A unique and personal Ethiopian food experience in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE — No financial adviser would recommend opening up a restaurant during the height of the 2008 financial crisis, but one restaurateur did and now is thriving today.

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"If you are really into it, you can get that success,” Mulu Habtesilssie, the owner of Alem Ethiopian Village, said.

Now 11 years later, Habtesilssie can say she is still living her dream of having her own restaurant.

“It's different. Our food is totally different from used to American food.”

She serves up authentic Ethiopian cuisine on East Wisconsin Avenue in downtown Milwaukee. From fall off the bone chicken to a vegan buffet to her special brand of coffee, eating at Alem Ethiopian Village is a completely unique experience.

"We eat with our hands. We don’t use fork or spoon. We use a flat bread.”

That flat bread is called injera. It's the traditional Ethiopian style of eating. She takes no shortcuts with her food. It is all made from scratch with a rich blend of curated spices.

It's more than just unique food, though. For Habtesilssie, serving her food is a personal affair.

"This is how I grow up with it. This is how I eat with it with my family.”

The meals are an extension of herself. She is sharing her childhood, culture, and memories with each customer. In fact, she doesn't think of them as customers either.

"Now I have like a family. Most of our customers are my family," she said. "So we eat on one platter. That's family style. That's sharing giving caring loving.”

It's re-emphasizing the importance and impact a single meal can have on everything from a couple on a date to an entire community.

Plus, each meal is a window into Ethiopian culture and cuisine, and Habtesilssie is eager to share it.

"They have no idea what kind of food we eat, so we explore this. I'm happy to give my authentic Ethiopian food to (people who don't know about it)."