Outside of DuoLingo, it’s not often that I get to learn new words. Even international menus usually present me with options filled with familiar phrasings. “Beyaynetu,” however, was a novel one for me. And it turns out it describes something I’ve been eating for decades. I can thank Vera’s Kitchen in Manassas for expanding my culinary vocabulary.
So what is beyaynetu? More commonly seen as yetsom beyaynetu, it’s the vegetarian combo that’s my go-to when trying a new-to-me Ethiopian restaurant. And the version that chef-owner Veronica Musie turns out among her brief menu of American sandwiches and Ethiopian stews is a standout. For one thing, it’s startlingly inexpensive. At lunchtime, it’s a mere $11.95 for all the food you see above. And the seven elements served atop 100 percent teff-flour injera are unusually fresh.
The atakilt wot, or cabbage stew, typically cooked almost to a vapor, is composed of al dente strands dyed yellow with turmeric. Fresh jalapenos on top contribute a zap of heat, which they also do to the split pea dish, kik alicha. The mushrooms, or engudaye, are meaty and sturdy, too, with subtle spices that don’t overwhelm their natural flavors, much like the cool beet salad beside them.
Reliably, my favorite, though, is the earthy, berbere-red mesir wot at the center. Because the stews are all so fresh, the injera beneath them doesn’t get quite as soaked as other versions, making for cleaner fingers than usual. But it’s worth getting a little bit dirty to scoop up the expertly paired dishes–a bit of gomen wot with a scoop of shiro, some mesir wot with the crunchy atakilt wot. Though I’m enticed to try other dishes at Vera’s, including her doro wot and tuna kitfo, I was intensely satisfied skipping the meat.
9255 Center St., Manassas
Feature image by Alice Levitt
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