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Bati Ethiopian Restaurant is a Vegetarian's Delight

A local herbivore reached new epicurean heights at the eatery on Fulton Street.

 

The night I went to Bati Kitchen I relinquished all self-control.

The crucial elements were in place: a blustery evening to spend on a date, excess swilling of wine beforehand, and a romantic vibe fostered by soft light, brick wall and latticed windows.

But most importantly, there were three words, a symphony to herbivorous ears: vegetarian combination platter.

An Ethiopian restaurant on Fulton Street and S. Portland Avenue, Bati takes its name from a town known for its open-air market, where people of all persuasions rub elbows. On a recent Friday night, it was crowded with couples bellying up to candlelit tables.

Our meal started with injera, a spongy flatbread used instead of cutlery to pick up portions. Usually a table orders one large platter of stews and sautéed vegetables to share, but my date and I opted for separate trays. As he besmirched our stack of bread with his beefy fingerprints, I devoured my vegetarian platter, a medley of four vegan entrée selections.

The plants-only quadrant did not disappoint. The blend of beet and potato called key sir boldly stood on its own with lemony flavor. Buticha, a mix of ground chickpeas, harmonized with the gomen (collard greens perked up with garlic and ginger), which was tantalizingly tender.

The most salient island on my plate was the missir wett (split lentils in a piquant stew), a peppery revelation, and noshing on its feather-light texture was like gulping spicy clouds. It was just so easy to eat, and therefore, I gourmandized with reckless abandon.

As our feast slowed down, I spurned the baklava for red velvet cake, which our server warned would be sprinkled with sparkling wine. To be fair, the cake was absolutely soused in Champagne, creating a boozy tang balanced only by the rich vanilla frosting. Undaunted, I terminated the dessert, while my date waited in postprandial fatigue.

You’ll be hard pressed to find anything unsavory about the Bati experience — aside from the check. The vegetarian platter was $15, while a single entrée ($13) comes with two sides. The cost isn’t unthinkable, but it feels more worthwhile when everyone at the table can have a hand in the same plate.

Related Topics: bitesnear

Who cares

12:09 pm on Saturday, March 12, 2011

Very inviting! Comes across homey with a bit of sophistication. An interesting road map for my Love and I.

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Melissa

7:27 pm on Sunday, March 13, 2011

Lordy lordy! I must have that cake. Can you go to the restaurant just for dessert, or is that discouraged?

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Dorothy

8:42 pm on Sunday, March 13, 2011

My next time in the city, I must try this place it sounds simply delicious!

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Lady Croissant

12:24 am on Monday, March 14, 2011

What an interesting read! Such a unique vocabulary for a unique restaurant. Sounds like a place I'd definitely like to try out

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Elron Van Bregger

2:08 am on Monday, March 14, 2011

I would kill a man right now for some buticha!

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bigyello

2:11 pm on Monday, March 14, 2011

I used to have a professor in uni was from Ethiopia. He would take a few of us out to dinner and introduced me to this yummy cuisine. This review makes me hungry! I'm definitely checking it out.

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VeggieDelight

6:17 pm on Monday, March 14, 2011

My friend (a local Ft. Greener) has been telling me about this place, and now this review has made me crave a visit!

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Drew

12:59 pm on Wednesday, March 16, 2011

After reading this, I want to eat the walls off the place. I just have to see if they serve African beers to wash that down.

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Lori

8:37 am on Saturday, March 19, 2011

Oh I can just see myself eating at this place!!!!

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