About us
A Taste of Ethiopia, Passed Down Through Generations
GIHON Ethiopian Kitchen is more than a food business – it’s a story of family, resilience and cultural pride. Our journey began in 1998, when Meskerem Bekele, a passionate home cook and visionary, opened one of San Diego’s first Ethiopian restaurants. With little English and no formal culinary training, Meskerem relied on what she knew best: the recipes passed down from her mother and the traditions she grew up with in Ethiopia.
What started as Harar Ethiopian Restaurant in North Park quickly became a cultural hub for the Ethiopian community and a gateway for others to discover the richness of Ethiopian cuisine. People came not just for the food, but for the sense of belonging, the warm hospitality, and the feeling of home.
The Story Behind GIHON
A New Chapter, Same Soul
As times changed, so did we. We transitioned from a traditional sit-down restaurant into a modern Ethiopian kitchen offering:
A mobile food truck serving across San Diego
A takeout kitchen in Mira Mar
Meal prep services for busy families and professionals
Catering for events large and small
Our Philosophy
Our Spices
Our spices are sourced directly from Ethiopia, blended by hand & used with intention to preserve authentic flavor.
Gluten-Free Injera
Our injera is made from 100% teff naturally gluten-free, vegan, and fermented in-house daily.
Our Team
Our team is family, built from people who share our mission, values & dedication to hospitality.
Deliciously Convenient, Wherever You Are
Meal Prep
Food Truck
Catering
Hear From Our Happy Customers
San Diego has some amazing Ethiopian resturants, but overall this is probably tied as my favorite. The vegan combo platter has several more veggie dishes included than most others places- it always comes with the 6 or so veggies listed on the menu (including an eggplant wot!)
Everything was delicious. Started off with the sambusas (which I rarely go with, but their sauce was amazing), and followed things up with the veggie platter and lamb tibs. We also got the fish, which was seasoned perfectly. For those unfamiliar with Ethiopian food... best bet is to get the veggie sampler and a meat dish you prefer.
Wow! I don't claim to be any kind of expert on Ethiopian cuisine or vegetarian food in general, but I was blown away by my lunch there. I got the vegetarian combo plate. At least 10 different dollops of different dishes. I'd say 5 were outstanding, 3 good and the rest tasty.
GIHON is definitely going onto my list of favorite places in SD. I'll be heading back this week because when you find food this good you can't keep it to yourself. If you've never tried this cuisine before or you're already a big fan, you should give GIHON a try. Hopefully you fall in love with this charming place like I did.
Great food!! Everything was so flavorful. We had the vegan platter, lentil Sambusa and the Shekla Shiro with refills of injera. We also tried the Iced Mint Green tea (which I found to sweet) and the Ethiopian Spices tea over ice (which I loved)
Where to start??? The family that owns this place are some of the kindest people I've met. They are genuinely excited to share their food and traditions regarding meals with you. I didn't know what to expect, having not eating Ethiopian food before. This was one of my favorite dining experiences I've ever had.
We've been wanting to try this place for months and it did not disappoint! We got the meat sampler to try as many things as possible. My personal favorite was the lamb. We got takeout and brought it all the way back to north county. Despite the 30+ minute drive, everything was still warm and fresh. It was all amazing and much cheaper than the other place down the road.
