Pathology Grind and Langano Skies Ethiopian Restaurant

Just kidding, pathology isn't a grind at all. I did have to get up at 4:30 am this morning to do some work...but only because I'd majorly procrastinated at getting this Powerpoint presentation done (I had to present on thymomas at the pathology residents' academic half day).

This morning we had an interesting gross session (gross as in large anatomy, not as in ucky...though I think some of the specimens fulfilled both definitions). All gowned and gloved up, we crowded around surgical specimens laid out on a table in the gross room. It's still a tiny bit bizarre to me to be poking and proding at human parts, but that's only when I remember that they are human parts. Most of the time I just see them as organs -- livers colons, etc. -- things that my mind dissociates from humans...but when a more familiar thing comes along -- a piece of lip or a breast -- I'm reminded that all of these things came out of people. And suddenly I'm overcome by a wave of simultaneous awe and wooziness at the specimen I have in my hands.

at the hospital... the path lab is on the top floor (sweet views!)

I spent the rest of the day looking at slides and studying pathology modules...mainly avoiding having to go to pediatric autopsies (just the thought makes me so sad and I don't think it would be very relevant for me to attend anyways). There are some pretty interesting slides in the teaching collections. Parasites (like Echinococcus in the liver) and talc from i.v. drug use were a couple of the neat ones I came across today.

sneaking in some USMLE studying

I walked home in 21-degree weather (hello summer!...although there is rain and snow (!) forecasted for the next few days).

For dinner a friend and I had decided to meet up at Langano Skies Ethiopian Restaurant on Whyte Ave. Neither of us had tried Ethiopian food before and were looking forward to seeing what it was like.

The restaurant is a bit east of the busier stretch of Whyte Ave, making it a breeze to find parking and nice and quiet inside. Actually, it was almost too quiet on a weekday night; I was a little concerned to find it just about empty when we walked in. However, over the course of our dinner three other groups appeared and in general, the restaurant does have fantastic reviews on Yelp.

Though it doesn't look like much from the outside, the interior of Langano Skies is very cheery, with woven baskets as centrepieces on the tables, African wall hangings, and colourful murals (I would guess of Lake Langano, the Ethiopian Great Rift Valley lake after which the restaurant is named).

The waiter was very helpful in explaining the menu to us, describing the spices used and how to use injeera bread to scoop the food up (no utensils here!). He suggested we select a tibs (like a stirfry with meat and vegetables) and a wot (like a stew or curry). We chose yebeg tibs ("lamb sauteed with onions, tomatoes, jalepenos, and Nitir Kibeh, seasoned with a rich blend of herbs and spices", $18.95) and kaey wot ("lean beef cubes cooked with onions, Bebere, and a blend of spices", $16.95). We also got a couple of tasty lentil sambusas (like samosas, $3.50 apiece) as appetizers and beers of their surprisingly extensive drinks menu (although next time I'd like to try their Ethiopian coffee or tea!).

sambusas (http://langanoskies.com/ ...because mine was eaten before I could get a photo)

All of the food was delicious! The spices were mild, rather than spicy, and nicely flavoured. The injeera bread, which came rolled up like a scroll, had the spongy texture of a thin pancake and a sour taste (like sour dough). Those deterred by eating with their hands need not worry; the injeera technique works so well that you can make it through a plate of curry without getting your hands dirty.

injeera, yebeg tibs, & kaey wot -- on a big platter to share

I preferred the wot to the tibs, as I thought it was more flavourful and, being more like a curry, it absorbed nicely into the injeera. Next time I'd try the yemisir (lentil) wot...or go all in vegetarian with their $19 last-Tuesday-of-the-month vegetarian buffet.

If you've never had Ethiopian food, I'd recommend trying it! Langano Skies provided a very unique dining experience, and it was nice to support a lovely family-run business.