Walia’s Ethiopian dining is an experience best shared

Edmonton is fortunate to house a scant handful of excellent Ethiopian restaurants, including the venerable Langano Skies, which has been around for more than a decade. Lesser-known eateries, however, are worth seeking out. They boast a raw authenticity that has not yet been whitewashed and distorted, as is the case for so many ethnic cuisines that have been refracted through the fast-food lens.

Walia is a relatively recent addition to Edmonton’s Ethiopian assemblage, and holds its own in Edmonton’s powerhouse dining neighbourhood, 124 Street. Sandwiched between a jeweller and an apartment block, Walia is easy to miss. The small dining room is decked out with wicker chairs and twinkly lights. Bolts of gauzy fabric snake back and forth across the ceiling; it’s a valiant effort to spruce up an otherwise pedestrian space. The restaurant’s initial lack of stage presence, however, is quickly overshadowed by the myriad of enticing scents wafting out of the kitchen.

Read more at: The Globe and Mail