Don't Overlook It: Axum Serves Up Food And Fun

On our way to do this review, my husband casually asked what restaurant we were springing our children upon this time.

"An Ethiopian one," I answered. "Axum, in the University District."

"Ethiopian!" he fairly shrieked. "Are you insane? Ethiopian? For a kids review?"

"Actually, Ethiopian is great for families," I told him, "because you eat with your hands, out of one big dish, family style."

My husband groaned. Our two young daughters cheered. After years of hearing their parents intone "restaurant manners" to keep them in line, they were finally going to get to grab any food on the table and eat it with their fingers. As the 9-year-old is fond of saying, awesome!

Axum, named for an Ethiopian city, is in the basement of a church turned shopping arcade. There are tables, cozy booths and a big glass display case with interesting stuff - like a snakeskin - for the kids to examine.

After reading the menu, we understood what was in the dishes. But we had no idea what would appeal to children.

So we threw ourselves on the mercy of our server, an Ethiopian woman who knew her way around children. She suggested three meat entrees, the $6.50 doro aleecha, a very mild blend of seasoned chicken and vegetables; the $6.75 minchetabish aleecha, ground beef in a turmeric sauce; and lega tibs for $8.76, fiery cubes of beef in a green chili sauce.

By ordering three, we got portions of all six vegetable side dishes on the menu, plus a romaine and tomato salad.

Our food arrived arranged in a circle on a huge enameled metal platter. Each of us then got what looked like a large folded pancake - by name indjera, a flat, slightly sour Ethiopian rice bread.

Our server also brought a small extra serving for demonstration purposes, and to the delight of our wide-eyed children showed them how to use a bit of indjera, pincers like, to scoop up a portion of food. She also warned the girls which two dishes were spicy.

"This is what I call fun!" our youngest child said, announcing that she was going to make a taco. Wrong culture, right idea.

"Finger lickin' good," her sister added. Wrong restaurant, right idea.

Axum's food is well cooked, resembling savory, richly colored stews. Most of the time we had no idea exactly what we were eating, except the spinach looked like spinach, the carrots like carrots, the chicken like bird.

But no matter. It was very tasty. The kids ate a lot. They licked their fingers. It was fun.

Restaurant: Axum, 4142 Brooklyn Ave. N.E., Seattle; 547-6848.

Hours: Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday: 11-11; Sunday: 5-9 p.m.

High chairs: yes.

Kids menu: no.

Nonsmoking area: yes.

Beverages: beer, wine.

Taking the Kids appears the first Saturday of each month. Seattle Times reviewers visit restaurants anonymously and unannounced. They pay for all food, beverages and service.