Developing Atmosphere

Last Saturday for dinner we decided to hit Ajanta (previously here and here), probably the best Indian restaurant in Addis Ababa. When we left the guesthouse, there was no indication of a power outage, but by the time we got to Ajanta, it was dark inside. However, in a slowly developing country like Ethiopia, where the electricity is prone to cutting out at a moment's notice, you learn to expect the unexpected. I couldn't tell if it was the whole town or just that restaurant, since it is set back from the road quite a bit, but we sauntered inside nonetheless. There was no one in the reception room, so I poked my head inside. Every table and every surface in the restaurant seemed to have two or three lit candles, which gave the place a calm, yet cave-like feel. There was no one else in the place, but I asked a girl standing at the end of a hall if they were open, and she rushed over to show us a table smack-dab in the center of the restaurant. We took our seats and ordered a couple Meta beers and then perused the menu by candle light. I ordered the yellow dal bhat with maharaja rice, which is saffron rice mixed with raisins, cashews and cheese, and K ordered an egg curry. Later, when M joined us, we also ordered a chicken curry, which reminded me slightly of Ethiopian kaiwat. Since there was no one else in the place, it felt as if we were enjoying a secret, special dinner, with three waitresses standing at the side of the room just waiting if we needed anything. However, about halfway through our meal, the lights came back on. Almost immediately, a group of 4 and another table of ten came in, and the place was hopping. The mood was altered instantly, with the candles now removed and lively conversation all around us, it felt like we were sitting in the center of a hip, new restaurant.