Cassandra Hagen, features editor 

A new spot to eat has popped up in Cedar Riverside, and it’s definitely one that anyone looking for a bite to eat should check out! Located on 1919 Riverside Ave Suite B,

Kulan Deli & Cafe is a new East African Restaurant just down the road from Augsburg’s campus. Always on the hunt for new places to eat that are close by, I knew I had to try this one out as soon as I heard about it. 

The deli itself is one half of a small and unassuming white building, with a unique entrance through a glass garage door into the cafe itself. There’s a variety of seating, some fake plants and decorations and a counter with a brightly colored menu behind it. At first glance, it’s apparent that the restaurant is new since it was pretty empty. However, that made me no less eager to try the variety of food and beverages offered there. 

As I browsed their countless options, it was obvious that this location has a great selection of food for any time you visit, be it for their breakfast menu or their dinner specials. Their breakfast menu includes liver bear, beef suqaar, sukuma, odkah and scrambled eggs all with your choice of malawax, chapati, anjera or wheat bread. They also served a variety of coffee, smoothies and tea, and had a pastry case filled with a few desserts and cakes.

What really interested me, however, was the lunch menu consisting of dishes with an option of either goat meat, Philly steak, chicken suqaar, salmon or lamb shabkl served with either rice, pasta or chapati. There was also an option of veggie or chicken wraps, and a small American menu with chicken strips, cheeseburgers and chicken quesadillas.  They clearly had a large variety of food and I was quite eager to give some of it a try. I ordered a veggie wrap with fries, a Philly cheese sandwich and a mango smoothie.

The wait for the food wasn’t too terrible, only 15 minutes or so, and I received my smoothie right away. The smoothie was freshly made, thick but smooth and tasted really good, but was noticeably stringy at the end from the blended mango. It wasn’t something incredibly remarkable but I’d consider getting it again. 

The wrap and sandwich were brought to me by one of the kind staff members and they both looked great. The fries were soft and well seasoned and the side of ranch paired really well with them. Honestly, they were some of the best fries I’ve had in a while. The veggie wrap was of course full of vegetables, including steamed carrots, corn, banana peppers, pickles and green peppers covered in sauce and wrapped in a warm tortilla. It was soft, filling and savory and I’d definitely order it again.

As for the Philly cheese steak, the meat was tender, covered in sauce and melted, gooey cheese all placed and wrapped in a hoagie bun. It was too hot to eat initially but once it cooled, it became a bit messy as it fell apart as I ate it. It was okay but not bad, and if you’re craving a Philly cheese steak this one checks all the boxes. 

Even with their doors just opening, Kulan Deli & Cafe is a pretty good place to eat and I can’t wait to see how things improve in the future. It’s clear to me that with such a good menu this restaurant is going to thrive, so I’d for sure recommend it if you’re looking for somewhere new to stop by!