A few traditional mesabs, the characteristic, hourglass-shaped wicker tables native to Ethiopia, dot the small interior at Ras. This is the third location of Beijing's well-liked African restaurant in as many years, and the most humble. Next to live music venue 2 Kolegas, the out-of-the-way site's main draw is its tree-shaded garden complete with attractive stone tables, a BBQ bar and even a children's play area with a cave and slide.

Patrons of previous incarnations will clock a cut-back menu, lighter portions and lower prices. Delicious Ethiopian stews still dominate, like tibes (beef with onions, tomato and jalapenos), and shiro (chickpeas with onion, garlic and ginger), designed to be scooped up with tear 'n share flatbread, perhaps the world's only food to double as a table cloth. Tender lamb chops marinated in mitmita, an Ethiopian chilli rub (RMB 40), are the tastiest offering on the new barbecue menu, which also features chicken and beef skewers.

The unlikely additions of Caesar salad, French fries and chicken wings presumably cater for the concert-going crowd, whilst hummus and foul medammas (mashed fava beans with onion, garlic, olive oil and lemon, pronounced “fool,” if that's any better), point to Ethiopian owner Danny's time spent living in Sudan.

It should be said, scooping up spicy African stews with hunks of injera bread in the sunny outdoors does feel pretty irie. Especially appropriate if there's roots reggae on the soundsystem next door, as any fan of the genre will know the connection between Jamaica's Rastafari movement and Ethiopia's late King Haile Selassie. But the question is whether this vibe can carry through into the Beijing winter. It's a big ask, but I suspect Danny would go along with Bob Marley on this: “Don't worry about a thing.”

Standout dishes: Barbecued lamb chops, beef tibes
Also try: Argana, BambuBBQ

Ras Ethiopian Cuisine
Mon-Thu 5pm-midnight, Fri 5pm-2am, Sat-Sun 11pm-2am. 21 Liangmaqiao Lu (inside the drive-in movie theater park), Chaoyang District (6436 8998)
朝阳区亮马桥路21号（燕莎桥往东1500米路北汽车电影院内）

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