Le Nil Bleu has got your Ethiopian food fix covered

Craving something exotic and different? Head to Le Nil Bleu.
Craving something exotic and different? Head to Le Nil Bleu.
After tiring of eating at one new trendy bistro after the other, I sent myself on a mission. I promised not to waste my money on another boring steak tartar and decided to opt for unusual dining experiences instead. That is why I decided to try out a delightful little Ethiopian restaurant called Le Nil Bleu.
Walking in, I was bitterly surprised by the decor. The restaurant is newly-renovated mixing cream leather sofas with animal print chairs and pillows, a waterfall, a white lacquered piano and African art hanging from the eggshell-coloured walls. Although modern, I was hoping the interior would be more colourful and vibrant. The room, in a hue of whites, simply made the kitsch accessories stand out even more. So far, I didn’t feel too out of place. I had definitely not left the city yet.
Everything changed when the food and drinks started arriving. My friend ordered a Mamayo, an elevated version of a Piña Colada if you will, and fell in love. I had a Soleil Ethiopien which is a mixture of tropical juices. It was absolutely divine and a perfect option for all of you designated drivers. Slowly, we were forgetting that we were in Montreal.
The culture shock really hit when the waitress arrived with warm damp cloths. That is when I noticed that we had no napkins. Did she expect me to place the wet napkin on my lap? We were then informed that we would be eating with our hands and that the towels were there so we could wash them without leaving the table.
Our food then arrived on one big round plate accompanied with rolled up millet crepes. These crepes, made out of seeds produced by African grasses, would be our spongy tools with which we would eat. We had ordered a big combo plate, one that included simmered beef, lamb, chicken and lentils. In other words, everything was served in the form of a stew. How the hell were we going to eat this with our bare hands?
I grabbed my first crepe, made a beef stew sandwich and attempted to eat without biting my finger off. The beef stew was decent, although lacking seasoning. We then moved on to the chicken without knowing that there would still be bones. We then gracefully tried to debone this chicken. Trust me when I say we looked like we belonged on a Bravo sitcom rather than a cooking show.
After the chicken incident, we finally got to move on to greater things. The lamb and lentils were delicious and we kept on asking for more. We unfortunately had to stop eating them because it got so spicy due to the overwhelming presence of the cayenne, ginger and curcuma spices.
Overall, it is definitely an experience you have to try at least once in your life. I highly recommend their lamb entrées as well as their many vegetarian options which they are renowned for.
Skip the desserts, though; they aren’t very Ethiopian with choices like baklava or tiramisu and will only make your bill that much bigger. However, don’t be afraid to drink up. Their cocktails are tasty and it will make eating with your hands much more interesting. 

Le Nil Bleu is located on 3706 St-Denis and is part of the Kutuma Hotel.

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