Jambo Jambo, Crows Nest
You’ll find a few African restaurants scattered across the suburbs, but Jambo Jambo is Sydney’s only Ethiopian one. Jambo Jambo (“hello hello” in Swahili) has been open for a year now, tucked away in the complex that time forgot, Crows Nest Plaza.
Inside the Jambo Jambo dining room
The primary yellow, red and green walls offer a burst of Ethiopian patriotism, and it’s hard not to get into the spirit of things with the colonial-style high backed chairs, litany of tourism posters and tribal artefacts on the wall.
Injera bread
Goden tibs grilled beef ribs $24
[Clockwise from bottom left] Misr wot split lentils $19; kitffo beef cooked in spiced butter $24.50; doro wot chicken $24.50; key wot lamb stew $24; gomen collard greens and alicha curried vegetable stew provided as complimentary extras
Kitffo raw lean beef with spiced butter $24.50
Our favourite dish of the night is the kitffo - lean beef that’s chopped finely and cooked in spiced butter. Ignore the rare or medium options and eat it how Ethiopians traditionally do it – raw. It’s the African version of steak tartare or Korean yukke, the raw beef macerated in a spiced clarified butter (Bekele makes his own). Do it. It’s amazing.
Roasting Ethiopian coffee beans
Jebena clay coffee pot
Ethiopian coffee
Prices can seem a little steep at first sight, with each main the size of a single ladle, but the injera is unlimited, presented as little scrolls in wicker baskets. There’s no need for cutlery here. You simply unroll a section of injera, tear it off, and use it as a scoop for the curry.
Ethiopian kitffo raw beef with spiced butter, curries and injera
Ethiopian curries on injera bread
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Jambo Jambo
Shop 16, Crows Nest Plaza
103-111 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest, Sydney
Tel: +61 (02) 9439 3277
Opening hours:
Dinner Tuesday to Sunday 6pm-1pm
Lunch hours vary, phone ahead to check
BYO only. Corkage $2.50 per person
This article appeared in the September 2013 issue of Time Out Sydney in my monthly Food & Drink column Eat This! [Read online]
Read more of my Time Out Sydney reviews
posted by Helen (Grab Your Fork) on 10/17/2013 12:03:00 am
17 Comments:
At 10/17/2013 4:15 am, Hannah said…
Injera and eating with my hands make my soul soar.
At 10/17/2013 8:46 am, Ramen Raff said…
Oh wow!!! I wanna try this method of coffee brewing! First time I've seen coffee beans roasted in a fry pan. Love Ethiopian beans. did this method give out any notes?
At 10/17/2013 9:04 am, Anna @ The Littlest Anchovy said…
I would love to try Ethiopian! That ingera looks lovely. I would want to go on a night when they roast those beans!
At 10/17/2013 9:09 am, Jarhead said…
I once had Ethiopian at this place in Footscray in Melbourne. Pretty delicious ,and the injera bread has a really unique flavour. Glad there's a place I can get it now in Sydney!
At 10/17/2013 9:48 am, Anonymous said…
I have been waiting for years for Ethiopian food to come to Sydney! Thanks so much for the post.
At 10/17/2013 10:01 am, Amanda @ Gourmanda said…
I really like Jambo Jambo! It's very close to where I work, and it's excellent value. :)
At 10/17/2013 10:38 am, Katinka Day said…
Wow this place looks incredible! I work just around the corner so will have to try it out. Amazing pictures!
At 10/17/2013 12:28 pm, Joanne T Ferguson said…
G'day! What a unique feast indeed, true!
I have tried making Injera Bread as part of an Ethiopian Feast on my blog too!
Your photos make me want to now visit when next in Sydney!
Cheers! Joanne
At 10/17/2013 1:31 pm, Daisy@Nevertoosweet said…
Looks awesome I've never had South African or any African cuisines :) I particularly want to try the Beef Ribs hehe just wondering did they have any unique desserts?
At 10/17/2013 2:44 pm, nancy said…
i love ethiopian food and am keen to try this out, but I wonder why the owners chose a swahili name for the restaurant when swahili is not spoken in ethiopia??
At 10/17/2013 4:39 pm, Cindy (A Foodie's Joy) said…
I like how they've put portions of the curries on the injera bread!
At 10/18/2013 10:25 am, Tina @ bitemeshowme said…
an interesting cuisine that ive yet to try. namely because i'm not near any.
At 10/18/2013 8:32 pm, gaby @ lateraleating said…
Very interesting! I'll give it a shot sometime.
At 10/19/2013 11:30 am, ChopinandMysaucepan said…
Dear Helen,
Those beef ribs look good although I must admit I was half expecting to see zebra curry or a giraffe steak.
At 10/20/2013 12:00 pm, Unknown said…
I love African Curries, so rich and delicious! I would love o give this place a try!
At 10/21/2013 1:01 pm, Sara - Belly Rumbles said…
Thanks for sharing Helen, I thought Sydney was still without an Ethiopian restaurant. Yet I read it has been around for a year and I am again not in the know. Will be checking Jambo Jambo out soon!
At 10/23/2013 5:38 pm, Unknown said…
Ethiopian food?! Wow that must be a first. Absolutely keen to give this place a goooo.
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