Have you ever wondered what it’s like to eat the cuisine from a country the United States is in conflict with? Well the Conflict Kitchen has got you covered! They only serve food from one country that we are (or used to be) in conflict with. The staff seek to increase involvement and understanding of whatever reign they are serving from; it changes about 4 times a year. I recently visited their little shop and had a very positive experience. They are located at 221 Schenley Drive and are open from 11am-6pm, on Monday through Saturday.

When I visited, the staff were lovely and they bared with me as I tried (and failed) to pronounce the names off their menu. They are currently serving food from and promoting the understanding of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. There was practically no wait at all. I ordered the “WADESAI’DÖ: NDAKWADESAI’DÖ: NDAK” which is maple baked beans with pork, the “GAGAIHDËHDÖ” which is boiled bread that is made with Iroquois white corn and kidney beans, and the “JOHNGWE’YÖNI’JOHNGWE’YÖNI’” which is a whole baked quail with mushrooms and a salad. Everything comes in either a small brown thin cardboard box, or a paper bowl (they essentially come in takeout containers). I got three items off their menu.

I got two small dishes, boiled bread and maple beans. First, the boiled bread was okay. I did enjoy the change; this is nothing like you would expect. It was still very wet, to the point that it began to leak out of the bottom of the box, though considering they leave it in the water until you receive it, I suppose this is to be expected. It did appear to be less warm than everything else. The kidney beans that are in the bread are a nice contrast to the consistency of the bread itself. The serving that they give you is very large for only $3.50. Next, the maple baked beans and pork. This was absolutely the best thing I received during my visit. It was the perfect temperature and the taste was extraordinary! This was also a surprise considering I am not normally a fan of beans. They had very good flavor and the serving was pretty good for $4.00.

The baked quail was very good as a main dish! It looked very appetizing. Quail is a relatively small bird so I would recommend getting small dishes as well, but it was still great tasting, and I enjoyed the way they seasoned it. The ‘salad’ that I received was fresh, though it did just appear to be “wild greens” (lettuce) and nothing more. The flavorful mushrooms that came with it were savory and fit well into the meal, and it came with plenty of mushrooms. The whole meal was very warm; I greatly appreciated this considering you have to eat outside in the cold or in your car, because there is no indoor eating space. I feel as though the dish was slightly small for $12.00, but still I was definitely delighted with this as a small main dish!

I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants to get out of their comfort zone and try something new and exciting! The food is delicious, and the staff is wonderful!

To contact the conflict kitchen, simply call 4128028417, or go to their website conflictkitchen.org