Tana Ethiopian Cuisine's authentic offerings catching on in Brandon

The main challenge facing the owners of Tana Ethiopian Cuisine has been getting people to understand what Ethiopians eat.

As the only Ethiopian restaurant in the area, it has been a hurdle.

It has been slow going, but owners Abebe Yohannes and Damot Hailu said that it’s finally catching on, with word of mouth spreading their restaurant’s story throughout Westman.

The couple first arrived in Canada approximately 18 years ago, although Yohannes said they came for a vacation, not with the intention of staying.

After some time in Winnipeg, they drove out to Brandon to see what Manitoba had to offer outside of the capital.

As soon as they drove down the hill on 18th Street and saw more of the Wheat City, Yohannes said they knew they wanted to live there.

He said it looked like a nice place to raise kids, which they have since done, having three boys since relocating to Brandon several years ago.

Starting out in Brandon, Yohannes drove a cab and Hailu was a health-care aide worker, but they found themselves driven to do something more, something that brought their culture to their new home.

Drawing from Yohannes’s business studies back in Ethiopia and Hailu’s experience in preparing traditional dishes, they opened Tana Ethiopia Cuisine at 302 10th St. in September 2015.

Everything they serve is "absolutely Ethiopia," Yohannes said, adding that their offerings are exactly what one might expect to find at a restaurant in their native country.

Although they started out with a menu, Yohannes said not enough people knew what the items were, and were hesitant to order anything.

Hailu suggested they remedy the situation by turning the restaurant into a buffet, which allows people to pick and choose what items they wish to try without having to commit to any one particular thing.

There are many unique qualities to Ethiopian food, Hailu said, citing the centrepiece as injera, a special bread that’s gluten free and made of teff flour. They also use a unique collection of spices they’ve procured directly from Ethiopia, which range from spicy to mild, with most of their dishes highlighted by veggies and lentils. Nothing they serve has ever been frozen, and Hailu said many of their options are vegan.

While the restaurant has already proven popular among the city’s Ethiopian community of approximately 400 to 500 people, Yohannes said

it’s slowly catching on outside that community.

In Ethiopia, meals are an important part of community, with people sitting down in a circle in an inclusive manner, which Yohannes said is exactly the kind of environment they’re trying to build at their restaurant.

With the restaurant finally catching on in Brandon, Yohannes said, "We’re very, very happy because people support us."

» tclarke@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB