Injera, tibs and coffee ceremonies at Sunshine's standout Ethiopian restaurant
Most people walk Hampshire Road for the pho. Fair enough. But one block off the main strip, on Clarke Street, sits a restaurant that serves something most Melburnians have never tried. Gojo Ethiopian Cafe & Restaurant has been quietly building a following among Sunshine locals who know the area runs deeper than Vietnamese food.
Ethiopian cuisine is not like anything else you will find in the western suburbs. The base is injera, a spongy sourdough flatbread made from teff flour. You tear off pieces and use them to scoop up stews, salads, and grilled meats. No cutlery. Your hands do the work. It is communal eating at its most natural.
Time Out Melbourne featured Gojo in their local guide to Sunshine. At 4.6 stars across 150 Google reviews, it is one of the highest-rated restaurants in the entire suburb. Not just among Ethiopian places. Among all restaurants.
That rating is earned through consistency. The berbere spice blend is made in-house. The injera is fresh. The coffee is roasted on-site for the traditional ceremony. Nothing about this place is an afterthought.
Slow-cooked chicken in a rich berbere sauce. Warm, layered, and deeply flavoured without being fiery. Served with hard-boiled eggs and injera. This is Ethiopia's national dish, and Gojo does it properly.
Stir-fried meat (beef or lamb) with onions, peppers, and rosemary. Cubed and seared at high heat so the outside is charred and the inside stays juicy. Arrives sizzling on a platter. The lamb tibs are the pick if both are available.
Ethiopian cuisine is one of the most vegetarian-friendly in the world, thanks to Orthodox Christian fasting traditions. The combo plate includes misir wot (red lentil stew), gomen (collard greens), shiro (chickpea stew), and atkilt (cabbage and potato). All served on a single large injera. Filling, flavourful, and completely plant-based.
Coffee originated in Ethiopia. The traditional ceremony at Gojo involves roasting green beans at the table, grinding them by hand, and brewing in a jebena (clay pot). It takes 20 to 30 minutes. The aroma fills the room. This is not a flat white. It is a cultural experience.
Address: 10 Clarke St, Sunshine VIC 3020
Price: $16-$25 per dish
Google: 4.6 stars (150 reviews)
Best for: Groups of 2-4 sharing a mixed platter
Sunshine has one of the largest East African communities in Melbourne's west. Families from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan have settled here since the early 2000s. The suburb's affordable housing, public transport links, and existing multicultural infrastructure made it a natural fit.
Gojo opened to serve that community first. The quality attracted a wider audience. Time Out brought broader recognition. But the regulars were there long before the media noticed.
Ethiopian food is one of the world's great cuisines. It just does not get the same airtime as Thai, Japanese, or Italian in Melbourne. Gojo is a chance to fix that, ten minutes from the city on the Sunbury line.
Local tip: Gojo is small. Six to eight tables. It fills up on Friday and Saturday nights. Book ahead or arrive before 6pm for dinner. Lunch is quieter and you will get more attention from the kitchen.
Sunshine's food scene goes further than pho and kebabs. Gojo proves it. For more food options, browse all cafes and restaurants or explore businesses in Sunshine.
The standout Ethiopian restaurant in Melbourne's west. 150 reviews at 4.6 stars. Featured in Time Out Melbourne. Injera, tibs, doro wot, and coffee ceremonies.
10 Clarke St, Sunshine VIC 3020
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