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Kokeb Restaurant
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
4 reviews for Kokeb Restaurant
4 reviews in English
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Review from A.P. B.
MB
11/20/2011
Kokeb boasts advantages and disadvantages over the other Ethiopian restaurants in town. The food is not as fresh as Massawa, but the selection is wider and the service quicker.
If you like heat, order the stuffed jalapenos to start.
To end, I highly recommend the coffee ceremony. Not unlike espresso, the process is educational. And beautiful.
Service is fast and friendly and the food is delicious. As per the style of cooking, the menu features wat, Ethiopian stews served on a traditional flat bread called injeera.
Kokeb's particular takes on these seems to offer far more fixins than that of Massawa for instance. You'll find slices of boiled egg embedded in the beef, or fresh herbs garnishing the chicken. You'll also find a wider range of proteins, respecting and reflecting a wider arc of the cuisine.
This does make for some challenges, especially if you've never eaten this kind of food before. But isn't that half of the fun...part of the adventure?
And unlike Massawa, the menu descriptions much more clearly distinguish one dish from another.
More news and review at http://www.SavourWinni... -
Review from Katya M.
Winnipeg, MB
10/19/2011
My first time here was while in high school on a field trip. I have been back many times since. The food is amazing, service great and if you have any questions they will answer
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Review from Anlina S.
Winnipeg, MB
11/27/2009
Since returning to the city, Kokeb seems to have become my go-to place for eating out. I've been eating out a lot, and I've come back here more often than any other place.
My last visit was on Tuesday - after coffee at the Fyxx food was in order, and Kokeb was the only place in walking distance that came to mind. I was with Coleen, who'd never had Ethopian before, so I suggested we get samosas and the mixed platter (which is what I've always gotten.) The platter is more than enough food for two, and the samosas were totally unnecessary, but totally delicious. They came out of the kitchen hot and fresh out of the frier and were crunchy, spicy and flavourful. No dipping sauce, but they really didn't need any (though I seem to recall getting sauce with the samosas in the past.)
The platter comes on a huge plate, which is covered with a thin, stretchy, chewy crepe-type flat bread with a slightly lemony flavour. On this there is an assortment of different types of foods in little piles - salad, lentils in a thick base, different seasoned meats in sauce, seasoned cabbage, a sort of paste made with whole corn kernels, slices of deep fried potato and more. Unfortunately I don't know what anything is, but it all tastes great.
They don't offer you any cutlery here - the platter comes out with a plate of rolled up flat breads. You tear off a piece and use it to pick up food off the platter. It can be a little messy, and it would definitely be nice if they gave you more napkins, but all in all it's a fun eating experience.
Service is not super attentive but it's adequate, and the level of service feels more like it's a cultural thing, rather than just apathetic service. If you want a refill of your water, put your glass at the edge of the table - they won't come by to offer you more if you don't.
It's not fancy, but the food is really good and consistent and it's a nice place to go for dinner.Listed in: Cheap eats in Winnipeg
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Review from DineoutGal A.
Winnipeg, MB
7/30/2010 4 photos
I've been interested in trying Ethiopian food for a long time. And my interest piqued when I read Anlina's great and thorough review!
I have to admit that I am not familiar with Ethiopian cuisine so I was excited to try Kokeb. It's a small restaurant on Ellice Avenue, across from the LC on Ellice. Decor is pretty plain, it's also very dark inside, there are about 8 tables on the left hand side and a small section of lounge seats near the TV. There is a vegetarian lunch buffet available for about $8 or so and it serves rice, lentils, split peas, potatoes, beets, cabbage and injera.
We opted for the mixed platter (meat and vegetables) to maximize the amount of food we'd try. They also serve a vegan platter too. The food is quite filling and it is more than enough for two people. It was hard to identify what the items on the platter were since the server didn't tell us. I'm sure we could have asked but we just dived right in. You can figure it out after tasting it but it would've been nice to know which a la carte item it corresponded to. The mixed platter was about $20, and provided all of the vegetarian dishes from the buffet along with a hardboiled egg, chicken, beef and another lean beef item - the platter was served on top of one big injera. And the platter also came with three individual injeras; injera is a large flimsy thin crepe like flatbread that has a sour taste that's similar to sourdough bread. FYI, no utensils are used here as you break off pieces of injera to scoop up your food; it's not too messy if you're careful. So yes, make sure you and your dining partners wash your hands before you dive in! Also, if you're not the type that likes to share food on a platter with others scooping in, then stick to the buffet or a dish that you can have to yourself. There's no side dish to use so you scoop the food from the platter and just bring the food to your mouth. It's a little different to get use to but that's what makes it fun.
The food is good but I was definitely expecting more spices and stronger flavours. So many of the items tasted a bit more subdued from what I expected. Not saying it was bad but in my mind I expected something different - that's all. It's good food and the flavours aren't as exotic as one would think. I tried to convince a few people to try this place but somehow the thought of Ethiopian food intimidates a lot of people. In terms of spices and flavour, I'd say Indian food is probably more exotic for most people than Ethiopian food is.
We also tried a vegetable samosa (lentils, green onions, green chillies, cilantro and spices), it was piping hot so eat slowly! I don't normally eat samosas but this was very delicious because it came with a yummy spicy sauce that was made of jalapenos and garlic. It was spicy and delectable so I'd order that again! The staff were nice that they gave me an extra portion of the hot sauce to take home along with a good portion of leftover food from the platter.
I'd give this place a 3.5 stars; I'd love to come back and try the special coffee ceremony and the veg lunch buffet.Listed in: Winnipeg's Vegetarian/Vegan…
