Dama brings taste of Ethiopia to Annandale

Dama, the Ethiopian restaurant and bakery coming to 6669
Little River Turnpike in Annandale, is
expected to have a soft opening as early as next week and a grand opening in
December, says co-owner Amsale Dama.  

The new place will offer the same delicious Ethiopian specialties, like kitfo (finely chopped raw or cooked beef with ayib, a homemade cheese);
tibs (cubed lamb or beef cooked with onions, jalapeno,
and spices); doro wat (a spicy chicken stew); and bozena shuro (ground roasted
split peas simmered in spicy red pepper sauce with sautéed beef).

Everything is served on a large piece of injera, a spongy,
sour flatbread made of a grain called tef, that also serves as a utensil. Dama
offers vegan varieties of many of its popular items.

The new Dama location will be larger and will serve
breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There will be a bar, a room available for party
rentals, and a bakery offering French-style pastries and cakes. Dama does
catering, too.

A typical breakfast meal is the Dama Platter, which includes scrambled eggs
with diced onions, tomatoes, jalapenos, kinche (Ethiopian-style couscous), and
chechebsa (homemade flatbread cut in pieces and mixed with chili paste
and spiced butter).

Dama is a family affair. Amsale’s parents had a restaurant
in Ethiopia, and her sister-in-law opened a restaurant in Washington, D.C., in
the 1980s. It was relocated to Arlington 15 years ago. Amsale’s husband, Hailu
Dama, specializes in making Ethiopian coffee. Many of the restaurant employees are relatives and their their two children, former students at Annandale High School, sometimes help out.

Ethiopian coffee, from the Harar region, is very strong and
served in small cups. Coffee is a key element of Ethiopian social life. People
hang out in cafes talking for hours, while coffee is toasted, ground, and
brewed at the table.