care for the bread though, as an avid bread lover, Ethiopian bread doesn’t impress me.

Love coming to Portland. This is an awesome city and this is an awesome place to get Ethiopian food. I just have to remember to order extra injera next time. The food is wonderful and at a great price.

I had the vegetarian special, which contains all the usual suspects — dishes I can’t name but know by sight and flavor. As other reviewers have pointed out, there is no spice at all in the food, which is a shame, but a hazard of Portland dining (I feel like I point out this town’s powerful aversion to spice in every other review, but it’s often the most notable feature of the dishes I have here). As a result, it’s not as enjoyable as it should be – not a fault of the chef, who is catering to this public’s palate.
The food seems overall pretty healthy, save the sambusa I also devoured (which was, incidentally or not, my favorite part of the meal).
This is the first Ethiopian food I’ve had in Portland. It’s not indicative of the cuisine as a whole, but it’s clearly the product of a skilled cook.

Synopsis: Eight bucks buys you a veggie special or a meat dish with one side. Each comes on some injera and comes with two pieces of injera. You eat with your hands, so you can skip the plastic forks and spoons if you want to be authentic.
We went with the classic doro wat, a reddish-​brown flavorful sauce boasting a chicken leg and a hard-​boiled egg, as well as the veggie special, which featured miser wat (lentils also in the berbere sauce) and all three sides: the collard greens, potato and cabbage. We opted to add in the $ 2 sambusas, an Ethiopian adaptation of the more familiar, but seemingly ubiquitous Indian samosa. Theirs was filled with freshly cooked lentils, was hearty in its size («I think I could have a side and a sambusa and be good.») and perfectly fried to a crisp perfection. I regretted my decision to go with the collard greens, as they were a little bland; the potatoes would have been a much better choice, as they had a slightly sharp sour flavor added to them.
Scores:
Time:
We tend to arrive early, and were there at 11:30. We had to wait about 10 minutes before they opened up, but we were the first order of the day. Our server boxed up our order in under 5 minutes; the bulk of the time was spent frying the sambusas.
Value-​4:
Eight bucks for just a little bit more than the two of us could eat was a fine deal. Both of us were a tad hungrier than normal. Under most circumstances, I’d have opted for more injera as it is some of my favorite stuff on the planet. But the deliciousness (and size) of the sambusa made it worth it.
Gut check at 3pm:
I will be able to eat dinner. But it will be small.
Sustainability-​4:
Teff, the grain used in injera is a highly sustainable grain, unlike wheat. It’s also gluten free and a whole grain. Emame’s was one of the first adopters of Go Box. While they do serve beef (a poor contender in the sustainability world) and chicken (which is better), lentils, greens and cabbage are their primary offerings, which also boosts their score a bit.
Fear Factor-​4:
I first encountered Ethiopian when I was 15, a year after I discovered Indian food. The soupy, veggie-​heavy fare is a bit daunting. Combine that with eating with your hands with the injera and you’re in for a fairly exotic experience. Note, though: the fear is only for those who haven’t adjusted to this alien way of eating. Considering the cleanliness of the cart, the temperature of the food, and the freshness of everything, on my personal end, I’d give it a 1 fear-​wise. But I understand that most may find it a bit odd/​scary.
Embrace your fears. Face them. The berbere is a wonderful thing!
Staying Power-​4:
Emame’s has been here since the beginning of 2011. All the reviews I have seen have also lauded it on quality, consistency and flavor. They’re doing everything right here, and I see no reason why they’re going to go anywhere. There are just too few Ethiopian carts to threaten their status.
Creativity-​2:
I’m scoring this low because, as with almost every Ethiopian place I encounter, the menus verge on routine. The sambusa earns them a point because I haven’t seen them anywhere else. But everything else can be found on the menu of just about every Ethiopian restaurant in America. Some other restaurants have introduced fish and mushrooms into their offerings, which would earn them a couple of points. That said: I understand and appreciate the simplicity of their offerings, which keeps costs, space requirements and option-​paralysis-​while-​at-​lunch down.

I love Ethiopian food. I came here while in town for a few days only to find the owner closes up shop on Tuesdays! But I was able to grab a quick bite on my way out of town on Wednesday.
Delicious, filing portion. I ordered the beef stew, and it came with 3 pieces of inerja and greens stewed with onions and carrots.
The beef was great, tender and a little spicy. I love the crepes, they are slightly tangy and a good balance to the spice. The vegetables were tender, but pretty unexciting, but I did eat most of them to rationalize eating most of everything else.
$ 8, $ 1 tip to the friendly owner. Great lunch.

Love the vegetarian combo, which comes with collard greens, potatoes, cabbage, Berbere lentils, and of course, injera (Ethiopian bread). Filling, healthy and delicious! I’ve also tried their hot tea, and found it deliciously spicy — perfect for a rainy day!

