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Broadcast

CBC Radio One Interview With Fresh Air Host Jeff Goodes

Aster discusses her new cookbook, the Addis Ababa restaurant and her philosophy of life with Jeff Goodes.
~ CBC Rado One. Click here to listen live. (*.mp3)

Print

As Reviewed In Toronto Life Magazine

This dazzling yet humble tile in Toronto’s dining mosaic wows Queen West West with its Ethiopian cuisine, freshly roasted coffee and gracious service. Dining means tearing off pieces of soft, tangy crêpe (the hallmark of the cuisine) to scoop up mouthfuls of spiced split peas, puréed black beans and collard greens, all intensely flavoured, layered with ginger, garlic and spices. A dish of minced, spiced raw beef is, as advertised, better than steak tartare.
~ Toronto Life. Click here for the full review.

As Reviewed In NOW Magazine

The most nitpicky eaters end up finger-feeding each other platters of spiced meat and vegetarian mixes at Queen and Gladstone Ethiopian restaurant Addis Ababa. Owner Aster Ketsela Belayneh has just released a self-published cookbook of her traditional treats called The Recipe Of Love. Devoted diners can stew up azifa (black lentils with mustard), minchet abish (hot ground-beef stew) and muz bemar (fried bananas with honey) at home to (slightly) cut down their weekly visits to Aster's table.
~ Now Magazine. Click here for the full review.

Stirring story told with finger food

Listen th the story of Aster Ketsela Belayneh.... It starts in the kitchen, which is small but complete. It's here that Aster makes chechebsa -- an Ethiopian "pizza" with honey and butter -- for us to snack on.... In just a few weeks, Addis Ababa turns 15. This milestone coincides with the release of Aster's self-published cookbook. It took years to compile recipes, enlist frients to help with photography and design, and make this dream a reality.
~ Toronto Star. January 17 2007. Click here for the article.

Toronto Life Magazine

Recreating an Ethiopian ritual that’s as old as the drink itself, Aster Belayneh roasts ripe green coffee beans, grinds them with a mortar and pestle, then steeps them with water in a traditional clay pot, called a jebena, before pouring the steaming, intoxicating brew into tiny cups. Let Seattle have its Starbucks.
~ Toronto Life. December 2007. Click here for the full review.

Shopping With Chefs

In the 12 years since Addis Ababa opened, the Belayneh's prospects have improved with those of the neighbourhood, thanks to the westward marh of the galleries and shops. Business is thriving, and Aster's unwavering optimism has paid off. "Adversity", Aster says with a smile, "only makes me stronger!"
~ Toronto Life. August 2004. (pg. 119).