Aster's Ethiopian Restaurant, Austin

Aster Kassaye’s family has always naturally flocked to the kitchen, whether it was in their Ethiopian restaurant in the early '90s or at home today, where they prepare precooked meals to sell at farmers' markets. After a few years of itinerant cooking, Aster laid claim to what is now Aster’s Ethiopian Restaurant. Her dinner menu items—which an Austin Chronicle reporter "tried the bulk of" and proclaimed were "all delicious"—include cubes of lamb stewed in ginger, cumin, and chili, as well as vegetarian meals such as gomen, a dish of Ethiopian-style collards cooked with garlic and spices.