by SARAH MUSGRAVE

It’s funny to think that at precisely the same moment that you’re complaining Montreal is too damn cold, someone, somewhere, on the other side of the planet, is probably moaning about the oppressive heat. If you’re just not laughing about that, check out these hot spots featuring food from the Ivory Coast, Tunisia and Ethiopia to brighten the dark days ahead.

L’Abidjanaise

L’Abidjanaise spotlights inexpensive, homecooked food from Côte d’Ivoire. The restaurant takes its name from Abidjan, a cosmopolitan city in this West African nation that was once a French colony. Tucked away on a residential CDN sidestreet, it caters mostly to ex-pats hankering for a taste of home, in a casual atmosphere boosted by a TV blaring videos of current musique ivorienne. Meals here are divided into sauce-based dishes and grilled meats. Among the choices are mafi chicken made with ground peanuts, yassa chicken with olives and onions, and creamy pépé soupe with beef or tripe. Less familiar may be kedjenou, a thick chicken stew, and djoumgblé, okra and beef in a glutinous brown gravy. Whole fish such as tilapia are served hot off the grill and topped with tangy onion and tomato. Accompaniments include rice, the couscous-like attiéké and fried slices of aloco (plantain). To drink, try hibiscus juice called bissape or gnamakoudji, a ginger and pineapple concoction.

Address: 5772 Decelles Phone: 223-1147 Hours: Mon–Sun 5–11pm Price: $12/person before tax, drinks or tip

L’Étoile de Tunis

When couscous is done well, it makes for one of the most gut-warming meals around. L’Étoile de Tunis transforms this North African staple into a subtle, refined experience. The ambiance is subdued almost to the point of staid, although the Arabic music mingling with the rusty fan overhead makes it feel like you’re marooned in some forgotten desert town. Go all out with the chef’s couscous special, presented in a peaked ceramic dish containing five simmered meats, including a tender lamb chop, succulent chicken, merguez sausage, a savoury meatball and a grilled lamb brochette. A bowl of thin, aromatic vegetable stew comes on the side, along with harissa to pump up the volume of the spice. Another good bet is the savoury Tunisian lamb tagine, simmered with potato, eggs, cheese and herbs, then baked as a pie. Also look out for ojaa, a sort of a ratatouille omelette, and briks, crispy pastries filled with egg and tuna. Finish up with a date-filled pastry and mint tea poured into glasses from a silver teapot.

Address: 6701 de Chateaubriand Phone: 276-5518 Hours: Mon–Fri 11am–2pm, 5–10pm; Sat 5–10pm; closed Sun Price: $20/person before tax, drinks or tip

Restaurant Abiata

At the centre of Ethiopian food is injera, a giant spongy pancake that’s used instead of utensils. Opened last year on St-Denis, Abiata is a slick and styling place to let your fingers do the walking through different stewed concoctions. To taste the maximum while spending the minimum, get the combination plates, meat or vegetarian, which add up to about a half dozen dishes from the menu. The doro watt is exceptional here, consisting of tender chicken and a hard-boiled egg doused in liberally spiced berberé sauce. The meat platter also features the milder yebeg alicha, lamb with potatoes and carrots. Other tastes to try include a musky lentil concoction called yemesser watt that’s marinated to a deep red colour, gommen, fresh spinach sautéed with sweet garlic, lentil salad and yellow split peas cooked with turmeric, ginger and onions. While less traditional, the desserts here include mango mousse and tropical sorbets, made of exotic fruits like lulu and geishta. :

Address: 3435 St-Denis Phone: 281-0111 Hours: Tues–Sun 11–3pm; 6pm–midnight; Mon 6pm–midnight Price: $18/person before tax, drinks or tip