Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant & Mart

Washington has one of the largest Ethiopian populations outside Ethiopia, and Chercher, named after a highland region, is among the more consistently regarded kitchens serving it. The dining room occupies a narrow townhouse on 9th Street, with a small grocery selling spices, coffee and injera attached. Food arrives on a communal platter lined with injera, the fermented teff flatbread used in place of cutlery; the vegetarian combination, drawn from the fasting traditions of the Ethiopian Orthodox church, is substantial and entirely plant-based. Kitfo, minced raw beef with spiced butter, is a house speciality. Coffee is roasted and brewed to order in a traditional ceremony that takes time. Mount Vernon Square and Shaw-Howard University Metro stations are both nearby.