Chef Elias Taddesse has trained in France and worked in several Michelin-starred kitchens in Manhattan. But when it comes to his own restaurants, including the newly opened Doro Soul Food in Shaw, the chef — who grew up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Minneapolis — likes to explore the intersection of Ethiopian and American cuisines.
At Mélange, the hit burger and sandwich-centric venture in Mt. Vernon Triangle, Taddesse brought us classic burgers, crispy chicken sandwiches inspired by doro wat — a spiced chicken stew — and berbere-dusted fries. With his follow-on project, he brings us Ethiopian spiced fried chicken and doro wat flavored mac and cheese in a mashup of Ethiopian and Afro-American comfort food.
The takeout and delivery-only Doro Soul Food opened Nov. 17 in virtual food hall of sorts near the Shaw-Howard University Metro stop, a shared kitchen space that also houses Prescription Chicken and Motown Square Pizza. There is a small storefront, however, and while Doro restaurant prefers most orders be placed online, customers can walk in and order in person. They’re also welcome to wait or dig into their food at a handful of stools in the small space.
Although fried chicken restaurants have recently been extremely popular in recent years, this is an idea that Taddesse has had brewing for many years. “When I was working in New York City, after hours always involved fried chicken in Harlem. I always thought that concept would work really well here in D.C.,” he said. The success of the Doro Wat fried chicken sandwich at Mélange cemented that idea, and when an opportunity presented itself, he decided to jump on it.
“It was extra meaningful that the space opened up in this neighborhood which is so representative of D.C. and the Ethiopian community,”Taddesse said of the Shaw area, which has historically had a large number of Ethiopian businesses and is referred to as D.C.’s Little Ethiopia. “I am also happy to be back to my old stomping ground,” he adds, referring to his time running the Mélange burger pop up at Wet Dog Tavern before opening the brick and mortar location in 2020.
At Doro Soul Food, the star of the show is the fried chicken which comes in a “mild” fried option, and two heat levels – a “hot” seasoned with the popular Ethiopian berbere spice, and “very hot”, which is seasoned with mitmita spice that is made with even more fiery chilis. The chicken is marinated with the spices and buttermilk and then double fried with a batter that includes three different starches – potato, tapioca, and corn. The end result is tendersoft, juicy meat inside a thin, crackling skin with a fiery red appearance (for the berbere and mitmita versions), and a huge pop of flavor from all the spices.
The chilies for both the berbere and mitmita spices are sourced directly from Ethiopia and the custom spice blends are made in house with anywhere from 20-30 different spices. Although powdered berbere and mitmita spices are generally available, Taddesse says he chooses to make his own blends. “I’ve found that using the powders makes the batter pasty, and this way I can also control and tweak the blend more easily”.
Diners who want something lighter can order the doro platter, which features chicken that has been marinated in a yogurt, herb and Ethiopian spice marinade and then char grilled. It comes with a choice of sides that also put Ethiopian spins on typical American soul food staples, such as coleslaw laced with turmeric, mashed potatoes drizzled with timiz peppercorn gravy, and collard greens braised with smoked turkey and Ethiopian spices.
For that spicy mac and cheese Taddesse makes the popular Ethiopian doro wat chicken stew and then stirs it into macaroni and cheese blends to create the signature dish. Black cumin cornbread drenched in qibe, Ethiopian clarified butter, rounds out the sides.
Vegetarians and vegans need not feel excluded. Doro sells fried chicken style vegan tenders made with jackfruit and pea protein, served either on a platter with berbere fries or a sandwich. (Customers can choose spice level for the vegan tenders similar to the chicken.) A selection of sauces range from berbere or mitmita for added heat, yogurt dill ranch and honey mustard. In another nod to the mashup of cultures, the “Doro Mambo” sauce combines flavors from D.C.’s signature carryout sauce as well as doro wat.
The fried chicken plates start at $9 and sandwiches for $10. Sides go for $5 each, and sauces are priced at $0.75 each.
At Doro, Taddesse is trying to showcase a thread weaving together his Ethiopian heritage, training in French culinary techniques, and love for American soul food.
It’s a contrast from many Ethiopian restaurants, which often feature mostly traditional foods to cater to a community that is seeking it out. But that doesn’t mean that Taddesse’s fellow Ethiopian Americans won’t find the familiar at Doro Soul Food. . A
“My food is truly representative of the flavors, so the Ethiopian people are also positively receptive to it,” he said. “I’m not just saying it’s berbere spiced and then it’s not anything like it, you can really immediately recognize the flavor.”
And he doesn’t plan to stop with sandwiches. Next, Taddesse wants to open a fine dining spot where he will showcase contemporary French cuisine and techniques with traditional Ethiopian flavors.
“My heart is in that concept and I am building towards it. Right now, I’m focusing on implementing concepts that can bring us comfort,” he says.
Doro Soul Food is located at 1819 Seventh St. NW, and is open for pickup and delivery for lunch and dinner Tue-Sun. Find details and hours at Doro Soul Food.
