Kebena Ethiopian Market will soon expand its footprint with the opening of its new Ethiopian restaurant, Kebena #2. The establishment is set to open its doors in the Rainier Valley area at 7636 Rainier Ave S, the owner, Belete Guletat, confirmed.
“Belmuna Real Estate Holdings and I are trying to continue to keep our neighborhood as vibrant as possible. This is our third commercial property in the South Seattle area,” Guletat told What Now Seattle, “With King County we have a final inspection tomorrow, and pending that result, we are hoping to be able to have a soft opening in July.”
Ethiopian cuisine is known for rich and aromatic dishes, offering a blend of unique flavors and textures. Some traditional Ethiopian recipes are doro wat (spicy chicken stew), kitfo (minced raw meat), and vegetarian options like shiro (chickpea stew), gomen (collard greens), or injera bread (a sourdough flatbread). The name of the restaurant and the market, Kebena, is a district, also called woreda, in Ethiopia. The district is named after the Kebena people and was part of the former Goro Woreda, which is a part of the Gurage Zone. Kebena is bordered to the south of the Wabe River, which separates this district from Kokir Gedebano, Muhor Na Aklil, Ezha, and Cheha.