Name: Mu’ooz

Location: Shop 21-23/197-201, Beaudesert Road, Moorooka, Brisbane, Qld

Website: http://www.muooz.com.au/

Date visited: 23 August 2008

Cost: Reasonable

Our Rating: 5cracked peppers

Ms OE says: Mr OE’s favourite birthday dish is enjera and wat, a hot North African dish with slightly sour bread.  Personally I think it’s foul with the texture of dirt, but being the loving dining companion that I am, I agreed that we would try out one of Brisbane’s Eritrean or Ethiopian restaurants. Having checked out a few on the internet beforehand we decided that we would go to Mu’ooz.

Mu’ooz is a community-based restaurant run by refugee women from Eritrea. Although tucked away in a small shopping complex in the main street of Moorooka, it has a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Inside it is decorated in warm tones with a traditional Eritrean kitchen on display. Information about the project is on the on the tables and article clippings on the walls.

The restaurant provides paid employment for the refugee women, gives them training and experience in the catering and hospitality industry as well as english language practice.

The service was excellent, albeit with a language barrier issue over dessert (we ordered coffee but somehow got cake – which was nice so we ate it anyway), and the atmosphere pleasant with plenty of customers from a variety of backgrounds. We were glad we arrived early - by the time we left it was getting busy and without a booking we may not have got in.

Mr OE enjoyed his hot (restaurant hot, not traditional hot, he tells me) lamb zighni while I had the mild alicha. We ordered a cucumber yoghurt on the side. I still am not enamoured with enjera but the alicha was more than palatable. Most importantly though, Mr OE got his favourite birthday meal and I learnt more about the Eritrean culture.

Mr OE Says: Making this sort of food yourself is time-consuming – 5 days for the injera to ferment for one, so its just great that finally you can go get it at a restaurant in Brisbane. It’s authentic, (Ethiopian with an Italian twist) and the decor is quite well done – really, it should be in South Bank, not hidden away in Moorooka. Its just a shame they don’t also offer the traditional beer (tella), honey mead (Tej) and (ultra-strong) coffee. YUM is all I can say, and we’ll be back.