I often get a hankering for Ethiopian food.

I’m always up for a soft injera which has soaked up flavours from spicy red lentils, kale stews and fried chunks of meat. So, when Eat the Strip reader Kylie messaged us earlier this month about Delina's Restaurant and Bar, we were all ears.

Opened in early 2023, the family-run restaurant sits at the location of a former hookah lounge in a small strip mall on Gladstone Avenue. It’s one of the few remaining downtown strip malls and is an absolute heavy hitter when it comes to delicious treats, boasting food options ranging from Middle Eastern kebabs to freshly baked bread—and now Ethiopian food.

We visited the restaurant on Friday and were greeted by two beautiful, wall-sized murals. We took a seat by the front-door and were met by Delina’s mother, who runs the kitchen while her three children assist her with cooking and serving. At her recommendation, we decided to share the Delina's 5 Way Special. This type of Ethiopian platter is my favourite, where you’re expected to use your hands to tear off injera and scoop up bits of curries, stews and salads.

For those unfamiliar with injera—it’s a spongy flatbread made with teff flour. It’s naturally gluten-free and has a nice sour taste imparted by a days-long fermenting process. While completely different from a texture standpoint, the flavours remind me a tad of Tamil dosas.

The food was brought out quickly in an Ethiopian basket, with the plate lined with injera on the top.

Each dish was standout, only enhanced by the injera. The zesty lettuce salad had Ethiopian spicing and was a welcome tart addition to our platter. The chunks of beef in the middle were cooked the with tomatoes and onions and were nice and spicy. However, our favourites were kale dish and the misr wat—both exemplary of vegetarian dishes ubiquitous in Ethiopian cuisine. Both were cooked perfectly and had a nice heat, thanks presumably to the berbere spice mix used. The misr wat, a red lentil stew, reminded me of daal that’s commonly eaten across the Indian subcontinent. It’s honestly one of my favourite Ethiopian dishes, and I highly recommend the variety at Delina’s.

Our total came to the paltry sum of $28, including tips and taxes. Not only was this meal one of our favourites in 2024, but we were also extremely happy to see it didn’t break the bank either.