We’ve been wanting to check out El Khartoum, the Sudanese joint at the base of Adams Morgan, for nearly three years now. But when we finally made it over there last weekend, lured by their menu’s promise of “special green leaves grown along the Nile” for their Moulokhia, we were dismayed to find an array of tired stews that had clearly been festering behind the counter for several hours. Fortunately, Keren Restaurant, the Eritrean diner next door, enabled us to salvage our expedition.

Though sparsely decorated and a bit of a dive, Keren somehow manages to offer some homey ambiance. Perhaps it was the charming display of what may be the only clock in existence that is actually shaped like Eritrea. The clock is also helpfully labeled, just in case the shape of Eritrea is not instantly recognizable to ignoramuses such as ourselves. Or maybe it’s the shelf of at least a half-dozen soccer trophies flanked by a poster or two for the Eritrean Sports Federation. The other diners paid us no mind, as they chatted while idling over coffee, and occasionally glancing up at the television broadcasting various political speeches on EriTV.