www.africanpalace.ca/
- Benjamin Liu
Located in Bloorcourt Village near the corner of Bloor and Shaw, African Palace boasts itself to be “The Best Ethiopian Restaurant In Toronto!” Being a rather bold statement to make, we decided to find out for ourselves if this was true.
Immediately when you walk in, you are greeted with warm hospitality and a serving staff that will gladly accommodate you anywhere there is seating. The walls were adorned with very apropos decorations and touristy posters that gave you a tingling of Ethiopia. The space was open and uncluttered with enough distance between tables for privacy with your tablemates. The music was subdued and wasn’t quite as intrusive, or nearly as predictable, as other Ethiopian restaurants we’ve been to. Even more of a surprise was the fresh flower in a quaint little vase on every table: a very nice touch. Overall, the ambiance was pleasant to get right down to eating.
Before we began with the main dish, we ordered their lentil samosas for appetizers. They come out as these plump little triangles that could be reminiscent of a Japanese anime character. The texture was very nice and crisp, but there didn’t seem to be much depth to the flavours, as much of it was overpowered by how unsuspectingly spicy these little treats were.
Once we had set our appetites ablaze, we ordered the regular fare of the vegetarian platter for 3. On their current menu, it was listed under the “family platter for 3” and doesn’t clearly list all the options and components of the vegetarian option. However, our server explained that their menu was undergoing a slight change and that we’d be given a good selection of choices from their vegetarian section. Upon arrival, the quantity of extra injera rather sparse, but the waitress soon took notice when we had practically inhaled our food and brought some more. The food looked quite appealing to the eye, and we soon found out that it wasn’t just nice to look at.
In the platter, there was the usual fare of lentil and cabbage dishes, but what stood out the most seemed to be their Yesimir Wot: the split lentils cooked in berbere sauce. It had a delicate sweetness that wasn’t overpowering like most other Ethiopian restaurants we’ve been to. Also to note, the selections weren’t oily, but still managed a very smooth and light feel. Overall, it was a very pleasant experience to the tastebuds, if not a bit mellow. Oh, and as a bonus, the salad served with the platter didn’t have absurd amounts of jalapeno peppers. It’s always nice not to have a fear of eating the salad, especially when you're all vegetarians.
In summary, African Palace may have nearly hit the mark in its boastful statement as “The Best Ethiopian Restaurant In Toronto!” With an excellent serving staff, tastefully decorated space, and a light but satisfying meal, African Palace can safely be placed up in the ranks as one of the best places we've been to (we're still catching up with the blog). With many more adventures of EAT ahead, we’ll have to see if it can hold its title. But, in the meantime, African Palace would definitely be one of the places to try out if you are looking for a pleasant introduction into the world of Ethiopian cuisine.
Ratings (out of 5 injeras)
Service
