Yene Ethiopian Restaurant

Authentic Ethiopian food in Noryangjin

Restaurants

Yene Ethiopian Restaurant

The heart of Seoul's Ethiopian community

Lamb Pie / Courtesy of Shuttle Delivery

Noryangjin has long been the anchor of Seoul’s Ethiopian community, and Yene is where that community comes home. Opened originally in 2019-2020 and taken over by sisters Christina and Tsion Kalayu in 2023, the restaurant sits in a basement in a lively alleyway in Noryangjin-dong — you hear the music before you see the sign. The space is warm and unpretentious, and on any given evening the mix of Ethiopians, expats and curious Korean regulars makes it feel less like a restaurant and more like someone’s living room with a kitchen attached.

Christina and Tsion grew up cooking with their family. Their skills are rooted in tradition, not culinary school, and it shows. The menu is thoughtfully laid out with photos and descriptions in both English and Korean, covering breakfast, lunch and dinner alongside snacks and two dedicated pages of vegetarian options. Everything is made to order, so patience is part of the experience — and it is always worth it.

What's on the menu?

Traditional Roll / Courtesy of Shuttle Delivery

The centrepiece of the menu is injera, the sour fermented flatbread made from teff that serves as both plate and utensil. The Mahberawi is the signature meat platter — a generous spread of stewed meats and vegetables arranged on a bed of injera, eaten with your hands in the Ethiopian tradition. The Beyaynetu is its vegetarian counterpart, equally rich and complex. For adventurous diners, Kurt and Kurt Saga — raw beef with spicy mustard sauce and a spiced marinade respectively — are available on request at any time, though they do not appear on the menu. Tej, the Ethiopian honey wine served in a traditional flask-shaped berele, is one of the best drinks in the house: one bottle at ₩5,000 pours four to five generous glasses and goes down dangerously easily. The coffee ceremony, performed by Tsion with beans roasted over an open flame, is unlike any other coffee experience in Korea — available on request but requiring some patience.