After nearly a decade on Division Street, as micro-chains replace dives and condominiums grow over parks, Bete-Lukas has remained Portland’s stalwart Ethiopian restaurant. On the second floor of a nondescript apartment building, in a dim room likely unchanged since the 90s, lentil sambusa, serrano-stewed kale, and earthy, cardamom-spiced beef kitfo are rushed out to tables atop big platters of tangy, spongy injera. When in doubt, claw into the veggie and beef combos, which serve as a primer to Ethiopia’s world of complex spices and braises.
