The Thousands

One late night some time ago, my housemate and I eloped from a cosy house party, red wine warming our hearts, and stumbled toward the side of King William Road. There, a white taxi approached. By our outstretched arms, the car came to a crashing halt. We were greeted by the driver’s wide smile, his outstretched hand, and his eager voice, "hel-lo!". In complete shock, we then realised our driver was the owner of Zagol House.

This guy is absurdly sweet. Tell him your name just once, he’ll remember it for life. And his Ethiopian food is surely on heaven’s menu. Berbere-spiced meat or lentils or vegetables, all with excellent-to-pronounce names like mesir wot, all wrapped in a sour pancake (injera), and eaten with your hands. There’s always too much to finish, as your aching stomach fights against your unquenchable culinary desire. And here’s the kicker: Ethiopia makes the best lager in the world.