Sunday, February 21, 2016

Yummy Ethiopian Food

Last night I braved the long haul to San Jose for a meal of Ethiopian food with some friends.

We hit Zeni, a restaurant I've been told is the best Ethiopian food you can get in the San Francisco Bay Area.

I believe the claims.

One of my friends has some history in Ethiopia and did the ordering for us. I didn't catch the names of the dishes, but they were pretty recognizable fare. What we got were essentially stews - beef, lamb, and some vegetarian fare - with spices and such served on a platter lined with a spongy, sour flatbread. The meal comes with rolls of more of that flatbread that you use to soak up chunks of the stew.

It's unreal now delicious it is.

The flatbread's sour tang goes really well with the dishes. I especially loved some brownish vegetarian... um... goop (for lack of knowing the proper name) that just kicked my arse. The lamb was awesome as well. We had a form of beef tartar that was okay, but against the other dishes, it stood out the least.

I have to say I liked the Ethiopian beer as well. Wish I remembered any of the names. Alas.

I can't recommend Zeni highly enough. Two tips:
  1. Go early. This place fills up.
  2. Bank on being there a while. Service moves largely at its own pace.

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