Lucy Serves Royal Portions of Ethiopian Cuisine
Entering Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant & Lounge was like entering another world. The instrumental music, low lighting, and tablecloths contrasted with the casual brick exterior of the building.
Lucy's: outside and in
Lucy, located at 6800 Southwest Freeway, has served the Sharpstown area for eleven years, roaring to life at night, said the staff. Customers dine like royalty.
From my table, I was in the perfect spot to see the focal point of the dining room: a set of silver thrones. I thought they were beautiful but unusual. Only when I finished my meal did I learn that the thrones were a photo opportunity. Guests could wear traditional Ethiopian outfits, sit on the thrones, and pose for pictures. My parents (not pictured here) took photos to commemorate our family outing.
Falling in love with Lucy begins with the menu, which offers a helpful dictionary that translates Ethiopian terms for customers. Before visiting, I researched Ethiopian food, so I decided to try different types of wot (stew).
Left to right: Lucy's Menu, Kirsten with the heaping combo plate, side dishes
I did not expect the combo to be so big, even though it was meant to be shared. One dish in the combo, Doro Wot, came with a boiled egg, intended to alleviate the heat. (I should have mixed in the egg to bring down the heat, but I did not.) The combo also came with side dishes: grilled beef, rice, and a salad.
Not surprisingly, I could not finish all the food I ordered.
But I think I could live on the grilled beef. It was tender and had little burnt ends, which added to its smokiness.
Traditional Ethiopian dining does away with silverware. Customers are supposed to put their food on injera, which is like a tortilla but more porous, with a sour aftertaste. I thought it tasted like lemon, but the rest of my family thought it was fermented. It’s an edible plate!
My family took advantage of the communal dining experience: my cousin ordered a cinnamon tea that came with honey and plenty of cups for everyone. It was like drinking liquid Hot Tamale candy!
We also ordered pita with hummus, which was chunky and topped with either red pepper or paprika.
Of course, touring Ethiopian cuisine requires a tour guide. Ours was Melano, who demonstrated, almost in one fluid motion, how one should construct a meal on an injera. Ushering with enthusiasm, she encouraged my parents to sit on the silver thrones and pose for a photo. She also asked to take a picture with me.
Silver thrones, "finger food," and friendly staff made my experience at Lucy memorable.
Left to right, top to bottom: the grilled beef, two pictures of the cinnamon tea, injera, and Melano with Kirsten.
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