An Ethiopian Pop-Up Restaurant Brings New Energy to the Bushwick Food Scene

Bunna Cafe has been hosting dinners around New York City for the past year and their vegan Ethiopian fare has gained a following if their last event at The Drink on Manhattan Avenue in Brooklyn is any indication.

A small, three-person operation, Sam Saverance, along with his two Ethiopian partners, hope to continue offering their version of Ethiopian vegan food to city dwellers in a permanent home by 2014.

We were thoroughly impressed by the total experience when we ate at the pop-up dinner earlier this month. From the vegan misir wot and other lesser-known dishes (our favorite involved spicy roasted pumpkin!), to the communal dinners, specially-curated cocktails and beer and the growing crowd as the night progressed, Bunna Cafe is definitely worth checking out at their next event—July 13th at Pine Box Rock Shop and the same day at the Hester Street Fair. Sam and his team will also be at Mama Joy's on Flushing Avenue, Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

See what Sam Saverance has to say about Bunna Cafe and starting a small business in Brooklyn below and visit them at one of their locations on the 13th or for lunch in Bushwick at Mama Joy's!

On choosing how he decided on starting an Ethiopian restaurant:

"Having been to Ethiopia and seeing how important the cuisine is to daily life and custom, I noticed an appreciation of taste and the setting around the tastes that has fallen by the wayside in NYC and Western countries in general. My two Ethiopian partners and I have talked about this in depth, and we feel that there is no Ethiopian restaurant in the area that really tries to draw people in a modern, artistic, "performance-based" fashion that gives due respect to the food and culture but also innovates and takes those things to a new level."

How Bunna Cafe sets itself apart from the rest of the pop-ups and DIY restaurants in Brooklyn:

"For one, vegan Ethiopian food. But also the fact that we don't stay put anywhere for more than a few days. We are constantly mobile, and cover a lot of territory -- from Bushwick to LES to Chelsea to Harlem. Then there are the additional things -- we perform the coffee ceremony when we can, and bring in music and film for a comprehensive dinner+party experience. And we curate our own major events. Last August, we did the BK Farm and Flea, a collaborative food, flea, film, and music fest at The Loom, for about 600 people. This year we are reprising the event at a location TBA real soon."

Why the future permanent Bunna Cafe will be a destination for people living in and out of Buhwick:

"We want to give customers an overall sensory experience that starts with the food and ends with the ambiance, smells, sights, and sounds -- with the understanding that it is based in Ethiopian culture and cuisine. We feel that by intertwining the Ethiopian aesthetic with modern, artistic, and innovative settings and influences, we present the country (and continent) in a new light that will break a few antiquated stereotypes and provide a foundation for future work to improve basic economic conditions for people in Ethiopia and Africa."