How so much menu variety ended up in one food cart I don’t know… but I am grateful for the options! This was a seriously enjoyable meal, affordable and with generous portions. So tasty, healthy and I must say… the food just looks beautiful to see! I’m in Emame’s corner for sure!

I visited Emame’s today based on the positive Unilocal vegan reviews & was treated to a two-​portion-​sized sampler of red lentils, yellow cabbage, collard greens & carrots, & yellow potatoes with an ample amount of injera. Although I prefer the lentils spicier, every dish was flavorful & blended well together (which is something I highly appreciate about Ethiopian cuisine). The service was friendly & swift, & for $ 8, the food was more than adequate. I look forward to returning.

I try different ethiopian restaurants & food trucks whenever I get the chance. I have tried several in wash dc & seattle. Emame’s is one of the most delicious in my opinion. I eat here once or twice a week. I usually order the vegetarian combo. Each dish is so good. Wonderful injera.
The hours these days (as of Feb 2015) are:
Mon 11:00 am — 5:00 pm
Tues Closed
Wed 11:00 am — 5:00 pm
Thu 11:00 am — 5:00 pm
Fri 11:00 am — 5:00 pm
Sat 11:00 am — 5:00 pm
Sun Closed
The hours are not correct in the Unilocal listing (as of today 2/​23/​15.)
(I confirmed the hours with the owner.)

Very tasty. Always a pleasant experience.

I’ve only had doro wat so far, but it was great! The injera was a good texture that held up despite being carried around in the to-​go container for a while. The chicken was very tender and came right off the bone, and I love the hard-​boiled egg included! I got the cabbage side and it was a perfect complement to the spiciness of the berbere. I’ll definitely go back!

Really good! When you’re roaming the food cart pod and want a change, this is the place to come to. Very nice woman who runs the cart. She let me try a few things before I ordered.
Settled on the vegetarian combo with spicy red lentils, cooked cabbage, and the bread. So yummy! They were out of the sambusas, so I will have to go back for those. Overall a great quality fast lunch.

Homemade food. The bread is made from scratch…
I don’t usually eat Ethiopian food but I’ve been here twice now because it tastes so good.
I ordered the beef dish the first time and it was a good dose of spicy; my sinuses were clearing out. Last time I ordered the Doro Watt, the chicken dish, not as spicy but same delicious flavor.
Craving it now!

I’m glad I perused the food truck area until finding this. Ethiopian food is delicious, and this easily compares to what I’ve gotten in restaurants. I got a vegetarian platter with the spicy lentils. Before first bite I worried if it would be too spicy, but it was fine for me (with something to drink). A friend with me also ate from this truck and was similarly pleased.

I adore this little food cart. The food is made with love. I get the vegetarian lunch special everytime and its the best lunch $ 8 can buy. The spicy lentils are very yummy and so is the cabbage… definitely check it out.

This is really your only choice if you want to get Ethiopian from a food cart (at least in SW Portland), but that’s fine with me. They don’t really need any competition because everything is great.
Whether you’re vegetarian or carnivore, like it hot or can’t handle spice or anywhere in between, there is something for you at Emame’s. Their lunch plates come with a hefty portion of an entrée (from chicken to lentil stew) with a side (I recommend the collards) and 3 pieces of injera bread for $ 7. It’s a great value in terms of quantity, quality, and variety.
Additionally, this cart is lightning fast. If you’re in a pinch, you can count on being in and out in less than 5 minutes. Excellent food truck, excellent Ethiopian, it’s as good as it gets.

I am SO freaking happy that Emame’s gets to be my 50^th Unilocal review. Definitely my favorite overall food cart on the West Side.
Let’s start by saying that the proprietor has spent some time living and working in Washington, DC – or as she explained to me «little Ethiopia». Outside of having the money to fly out to Addis Ababa for dinner, DC is where it’s at for tasty Ethiopian food in the U.S.
The conversation was both highly pleasant, and completely effortless. This woman knows how to make you feel happy and welcome, and really, that’s what I’ve missed so much since I’ve moved here about Ethiopian restaurants… they don’t have the right vibe at all. Well, Emame’s certainly does. It matters — it can improve your entire day: the right combination of good food and good conversation with the person who prepared it for you.
ON TO THE FOOD! Wow, first of all… she’s sharp. Both traditional teff-​only (slightly more expensive, but completely gluten-​free and kinda tastier if you ask me), and wheat-​added Injera was very clearly displayed. How refreshing, when so many waitresses have lied to me about a restaurant’s Injera, with horrible consequences.
How to judge all Ethiopian food? The quality of the Injera, and the seasoning in the Doro Wat. I’m completely impressed by Emame’s on both counts.
The Injera was just warm enough, and tasted very fresh. The Doro Wat? Spicy for real, but not going to kill people who hate spice — very well-​balanced with the flavor of the chicken and that ohhhhhhhhh so tasty hard-​boiled egg.
Thank you for reminding me of home. I actively wish I lived within walking distance — probably the best recommendation I can give.