Asmara Cafe

I’d never heard of an «Asmara» before, but I was in a hyper curious and sociable mood so I busted open the door of this place and asked «What all kind of ethnic food you got here?» Just so I could know.
«East African.» The guy at the counter gave me a menu. «What all do the people of Asmara like to eat?»
«The spicy stew is the best. Beef, chicken, or fish.» I went with the fish. Though I was the only customer in the place and wanted to chat about East Africa, that was literally the last I saw of the guy at the counter. I wanted to ask what part of East Africa, but a poster on the wall gave me the answer– Eritrea.
My dish came out really fast– it was a big plate of injera with a fish stew, salad, and spinach on top– just like Ethiopian food. I tried to ask the waitress a couple of questions about the food, but she was abrupt as well. While I wolfed down this plate (really tasty, especially the fish, though the injera was kinda dry and stale on the edges), I felt like I was sitting in the middle of a ping-​pong table– an intense discussion between the customer and the waitress in Tigrigna ricocheting over my head. I was hoping for a pause in the conversation so I could ask how to say «hello» in Tigrigna or remind everybody that the weather was nice today, but that pause didn’t happen until some twenty minutes later, when I was done eating under the somewhat stressful conditions. Some other customers came in, and they all seemed like a close-​knit group. Despite my best efforts, I felt like an outsider– but I definitely recommend this place for all Eritrean cab-​driving Unilocalsters.
3 stars because the spicy fish really was good.