Original Story Published by: Searit Huluf for Berkeley Side
Photo Source: ©Searit Huluf
The moment I walked into Shewhat, Abby Dair came out of the kitchen and greeted me with open arms. A person watching my entrance may have assumed we knew each other, but this was my first visit to Dair’s Eritrean-Ethiopian restaurant on the border of Oakland and Berkeley. While her warm welcome may have been partly because she could tell I was Ethiopian, Dair has an easy, friendly vibe with all who visit.
The restaurant is decorated with Eritrean art pieces and a large television, which on my visit was blaring Eritrean music videos. With only seven tables inside, dining at Shewhat is an intimate eating experience. And often, you’ll find a small group of regulars who treat the restaurant as their second home.
Shewhat opened in August 2018, and is Dair’s first restaurant. She named it after her mother, who taught her how to cook at age 14. “My mother was very patient with me. She treated me like I was her best friend,” she said. Growing up in Eritrea, she learned all her mother’s recipes, and her friends and family members would constantly rave about her cooking. When Dair immigrated to the United States more than a decade ago, she was determined to share her mother’s dishes with her new community.
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