KUKULU MARKET LLC — Local services in Lake View Township

Skip this place if you're American or non-Ethiopian! If you're not Ethiopian, they will lie to you. I recently went in to buy Injera, just as I have for the last 7 yrs. I used to pay $2.25 for a pack of 3 and this time, the clerk tried to charge me $4 per pack. I question it and he said the Injera was made from 100% Teff flour. I informed him that I am very familiar with Teff and what Injera looks like when you make it with more Teff or when you add white flour to it. He laughed and tried to play it off. I also know what the Injera look slike when it's made with more white flour, which was not what the Injera he was charging $4 looked like. It was clear to me that he thought I was just an ignorant American with no knowledge of what I was purchasing. He was just trying to make a few extra bucks from an unsuspecting customer!

This isn't the first time I encountered a "race" issue at that business. On another occasion I was purchasing Injera and a woman had just brought in fresh Injera to sell. As she put it on the table, I started to pick up a package and she pointed to another stack of Injera that had already been on the table, and quickly told me that it's fresh and for me to buy from that pile. I've been eating and cooking Ethiopian food for 2 decades and I know fresh Injera when I see it. I was so irritated and angry at this obviously uneducated woman's comment that I quickly picked up the so-called "fresh" Injera she was pointing to and flipped it over to show her the white MOLD starting to grow! Then I spoke to her in your native language of Amharic and asked her if that was really the case and asked her if the MOLD looked fresh to her and I told her that wasn't true and called her a liar. She just laughed and asked where I learned to speak Amharic. What an idiot! She then went to the clerk to complain and laugh at the fact that she "tried" to load the MOLDY goods off on an American! The spices are not fresh either. Some stay on the shelf for so long that when I opened a container of Berbere, there was a spiderweb already on the inside.

The clerk also tries to charge for a plastic bag to carry your purchase. If you tell him "No bag", he tries to add the few cents on the bill. This is a dishonest business! Stay away from it if at all possible! There are more respectable...

This small shop carries array of Ethiopian groceries and items. I travel afar to shop here for spices and other items that are staple in our household. Though I can find what I need online, I prefer to shop in-person. Injera…Berbere…Korerima…Teff flour…coffee…Koseret…Gesho…so much more. This place is truly a gem.

I hope the father is well. He was operating the store when I first started shopping here. His son has taken over now since the pandemic and has shown the same kindness...

great shop if you're looking for coffee. they have very good prices on a good selection of varietals. if you're looking for natural/unwashed, this is the place. they sell green coffee beans and can roast them. the owner is super helpful and courteous and welcoming. I really love getting in here to get my coffee. I've gotten some of the packaged beans, but getting the green ones in the plastic bags...