Messob Ethopian Cuisine, Cook Street Village

Two weekends ago, the Brunette and I decided to visit some parts of the Fairfield Artist's Tour.  This was a group of artists who'd opened their homes or studios (in most cases, this is the same location) to the public, to display their work, and maybe sell some original works, or prints of the same.

Thanks to my relatives in the UK, I had some money to buy some art for my 40th birthday, so this was a good way of seeing a lot of different styles in a day.  We wandered the Cook Street Village end of the tour at first and found a wide variety of styles. Realistic, abstract, impressionistic.  Charcoal sketches, photographs of temporary ink blots, smears of oil paints on wood and rain speckled images of Vancouver.

Walking is hard work, so we then (eventually) found the Cook Street Food Court.  I say eventually, as I was convinced it was on a certain road near the Beagle.  While the Brunette was convinced I was talking rubbish.  The Brunette was right. It was a block away, right behind the car park I was convinced was a totally different food court. I suspect she'll frame this review as her own piece of valued work.

Inside the court, there's a Sushi bar, a Mexican place, and Messob.  I've had some Ethiopian food in London before and eaten here a few years ago.  I know it's a bit different, and remember it being tasty different, so this was the choice.  The Brunette went for the Vegetarian platter while I ordered the meat dish... the chicken wat special not yet being ready.

Ethiopian foods two most distinctive features are the flat, thin ferment bread called injera.  This is a sour, sponge-like bread used to pick up chunks of the stews.  The other feature, at least from what I recalled in London, was a spicy, dry heat to all the food.  I also recall almost choking of sheep bone in the stew once, but that's a different story.

The food at Messob is not as spicy as the 'style' says but has a warmth of flavour to it. The cooks may have toned it down for the west coasters, or that might just be how they like to prepare the food. The various vegetable stews weren't particularly distinguishable but were a thick, blended consistency, and there was plenty of it. There was a good tender cooked greens on the plate as well. The beef stew was tender, small chunks of meat in a savoury sauce.  I enjoyed soaking up large pools of the stew in the bread, the juices soaking into the big holes in the dough.  

The meal was served by two friendly chefs, who were prepping up for the rest of the day when we arrived.  The court itself has a large outdoor patio, but we wanted out of the sun and sat at a pair of hard plastic tables, stuck in a small alcove between Messob and the sushi bar.  For the price, this is a great meal spot.



After being fuelled up, we carried on our tour, walking further down Fairfield, visiting other artists.  I eventually decided that the 'Fox and his Kettle' (by Victor Bosson) was the picture I wanted.  I returned the next day to pick up a print of this goofy looking, Japanese kitsune, carrying his kettle.  I have no idea why he is running around with a kettle and a big lantern. I could read the picture book that the image goes with, but I love not knowing something I could go and look up, and just making it up in my head each time.

The Brunette also found something she loved back at the first place we visited... so it was a success all around, and a good day out... more laid back than the Moss Street paint in, and easier to see all the art, and get some time with the artists.