Personal Knowledge About Ethiopian Culture

Both of my parents immigrated to America from Ethiopia, so I have grown up eating Ethiopian food my whole life. I really enjoy my mom’s cooking and have been able to try a lot of different Ethiopian dishes. I have also tried a lot of different Ethiopian dishes and snacks from restaurants and markets while on vacation with my family. I feel really involved and appreciative of Ethiopian culture.

Gojo First Impressions

I have been to my restaurant, Gojo, since childhood and have been with my family multiple times. My family knows the owner's family and a good amount of dishes from the restaurant. My mother made an order by calling the restaurant, while I went to pick it up and bring it home to share with my family. I went on a Saturday afternoon, and surprisingly, there was no one there. Usually, when we go, there are a few people there that are either Ethiopian or white. However, the phone was busy, so I assume people order through the phone and pick it up.

Exterior

The exterior was pretty simple, with a white building and black roof. On one side, there was a large sign displaying the restaurant’s sign and a smaller sign that gave a brief background. On the other side, there was a painted representation of a gojo. In the middle, there was a green tarp providing shade at the door. Additionally, there were some columns and rows of simple brown shapes on a black background.

Interior Impressions

The interior consisted of a bar section, an authentic Ethiopian coffee ceremony area, colorful mesobs, Ethiopian art and cloths, and of course multiple tables and seats. There was Ethiopian music playing from some speakers in the Amharic language, Ethiopia’s main language. Furthermore, the interior had walls painted in the colors of Ethiopia’s flag. These colors include green, yellow, and red, which were used to split off sections of the restaurant. This provided a truly excellent transformative interpretation of Ethiopian culture. The owner and I interacted in Amharic with some English mixed in. Additionally, I noticed phone calls and conversations with the owner’s wife, who is the chef, in Ahmaric.