Update 15/06/2023: Konjo is now closed in Collingwood.
Cindy and I got the opening hours of Las Vegan wrong and found ourselves in need of a feed at the quiet end of Smith Street. Our last few meals had been Mexican-inspired so Trippytaco was, for once, off the menu. Lucky for us, Konjo was sitting quietly next to Las Vegan with tables to spare and plenty of veg menu items. Ethiopian vegetarian food seems pretty similar between restaurants: split pea and lentil stews with various spices, served on top of injera. We've had fun with it before, but you're never likely to be surprised. Konjo made things easier for us by offering a Beyeinatu combination: 3 lentil dishes and a turmeric-y dish of cabbage, carrot, potato and onion served on a big injera plate ($14.50 each).
This did the job of feeding us relatively cheaply on a Wednesday night - Cindy liked the potato dish, while I was most into the Kai Misir Wot (red lentils, tomatoes, garlic and onions, simmered in berbere). Kono is a cute little place, though it lacks the atmosphere of The Horn or the cheapness of Cafe Lalibela. The service is friendly and the menu provides decent vegetarian options, but Konjo shares Smith Street with some of the best vego places in Melbourne so I'm not sure we'll return too quickly.
Brian at Fitzroyalty and Foodie Dreams are the only other bloggers who have made the trip to Konjo so far.
Konjo Ethiopian Restaurant
20 Smith St, Collingwood
9419 5713
Vegie mains: $15, combo: $14.50
Unlicensed (no BYO)
http://konjo.com.au
Is that a spoon resting on injera? If so, I want it! I don't think I want the lampshade in the top photo, though. That's likely to give me nightmares...
ReplyDeleteI'm glad there were some vegie meals for you - I recall the menu featuring lots of meat. I will have to try the Horn as you have to compare.
ReplyDeleteI made Ethiopian the other night, because there are no restaurants anywhere near here that serve it. But I seriously missed the injera - Ethiopian just isn't the same without it!
ReplyDeleteI quite liked the one vegie dish that we got when we went. Did you feel that the lentil dishes were quite different from each other? I got the feeling from reading the menu description that they just had varying levels of spice... Will have to try the Horn now :)
ReplyDeleteHannah - yes, it is! And the spoon could possibly be yours when you make it down to Melbourne. I noticed that this restaurant also sells some crafts and homewares. :-)
ReplyDeleteBrian - the veg selection is quite decent, perhaps making up a third of the menu! It's been a long time since we visited the Horn, so we'll have to return there ourselves.
Theresa, I know! The injera is my favourite part. I think there are cheater ways of making it at home (equal parts soda water and flour, I think?) but it doesn't have that distinctive sourness.
Hi Judy! There wasn't a stark difference between the lentil options, but the potato-cabbage mix was a nice contrast. :-)
If you are ever in Footscray, try Adulis in Hopkins St - it's actually Eritrean so there are some subtle differences to the normal Ethiopian. Their vegetarian selection is really excellent, some regulars like the misir wat berbere lentil dish and the cabbage & carrot, but they also have a fantastic kind of dal/soup called shoro made with spicy chickpea flour.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip, Lauren! I'm filing it away in my restaurant wish list right now. :-)
ReplyDelete