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Tsehay Ethiopian Restaurant & Bar Seeks to Offer Authentic Experience

June 11, 2025

Tsehay Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar in Adams Morgan, Washington D.C. has been nominated for the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington's (RAMW) 2024 Casual Restaurant of the Year award. Co-owned by Thewodros Yirdaw and his wife Selam Gossa, the restaurant is named after Gossa's mother, who learned traditional Ethiopian cooking in Harragie, Ethiopia and later opened a café in Addis Ababa. The restaurant prides itself on authentic Ethiopian cuisine, with Gossa preparing traditional ingredients like berbere, kibe, and shiro from scratch rather than using pre-packaged alternatives.

Who is affected

  • Tsehay Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar owners Thewodros Yirdaw and Selam Gossa
  • Restaurant patrons like Marayani Thism and Karthik Vempati
  • The Ethiopian and Ethiopian American community in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area (over 200,000 people)
  • Diners seeking authentic Ethiopian cuisine in Adams Morgan

What action is being taken

  • Tsehay Ethiopian Restaurant is serving authentic Ethiopian cuisine in Adams Morgan
  • The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington is recognizing Tsehay with a RAMMY nomination for Casual Restaurant of the Year
  • Selam Gossa is preparing traditional Ethiopian ingredients like berbere, kibe, and shiro from scratch
  • The restaurant is maintaining traditional Ethiopian dining customs, such as eating without silverware

Why it matters

  • The nomination represents recognition for Ethiopian cuisine in Washington D.C.'s restaurant scene
  • Tsehay offers authentic traditional Ethiopian food in a region with the largest Ethiopian population outside of Africa
  • The restaurant preserves cultural traditions through both food preparation methods and dining customs
  • It provides vegetarian and vegan options that meet diverse dietary needs
  • The restaurant represents the immigrant success story of Yirdaw and Gossa, who came to the U.S. in 2001 seeking "a better life" and "financial security"

What's next

  • The winner of the RAMMY Casual Restaurant of the Year award will be announced on August 3 during the annual RAMMYS gala at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest D.C.

Read full article from source: The Washington Informer