Ras Kassas has been at many different locations, but now it's at 803 S. Public Road in Lafayette, CO. We decided to critique this restaurant and see if it was kid friendly. We have all heard adults rave about this restaurant, but it was time to test it to kids' standards. We also have a guest writer this month! Esteban Caro is a fifth-grade student, and his mom is a successful food critic. They emailed us and expressed an interest in contributing to our blog. Esteban and his mom were delightful to have dinner with, and we are excited to have him in our "kritique"!
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ESTEBAN'S OPINION
My name is Esteban Caro, I’m a fifth grader. My Mom is a food writer who knows Maryn and
Colter’s dad, Bradford. We thought it would be fun to help with this month’s Kids’ Kritics article. We met up at Ras
Kassa's in Lafayette, an Ethiopian restaurant, one of their teacher Linda’s favorite places. I had never had
Ethiopian food before, I’d usually rather have pizza. I’m not used to this type of food. I was scared but also excited.
It was fun to try something new. I tried lamb for the first time and I liked it. It tasted different
from beef or ribs and is kind of an acquired taste. We used the bread to grab the food and it tasted
sour and kind of odd, I thought we were getting tortillas. You have be brave and want to be an adventurous
eater, but the lamb was good, it was spicy. The steak was also good. There were also beans, farmer’s
cheese and a salad. I liked the salad, the dressing was flavorful. The farmer cheese was very
chunky and salty. For dessert there was chocolate cake and had raspberry sauce on it.
Dessert was my favorite.
Normally I would not choose this place to eat, I would have asked for pizza because it is familiar.
Now I know that wherever I go I can find something that I like to eat. It was so nice to eat with the twins
and enjoy their company for dinner.
Colter’s dad, Bradford. We thought it would be fun to help with this month’s Kids’ Kritics article. We met up at Ras
Kassa's in Lafayette, an Ethiopian restaurant, one of their teacher Linda’s favorite places. I had never had
Ethiopian food before, I’d usually rather have pizza. I’m not used to this type of food. I was scared but also excited.
It was fun to try something new. I tried lamb for the first time and I liked it. It tasted different
from beef or ribs and is kind of an acquired taste. We used the bread to grab the food and it tasted
sour and kind of odd, I thought we were getting tortillas. You have be brave and want to be an adventurous
eater, but the lamb was good, it was spicy. The steak was also good. There were also beans, farmer’s
cheese and a salad. I liked the salad, the dressing was flavorful. The farmer cheese was very
chunky and salty. For dessert there was chocolate cake and had raspberry sauce on it.
Dessert was my favorite.
Normally I would not choose this place to eat, I would have asked for pizza because it is familiar.
Now I know that wherever I go I can find something that I like to eat. It was so nice to eat with the twins
and enjoy their company for dinner.
MARYN'S OPINION
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GALLERY
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COLTER'S OPINION
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This month we were joined by Rebecca Treon and her son Esteban at Ras Kassa's, a Ethiopian restaurant in Lafayette. We were very excited to have Esteban join us at our restaurant review this month. This is exactly why we write this blog, so kids can get out of there comfort zone and try something that they wouldn't usually gravitate to. Esteban was very brave in trying new food. Thank you to Esteban and Rebecca for contributing to our blog.
We arrived at 6:30 on a Monday. With only a few families eating, we enjoyed a quiet dinner. Our teacher Linda said that on the weekends the restaurant tends to get busy, so plan accordingly. The staff was so kind and welcoming, I felt like I was coming home. The authentic and simple decor made me fell like I was actually in Ethiopia! I started off with a half lemonade, half tea drink. In my opinion it tasted like a refreshing apple spice pie. I really liked this drink. We ordered the vegetarian combo. This included: Injera Bread, Red Lentils, Yellow Split Peas, Green Split Peas, Collared Greens with Potatoes, Carrots and a side salad. At this restaurant you are not served with utensils but with Injera Bread instead! (you can ask for a fork if you would like). Injera Bread is an the Ethiopian way to eat your food. You break off a piece of the spongy sourdough bread and grab food with it. The bread added a citric flavor to the food which was very delicious. This is a unique style and it is fun to try eating with your hands! The split peas had a crunchy texture and were served cold. They had a surprising and wonderful flavor filled with spices, and the injera really complemented the peas. These might be a little scary to some kids, but I definitely enjoyed these. Next I had the Red Lentils. The lentils had a fiery kick and exotic spices. I recommend this for more adventurous eaters. The Collared Greens and Potatoes were my favorite. Most kids don't like the idea of "mushy greens" but these were delicious! They didn't taste mushy like cooked greens usually do. The injera with the potatoes and greens made an excellent combination. I really hope you try this. The side salad and carrots made a refreshing addition to the meal. Lastly we had the only dessert on the menu, the Mud Hut Chocolate Cake. I think we can all agree this was an amazing dessert! The cake was very creamy and moist and the frosting was rich and also very creamy. There was a blackberry-raspberry sauce drizzled on top that added even more to the already delicious dessert. We had a very nice time here and I will definitely be trying Ethiopian food again. |
Maryn and Colter taking notes.
Esteban trying the food for the first time.
Maryn, Colter, Linda and Esteban about to enjoy their food.
The Vegetarian Combo.
The Beef and Lamb dishes
Maryn learning about the food.
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Our next restaurant we ventured a little bit out of Boulder. This dining adventure took us to Ras Kassas. This ethnic eatery has an impressive reputation for delicious food. The interior designers of this restaurant definitely had Ethiopia in mind when they created the space. The red undertones and basket tables it sets the scene of Eastern Africa.
I started my meal with unsweetened ice tea. Those who like unsweetened tea would like this. I enjoyed this. The waitress had a bright and lovely disposition. One cool surprise is that you don’t eat with a fork. You eat with your hands using Ingera. This is a sourdough bread that has a somewhat spongy texture. Eating this way was a fun challenge! I started off with the lamb. Picking up the lamb proved difficult, but once I got the hang of it, it was a breeze. The lamb was nice and the subtle spices were wonderful. The cooked onion was also a great flavor. Next I sampled the beef. The trout was an interesting flavor with Ingera. Both of these dishes are kid friendly. I loved vegetable platter! The different beans with the Ingera tasted wonderful. The farmers cheese was also quite good. This is also kid friendly I particularly liked the red lentils on the vegetarian plate. With a subtle spice, it was my favorite with the Ingera. We had the chocolate cake with raspberry preserves for dessert. When it came out, it looked delicious. It was oozing with chocolate. The lovely and rich chocolate flavor contrasted with the strong sweet and sour of the raspberry jam. Overall an amazing dessert! Ras Kassa's is a unique and amazing restaurant to visit, and I highly suggest this restaurant for kids! |