#Ethiopia | Both Chef Marcus Samuelsson and Aynalem Zeleke Bekele embody a proud celebration of Ethiopia’s culinary heritage while connecting it to the wider world. Marcus, born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden, transforms his global experiences into a flavorful dialogue between continents — blending Ethiopian spices, Swedish precision, and American creativity at Marcus DC. Similarly, Aynalem, co-owner of Beteseb Restaurant in Silver Spring, carries Ethiopia’s warmth and family spirit into every dish, offering authentic flavors wrapped in hospitality that feels like home. Together, they represent the new face of Ethiopian excellence — chefs who honor their roots, elevate their culture, and proudly share Ethiopia’s rich taste and tradition with the world.
Getu Temesgen – (ጌጡ ተመስገን)
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MARCUS DC
NoMa, D.C. Contemporary American
Critics sometimes fret after writing raves. Will the new iod on the block rest on its press or keep up the pace? Marcus DC, from celebrity chef Marcus
Samuelsson, gets better every visit. Look around the dining room, and you’ll see an engaged audience that reflects the city’s diversity, tucking into food that combines the talent’s born-in-Ethi-opia, raised-in-Sweden background and the day to-day skill of chef Anthony Jones. The Maryland native is behind the best-selling crab rice, a riot of flavor made possible by rice infused with a rousing Nigerian red pepper and tomato sauce and adoruments including okra, fennel and uni,
as well as crab. A few dishes are reimagined staples that
Samuelsson jokingly calls “the Quincy Jones songs at everyone’s party” Read: steak tartare, seasoned here like Ethiopian tartare, which Marcus DC builds with jerk sea thiopian kitfo, and tuna soned diced fish, injera and an onion broth. Other creations are even more sore personal. Cured salmon and charred cucumber show up in a goldenberry broth, light yet assertive with ginger, mint and lemon juice. “Swediopian” is an edible bio. If I’m not inhaling a feast of crab rice, I’m swooning over roast chicken glazed with sweet-tangy mumbe
sauce. The most-ordered dessert in a restaurant alive with color is a whimsical coconut cake, presented on a trolley and sliced tableside by pastry chef Rachel Sherriffe. The interior finds layers of pink
and yellow vanilla-rum cake alternating with coconut jam; the flourishes include a rummy sorbet to balance the sweetness. On a busy night, whipped cream and a bracing strawberry shrub Sherriffe might roll up to 20 celebranta. “Not everything has to be so serious” in upscale dining, she says-and she’s right.
222 M St. NE, DC. marcusde.com. 202-280-2288 Mains 527 to $150 (for shareable 32-ounce dry-aged tomahawk). Dinner Monday through Saturday Indoor and outdoor seating, Takeout available, no delivery Sound check: 77 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility: A ramp in the hotel lobby foods into the dining room, ADA compitant restroom. Theres are also tws ADA-compliant bar seats
Gerbin Zuniga drops off food for Crystal Fulwood and Brandon Batiste at Marcus DC’s bar. Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson draws on his boru-in-Ethiopla, raised-in-Sweden background.
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Beteseb Restaurant
SILVER SPRING, MD. ETHIOPIAN
DECLARING “THE BEST” Ethiopian restaurant in a region overstocked with them is a challenge. While their menus tend to read alike, they distinguish themselves with fine points. Let’s just say Beteseb Restaurant in Silver Spring is where I think about going most often when I need my kitfo and vegetable fix. No other Ethiopian spot of my acquaintance has a more compelling physical menu. It comes in the shape of a round of injera, with lush, life-size photos of some of the dishes you can order.
mitmita My current fascination is dullet: boiled, ground beef tripe seasoned with cardamom, jalapeño and a torch song trilogy rounded out with garlic, onion and butter. I like to pair the offal with one of the top vegetable combinations around, a garden of delights gathering lentils in three colors: near-melting cabbage, garlicky collard greens and an orange puddle of shiro, chickpea
flour stew shot through with onion, garlic and berbere.
Thought has gone into the 50-seat storefront, a wall of which reflects a shade of yellow lentils and a corner of which displays woven baskets and wine. A silver-toned silhouette of Addis Ababa adds to the interior appeal. Beteseb translates from Amharic to “family,” which sums up both the business owned by chef Darmyelesh Alemu and her brother, Aynalem Zeleke, and the chef’s philosophy. “We want you to feel like family when you come in,” she says. Done!
8201 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, Maryland.
betesebrestaurant.com. 301-448-1625. Mains $15 to $32. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Indoor seating only. Takeout available; no delivery. Sound check: 65 decibels/Conversation is easy. Accessibility: No barriers to entry; ADA-compliant restroom.
THE WASHINGTON POST SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2025
After a quarter-century of reviewing restaurants, donning disguises and turning down photos, Tom Sietsema says goodbye
BY TOM STETSEMA
Source: GetuTemesgen
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