Sinq, 113 Maribyrnong Road, Ascot Vale Road. Phone: 0404 231 792
Sinq has been going just a couple of weeks when we visit, but it appears to be travelling really well.
Part of that is the location.
It’s on Maribyrnong Road, just around the corner from Union Road – the nearest Ethiopian eatery from here is in Flemington.
And the nearest massed congregation of Ethiopian eating houses is, of course, in Footscray.
So Sinq is a boon for Ascot Vale locals.
Though front-of-house man Ephrem tells me about 90 per cent of Sinq’s customers thus far have come from the Ethiopian community itself.
But an even more important factor in Sinq’s early popularity is the food – it is fantastic.
In some ways, eating Sinq’s offerings seems more like sitting down to a great meal in a nice Ethiopian home than in a restaurant – it’s got a real cool home-cooked vibe about it.
Ephrem tells me that they are taking great care in their choice and use of oils. The food here is notably less oily/buttery than most Ethiopian food we enjoy elsewhere.
There are couple of other keenly interesting indicators that exemplify the Sinq approach.
One is the injera.
Quite a few years back, there was a Footscray joint that made its own injera. It’s gone now and I’m unaware of any others that do so.
Sinq DOES make its own injera – and it makes it with the traditional grain, teff.
The result is a darker flatbread than the regular injera, with something of a nutty flavour and even crispy edges – a bit like those on a Sri Lankan hopper.
Another good example of Sinq’s fine cooking is the chicken stew, doro wot.
We’ve enjoyed pretty much every version of this dish we’ve ever consumed across the west.
But the Sinq rendition is different – instead of a runny/oily gravy, here it is a cooked-down and thick sauce that is almost like onion jam. It’s delicious!
Sisters and super cooks Eleni, Helen and Aster
All this is orchestrated from the kitchen by some serious cooking talent – Ephrem’s wife, Aster, and her sisters, Eleni and Helen.
There are separate menus at Sinq for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Soon after our visit, the restaurant switched to a phone ordering system so I am unable to post them here.
Suffice to say, anyone who has eaten at an Ethiopian eatery will find much – or a lot – that is familiar. With a couple of twists along the way.
We are assured that what is offered on any given day will nonetheless change according to what’s available.
Thus you will pay $35 per person for the combo deal we enjoy – but it is very unlikely to be the same.
The day before my return visit for photos and more questions, for instance, Sinq had two fish dishes on the go – one of barramundi, the other of basa.
Finally, before discussing our meal in more detail, it’s very worth noting that Sinq is now offering a Wednesday vegan lunch-or-dinner deal.
Six dishes for $20 per person or 12 dishes for $25 per person.
How good does that sound, eh?
So this is our $35 combo lunch repast.
Spectacular! A huge amount of food that we most certainly do not consume in total. And very much a bargain.
At centre is the previously mentioned doro wot – complete with two hardboiled eggs and two drumsticks.
Beside the stew is a soft white cheese called ayib – a bit like ricotta or a very mild feta.
Scattered around are the familiar lentil offerings, veg such as beetroot and salad things.
There are two ground meat dishes – dulet at 1 o’clock and 11.45; and afagn at 9 o’clock – the latter being our most spicy dish.
At 3 o’clock are the familiar tibs. And at 7 o’clock are crispy tibs. Some may say the latter is simply wildly overcooked lamb, but it’s good eating by us anyway!
Finally, at 6 o’clock and 11.55 is gomen besiga, a greens-and-meat stew that is supremely yum. Also: A bit like an old-school southern American offering.
And … today’s lesson is: You really should get that Sinq-ing feeling!