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Every D.C. Restaurant Marcus Samuelsson Visits on ‘No Passport Required’

Where to find injera, wat, and kitfo in the capital city

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In the sixth episode of “No Passport Required,” chef and host Marcus Samuelsson heads to DC to meet the city’s Ethiopian community. Because Samuelsson himself was born in Ethiopia, the food traditions and culture in the season finale allows him to explore his own relationship with his heritage.

In Ethiopia, the act of feeding others is the ultimate expression of love, and DC’s Ethiopian-American community embraces this notion full force. Here are the restaurants featured in this episode, listed in order of appearance. Watch the full episode here.

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#1 ADARASH MARKET & CARRY OUT

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Co-owner Ngussu Gudu takes pride in traditional Ethiopian spice blends his market offers, from berbere to mitmita. His wife and their son, Asefu Aragie and Samuel Nugussu, prepare Ethiopian-style coffee, called buna, while discussing their refugee story.

Injera.

Sidamo Coffee & Tea

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Kenfe Bellay is the co-owner of Sidamo Coffee and Tea and speaks to what makes the Ethiopian coffee ceremony special. The beans are roasted, ground, and boiled to maximize their flavor, and the preparation and drinking of the coffee is treated with respect through the coffee ceremony, which is seen as a social occasion to bring people together through drink and conversation.

Abol Ethiopian Cuisine

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Ethiopian artist and entrepreneur Maki Siraj takes Samuelsson to Abol Ethiopian Cuisine. While eating injera, an Ethiopian flatbread, with a variety of vegetarian dishes, Siraj explains the concept of gursha, which means feeding as an act of friendship or love.

Combination meal on injera.

Beteseb Restaurant

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Darmyalesh Alemu is the chef and co-owner of Beteseb, a highly acclaimed restaurant in the D.C. area — and in Ethiopia. She teaches Samuelsson and Maya Haile how to make the perfect kitfo, raw minced beef marinated with spices, and niter kibbeh, a spiced, clarified butter.

Kitfo.

Asmara Restaurant

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Filmmaker and activist Mignotae Kebede brings Samuelsson to Asmara Restaurant. Over pasta saltata and kitta fit-fit, Kebede discusses her Eritrean-Ethiopean identity, and how the tension between those two communities inspires her to create more unifying art. Afterwards, Asmara chef Monsur Maruf shows Samuelsson how to make a traditional Eritrean breakfast.

Dama Pastry & Cafe

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Owner Amsale Saife-Selassie describes Dama Cafe Pod as a social hub for the entire Ethiopian-American community. Samuelsson dines with Hailu Mergia, Ethiopian musician, who explains how a touring opportunity in the United States eventually turned into a permanent move.

Das Ethiopian Cuisine

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Silesh Aliform owns Das, an upscale Ethiopian restaurant in Georgetown. Over dishes like Ethiopian potato salad, he and his wife, Elizabeth Wossen, talk about the amount of hard work and perseverance required to build a successful immigrant business.

#1 ADARASH MARKET & CARRY OUT

Co-owner Ngussu Gudu takes pride in traditional Ethiopian spice blends his market offers, from berbere to mitmita. His wife and their son, Asefu Aragie and Samuel Nugussu, prepare Ethiopian-style coffee, called buna, while discussing their refugee story.

Injera.

Sidamo Coffee & Tea

Kenfe Bellay is the co-owner of Sidamo Coffee and Tea and speaks to what makes the Ethiopian coffee ceremony special. The beans are roasted, ground, and boiled to maximize their flavor, and the preparation and drinking of the coffee is treated with respect through the coffee ceremony, which is seen as a social occasion to bring people together through drink and conversation.

Abol Ethiopian Cuisine

Ethiopian artist and entrepreneur Maki Siraj takes Samuelsson to Abol Ethiopian Cuisine. While eating injera, an Ethiopian flatbread, with a variety of vegetarian dishes, Siraj explains the concept of gursha, which means feeding as an act of friendship or love.

Combination meal on injera.

Beteseb Restaurant

Darmyalesh Alemu is the chef and co-owner of Beteseb, a highly acclaimed restaurant in the D.C. area — and in Ethiopia. She teaches Samuelsson and Maya Haile how to make the perfect kitfo, raw minced beef marinated with spices, and niter kibbeh, a spiced, clarified butter.

Kitfo.

Asmara Restaurant

Filmmaker and activist Mignotae Kebede brings Samuelsson to Asmara Restaurant. Over pasta saltata and kitta fit-fit, Kebede discusses her Eritrean-Ethiopean identity, and how the tension between those two communities inspires her to create more unifying art. Afterwards, Asmara chef Monsur Maruf shows Samuelsson how to make a traditional Eritrean breakfast.

Dama Pastry & Cafe

Owner Amsale Saife-Selassie describes Dama Cafe Pod as a social hub for the entire Ethiopian-American community. Samuelsson dines with Hailu Mergia, Ethiopian musician, who explains how a touring opportunity in the United States eventually turned into a permanent move.

Das Ethiopian Cuisine

Silesh Aliform owns Das, an upscale Ethiopian restaurant in Georgetown. Over dishes like Ethiopian potato salad, he and his wife, Elizabeth Wossen, talk about the amount of hard work and perseverance required to build a successful immigrant business.

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