Authentic Ethiopian cuisine is coming to the city near the center of the state.
Locals of Champaign have been buzzing on social media about a new restaurant called Blue Ethiopian Cuisine & Cafe. This new spot will be opening at 117 N Walnut street in the downtown area. According to owner Bezza Ayalew, he is looking at a late October opening.
The full menu is available online, with entrees like siga qay, which is lean, cubed beef with homemade barbare sauce, and asa wat, a tilapia filet cooked in spicy berbere sauce. There are also appetizers available, as well as salads. Ayalew told What Now Chicago he wants the restaurant to have every kind of Ethiopian food and be a destination for this kind of cuisine.Â
Blue Ethiopian will be going in the downtown Champaign area, next to Sam’s Cafe and across the street from Hound’s Rest bar. As of now, work is being done on the interior of the restaurant. Ayalew still has a few hurdles to jump through at the city level to keep the project moving.Â
The business was registered effective on the Illinois Secretary of State website as of April 10. It is also described as a cafe in state documents.Â
For more information on the new Ethiopian restaurant, visit their Facebook page.
