Located in the heart of Ithaca Commons, Hawi stands as the only Ethiopian restaurant in Ithaca since its establishment in 2015. It is a popular spot for all food lovers, known not only for its authentic Ethiopian cuisine but also for its warm and inviting atmosphere.

For the past nine years, Hawi has served as a beloved fixture of the Commons for both students and locals. 

“We get a good mix of students and locals,” said Leland Bug, a Hawi staff member. “We definitely notice [an] increase in business when the students are here, but we also have many loyal local customers.”

The restaurant selects its spices and ingredients to match the authentic flavors of Ethiopian cuisine. According to Bug, Hawi sources its spices from an Ethiopian spice company, ensuring their freshness and authenticity.

Bug described that the company offers a range of spice mixtures, including awaze, berbere and mitmita. These mixtures contain a variety of plants and spices commonly used in Ethiopian cuisine, such as garlic, ginger and chili peppers.

According to Bug, every dish featuring the Wat sauce — a traditional tomato sauce made with berbere spice — is a signature for the restaurant and garners immense popularity among customers.

“Wat sauce is [a] deep dark red spicy sauce,” Bug elaborated. “It’s extremely rich. It has the kibbeh, which is the Ethiopian spiced, clarified butter,” 

Bug also highlighted the veggie combo — another customer favorite — that includes all seven vegetables Hawi serves, including shiro, gomen, kilt, fasolia, keysir, kik and misir, according to the restaurant’s menu.

“Even people who prefer their meat feel satisfied by the veggie combo because it’s very rich,”  Bug said.

Hawi also preserves the rich traditions of Ethiopian hospitality and food sharing. It is customary in many Ethiopian households to serve a large platter of diverse foods that everyone eats from, fostering a sense of unity and upholding deeply rooted practices of generosity and communal dining.

Hawi’s dining style reflects this custom by serving large portions, allowing patrons to partake in the communal dining experience in an authentic Ethiopian manner.

Adding to the communal dining experience is the age-old tradition of gursha. Individuals feed the best portions of food with their hands to those seated beside them or to their loved ones, symbolizing generosity, hospitality and affection. This cherished custom is observed in daily meals as well as during celebrations and weddings throughout Ethiopia.

“In Ethiopia, the tradition of Gursha is very important,” Bug said. “For couples, it is a gesture of love to feed each other. Ethiopian people have a huge amount of hospitality, especially in the countryside.” 

Bug emphasized that a communal approach is the best way to fully appreciate the culinary offerings at Hawi, echoing the sentiments of tradition and togetherness that define Ethiopian culture, both within and outside of dining contexts.

It is a very sharing [based] culture. This culture of sharing also extends to food and is highly valued in Hawi,” Bug said.