Isthmus Review
by Amelia Cook Fontella April 21, 2016

Spicy stews and more are just as good at the new Willy Street location

If the wind is blowing the right way down Willy Street, you might catch the intoxicating scent of spice-rich Ethiopian food drifting from Buraka.

First a food cart and then a beloved State Street restaurant, Buraka has been a Madison staple since the early 1990s. After being displaced in 2013 for construction of the Hub apartment complex, it closed while owner Markos Regassa scouted a new location. In March, Buraka reopened in the former home of Jolly Bob’s. The building has been completely revamped, with warm accent colors and wood-clad walls, making the most of the long, narrow space. The back patio will open later this spring.

At the heart of Buraka’s menu are several stews, served with white rice or spread on a piece of injera, a sour Ethiopian flatbread. Entrees are often simple, featuring one or two main ingredients, but the real treat is found in their incredibly flavorful, spice-laden sauces.

Dorowot, Buraka’s most popular entree according to the menu, is an Ethiopian chicken stew. Boneless chicken and carrots are simmered in a thick red sauce, flavored with a blend of spices called berbere. The exact spices in berbere can vary, but it often includes garlic, ginger, cumin and coriander — all of which come through in this dish. Buraka’s dorowot is not spicy, but the multitude of spices make its sauce wonderfully complex. It’s hearty comfort food, like an African version of chili. A dollop of sour cream makes it an even richer experience.

The peanut stew, available vegetarian or with chicken, was less peanut-y than I wanted, but the large chunks of cauliflower in the veggie version were perfectly cooked and earthy. Likewise, tender lamb and carrots are the centerpiece of begwot, another stew.
Buraka’s menu has abundant vegetarian options. My favorite veggie dish is the misirwot, a thick lentil stew with split peas and potatoes. It’s hearty and satisfying without any of the dryness that sometimes accompanies lentils. Alicha, a curry with cabbage, carrots and potatoes, is also easy to like. The crunch and slight bitterness of the cabbage works well with the mild yellow curry. Black beans — which the menu calls a “special rich dish” — weren’t bad, but compared with the other options, are a bit boring: beans and potatoes in a red sauce that tasted very similar to that of the dorowot and begot.

1210 Williamson St., 608-286-1448;
buraka-madison.com,
11 am-2 am daily, $5-$15

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