Kibrom's

When one thinks of Boise, Traditional Ethiopian food might not be the first thought to cross their mind. In fact, it might be one of the last. That is why we were so surprised to see Kibrom's; An Ethiopian and Eritrean flavor hub nestled off of State Street. The restaurant originally opened as  'The International Market' in 2013, but after a fire destroyed the market, Kibrom’s was re-established in 2016 and has since become a beloved spot for authentic East African cuisine.

Our Experience

As soon as you enter the restaurant you are greeted by a cozy and modest space that is punctuated by Ethiopian decor and music. You take a seat at an empty table (if you can get one!) and will soon be greeted by a friendly waiter. When dining in a restaurant, little things are often overlooked, and if that happens enough then it can become noticeable. These little things are often started off with a greeting from the waiter, then sequentially, a glass of water and the question for more drinks. We believe Kibrom's did this very well. The water was also very cold, which is always good to see. Throughout the meal, our waiter was extremely nice. However, one of our criticisms was that our waters weren't ever refilled. This wasn't a big deal though, as we ordered other drinks as well. At the end of the meal we paid up front, which I believe is convenient for both parties. Overall, our experience was very positive.

Appetizers

At first glance, Ethiopian Food can be unappealing. But, once you take your first bite your doubts will fade into obscurity. Anchored by injera, a spongey-bread that consists of only flour and water, Ethiopian Cuisine can be describe as "loose, tender, and flavorful." Frankly, it is different, very different. Traditionally, it is eaten without utensils, instead you use the injera to grab the food and more importantly absorb the flavors. Because of its simple makeup the injera is quite literally a sponge, fully soaking in the flavor and sometimes even enhancing it. To get a first impression of the injera we ordered it as an appetizer; 

"Kategna" was rolled injera, with spiced butter, barbere sauce (a hot, peppery and tangy Ethiopian sauce), and salt. This was suprisingly flavorful and moist. Much of it attributed to the barbere sauce. The consistency was very smooth and also soft, a positive quality of any type of bread. The flavor started off small, but eventually grew before erupting in your mouth. It was certainly spicy but nothing unmanageable. The taste of peppers comes through and then the butter levels the whole flavor out. This dish made for a very even display of the true flavor of the barbere sauce. It was quite tasty.

Beverages

We then ordered two lesser known juices, banana and mango. Kibrom's is one of the only restaurants in the Treasure Valley that serves mango juice, let alone banana. In all honesty, we didn't really like the mango, it came out a bit more as a smoothie than a juice, and it didn't taste very similar to mango. That doesn't mean it was bad however, just not for us. With that being said, the banana juice was absolutely delicious. Tasting identical to an actual banana, its consistency was smooth and refreshing. It was perfectly chilled, and although unorthodox, the perfect addition to the rest of our meal.

Main Course

We ordered Red Tibs, Doro Wot, Alicha Wot, and Defin Misir with a base of injera and a salad in the middle. Starting off simply, the salad and injera were as expected. Fresh and clean, without overpowering the rest of the dish. Starting with our least favorite, the Alicha Wot. It was good but we liked the other dishes more. Although the meat was almost perfectly tender, we thought for how flavorful everything else was, this was lacking. Described as "morsels of beef cooked in a buttery onion and tomato sauce seasoned with tumeric" this dish was almost exactly that, however the onion was the most prominent flavor in the dish. Although we would definitely both eat this again, it was overshadowed by the other dishes. Next was the Defin Misir, black lentils with barbere sauce. We thought this dish was delicious, but realize that it can be a bit of an acquired taste. The barbere sauce is once again very good, but this time both the flavor and texture of the lentils came through and made for a great addition to the peppery sauce. After that we tried the Doro Wot, a piece of on-the-bone chicken smothered in barbere sauce and served with a boiled egg. This was very good, the chicken fell cleanly off the bone and was then flavorful and tender, this was our favorite dished that involved barbere sauce. Similarly to the Kategna, it was spicy but not overwhelming. This was where we noticed the absence of water, however. This was our favorite dish to pair with the injera, as it combined very well to make a delicious hybrid flavor. Finally, we had the pleasure of trying Red Tibs. This was absolutely delicious, a sauteed beef smothered in a sweet, and spicy onion and barbere sauce. Although, these were labeled as spicy on the menu, we wouldn't let that scare you away. The bite started off sweet then you taste the beef and it finally finishes with some salt. It was a perfect umami creation. Very good.

Value

For our entire meal, with an appetizer, the large shared main course, and two large drinks, it came out to about $22 a person. Considering the fact that this was a sit down restaurant, that is very good, especially for how filling the meal was. Like any bread, the injera was carbohydrate-heavy and did not have us wanting to order more food. In fact, we both agreed that there was almost too much food near the end of our meal it. So, we had some left over. For the best individual value, we would recommend that you order a fountain drink, or just stick with water. Order one of their famous, $2.50 Samosas, and then an entree of your choice. We guarantee this meal will fill you up.

Overall 

This was a great opening restaurant to our blog, we are excited to rate this a 3.95/5 on "The Flavor Odyssey" scale. We hope you enjoyed this review and feel free to contact us on Email and Instagram.