King Solomon and Queen of Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant  – 360 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M5A 1T1
Country: Ethiopia        
Must-try dish: Wotageba
Dinner guests: Dancing Queen, Justjamiie & Mitch 
Seating: Indoor seating with fun decor and outdoor patio. 
The high: They do lamb dishes exquisitely. 
The low: It’s located in a rough corner, but don’t let this deter you. 

The reason we created this blog was to educate our friends, family, and readers about cuisines from around the world that are available in Toronto. As a result, introducing our community to a new cuisine will always be an exciting moment – Ethiopian cuisine has captured the hearts of a few more Torontonians. 

Our latest Ethiopian restaurant has a name from a Biblical story, and it also has the name of a famous painting that dates back to 1559 by a Flemish painter. In modern times, it’s also a terrific Ethiopian restaurant in downtown Toronto. We’re loving all the references in the name, which gives the restaurant even more character than it already has. 

This group was hungry so we did a tour of the menu, and then ordered another round for good measure once the first was done. It was a protein heavy dinner – our favourite. 

Sharing is the name of the game at an Ethiopian restaurant, so you have to be comfortable with the entire group eating from the same large plate and everyone using their hands as utensils. The meats, legumes, and vegetables all have a unique spot on a large crepe-like flatbread called injera, and several additional injeras accompany on side plates to use as vehicles for grabbing the food. 

This is a breakdown by protein of our order: 

Lamb:

• 12 – Ye’ Beg Key Tibs: This is one of the spicier dishes available, that would typically be very hot in Ethiopia, but this version is milder to adapt to a western palate. It’s a stew with sauce that marinates the injera underneath it, and is eventually delicious to eat at the end of the meal. The pieces of tenderloin are tender – any lamb lover would adore this dish. 
• 15 – Ye’ Beg Nech Tibs: In contrast, this version of a tibs dish is cooked in a milder sauce, and the pieces of lamb are less saucy. This was a recommendation from our server that totally hit the spot with our group. 
• 28 – Chacha: A beloved dish among Ethiopians, this lamb dish is less saucier than the rest, and it’s often considered one of the best seasoned dishes in the entire cuisine. It’s slow-cooked with onions, red and green peppers, and spices that come together in creating the delicious topping for the meat. Beware of the bones in this dish! 
• 33 – Wotageba: Another recommendation from our server Naya, and ultimately the best dish of the night. The small, tender strips of lamb are marinated in soya sauce and seasoning then cooked to medium rare and served on top of an injera. The flavours used in this dish are different from the others, which is the reason why it stands out. This should be the first dish you order to accompany the vegetarian platter. Thank us later. 

Beef:

• 21 – Special King Solomon Kifto: This Ethiopian version of beef tartare, it’s best served raw up to medium rare, yet to do as the locals do, order it as raw as possible. Lean minced beef is mixed with butter., spices and herbs to get the flavour just right. This is an Eat the World TO favourite at an Ethiopian restaurant. 

Chicken:

• 11 – Doro Tibbs: This is one of the few chicken dishes on the menu as poultry is less common in Ethiopian cuisine, and this is likely a dish with traditional spices to appease a western audience. Although the red meat dishes tend to be in higher favour, this was pretty damn good. 

Vegetarian: 

• 5 – Vegetarian Platter: If you’re a newbie to the Ethiopian experience, this is the first place that you’ll start. It’s reliable and a crowd pleaser with seasoned split peas, lentils, chickpeas, cabbage, and collard greens that are saucy and easy to grab with pieces of injera. The best method is to start with this dish as a base and then add on meat dishes to beef it up. 

Ethiopian food is never boring, and consistently impresses newcomers. There’s a wealth of restaurants serving Ethiopian cuisine in the city, especially on the Danforth where there’s a concentration of them in Little Ethiopia. Once you start eating at a few different ones, you’ll be able to decide which one is your favourite. 

There is one consistency among all the Ethiopian restaurants in Toronto that is less common in places from other countries. The people working there are thrilled to share their country’s cuisine with diners, they’re helpful in curating an order, and they’re always wearing a smile. 

Eat with you soon, 

Mandrea Bike
(Mat & Andrea)