Tell us about your new restaurant?
It is an authentic Ethiopian restaurant, which is completely gluten free. We serve all the sebhis (stews) on injera (a fermented flat bread made out of teff). I manage front of house and my mother (Tekebash Gebre) cooks.
How would you describe your food in music form?
Ethiopian jazz and folk all in one!
Which dish resonates most strongly with you and why?
I love the birsen (the red lentils). I always preferred the vegetarian dishes and most people would argue my mum makes the best! I also like keyih sebhi (slow cooked lamb), because it is a dish always present at Ethiopian parties. Eating it makes me feel like I am at a party or celebration.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
I draw inspiration from my family, especially my mother who shows amazing strength of character. She is the woman that makes it all happen at the restaurant. Mum cooks every single meal.
About Saba Alemayoh:
Born in 1989 in Sudan to Ethiopian parents, Saba Alemayoh is passionate about East African culture. Although she spent her childhood in the Sudanese capital Khartoum until the age of nine, Saba feels powerfully connected to her Ethiopian heritage.
Saba relocated to Melbourne with her mother in 1999.
While studying a double degree in Business and Arts at Monash University, she developed a keen interest in health and wellbeing and studied Certificate III and IV in Fitness at RMIT University in the evenings.
Saba’s first business, Saba’s Health Foods, grew from her passion for Ethiopian culture and wholesome grains.
As Saba’s sister suffers from coeliac disease, the family had continued to eat the naturally gluten-free cuisine of their homeland.
The staple of the Ethiopian diet, injera, is traditionally made from the flour of the gluten-free grain teff, which wasn’t easily accessible in Australia.
After every trip home to Ethiopia to see relatives, Saba’s family stocked their suitcases full of teff flour to bring back to Australia. Thanks to its health benefits and gluten-free qualities, teff flour has since reached superfood status and gained a devoted following.
In order to meet the demand, Saba started importing the product into Australia in commercial quantities to sell to health food stores, at farmer’s markets and to make injera at Saba’s Ethiopian Restaurant.
The restaurant is Saba’s latest business venture. While she focuses on business development, front of house and management, her mother, Tekebash Gebre, is the creative mastermind in the kitchen.
Ms Gebre walked out of Ethiopia to Sudan at the age of 17 due to the instability of the communist era. For 17 years, she lived in Sudan as an illegal immigrant, working as a maid and selling coffee and tea at the front of the family’s house.
“My mother has been a hugely positive influence in my life. I grew up watching her work extremely hard to support us as well as our family members back home in Ethiopia.” Saba said.
Saba is a young entrepreneur who is determined to share the Ethiopian dining experience and educate people about her home country along the way.
Saba serves up an authentic Ethiopian experience
Ethiopian Australian entrepreneur Saba Alemayoh has opened an entirely gluten-free Ethiopian eatery on Brunswick Street, Fitzroy.
Saba’s Ethiopian Restaurant was conceived by 25-year-old Saba, who was born in Sudan to Ethiopian parents and immigrated to Australia 16 years ago.
Serving the authentic cuisine of the Tigray region, Saba’s menu is a collection of meat, vegetarian and vegan stews flavoured with the signature Ethiopian berbere spice blend.
Reflecting traditional dining custom, the menu at Saba’s Ethiopian Restaurant is designed to be shared. The stews are presented on platters lined with the fermented flatbread injera, a staple of Ethiopian cuisine.
Used as an edible utensil, injera is made from the flour of teff, a gluten-free grain native to Ethiopia.
“I began importing teff flour in 2014 to make it more accessible to Australians. My younger sister has coeliac disease so as well as using teff flour for injera we’ve grown up with it as a substitute for regular flour in various dishes.” Saba said.
Saba oversees the front of house, management and business development side of her namesake restaurant while her mother, Tekebash Gebre, is the creative mastermind in the kitchen.
“My mother has always been known to friends and family as a fantastic Ethiopian cook. Now she has the platform to share her cooking with people from all over Melbourne.” Saba said.
Guests can expect the interior of Saba’s Ethiopian Restaurant to pay homage to Ethiopian culture. Colourful mesob tables are situated throughout and a collage of handmade sefe baskets decorate the walls, some of which were crafted by Saba’s relatives.
The complete Ethiopian dining experience is embraced on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm, with a traditional coffee ceremony. The ceremony can take up to two hours and involves the roasting and grinding of coffee beans, which are then boiled with hot water in a jebena and served in small cups (finjal). The cups are refilled three times over the course of the afternoon as the drinker relaxes and enjoys the time-honoured custom.
Saba’s Ethiopian Restaurant offers an authentic Ethiopian dining experience and is located at 328 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065. For bookings and further information visit
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