First, We Feast {Aster’s Ethiopian Restaurant}
Words by Jessi Devenyns Photos by Shelby Bella
“Everywhere you go, Ethiopian food is pretty much the same,” Aster’s son Kassaye Kassaye begins as he rotates through the color wheel of wats atop a round of sourdough injera. Despite the seemingly wide variety of options, Kassaye explains that the base ingredients are standard across the country.
Ethiopia is home to a culture that is heavily influenced by orthodox Christianity, which promotes vegan diets and fasting. As a result, vegetables are heavily featured in the country’s cuisine. “It’s not looked at as a secondary type of food,” Kassaye shares as he notes that vegan food is not a replacement for meat so much as it is a focus on the flavorful bounty of vegetables themselves. “It’s not like we’re trying to make brisket out of cabbage and spice it to taste like meat. This is not supposed to taste like meat. This tastes like what it is.” And what “it”
Ethiopian food is a marker of a place and time. It may all be based on a similar shopping list, but each chef adds their own twist of personality. At Aster’s, that twist is a combination of a woman from central Ethiopia, a man from the eastern edge of the country, and a son who was raised in Austin. And the resulting dish may just be that much more delicious for it.
Contact
2804 N I-35 Frontage Rd.
(512) 469-5966
