Lalibela Ethiopian - Los Angeles

Rain, rain, keeps everyone away so we get this whole restaurant to ourselves for our random Wednesday lunch. 

It's early enough for Coffee, and it's never too late for this bold, fruity brew. Add a spoonful of sugar to taste, sip slowly. 

Does coffee go with Doro Wot? A surprising but wholehearted yes. The fruity notes brighten the earthy notes of the spices, bold and bitter with bits of burning brightness. Confirmation bias be damned, this does taste different from any other doro wot I've tried, and though the spices check the boxes, there is something more memorable about these flavors. New angles are unlocked as you eat, and no two bites are the same. 

I can never resist the richness of a Kittfo. Is it meat-butter or butter-meat? At Lalibela it's delightfully hard to tell. Chopped so finely it turns to liquid silk on the tongue, buffered by a creamy cottage cheese, this is another dish that evolves as you eat, a gorgeous gasp of meaty steak and milk. 

It's impossible to finish a meal at any Ethiopian restaurant, but it all warms up so well. The trick is to melt the ghee without cooking the kittfo, but it all makes a beautiful morning-after meal. Come to Lalibela anytime you're around. It's unforgettable food and food for days, and it's all just so fantastic. 

Messob UPDATE - Los Angeles

Last review of the year to complete my 100, for a restaurant that completes me. I love you Messob! 

There's no equivalent experience to sitting at a table sharing a steaming injera, but the Super Messob Exclusive travels just as well if not better. Where other foods get soggy, the sauces have more time to soak into the bread beneath. 

They divide this meant-for-two combo into two take-home boxes in case you shouldn't share or if you don't want to share with your spouse. Start with a heaping helping of Doro Wot to the left, fall-off-the-bone chicken stewed in an earthy red pepper sauce. Other meats include square of Siga Wot, beef in the same sauce; Yebeg Siga Alicha, cubes of lamb in a yellow, very mild, almost-curry; tender Tibs, a buttery stirfry of beef cubes, and my favorite ground beef with assertive spices. Moving on the veggies, there's Yemisir Wot, that rich red pepper sauce on lentils; Yater Alicha, the only split pea stew I'll ever eat; fresh Collard Greens; Yatakilt Alicha, potato and carrot in a yellow comfort stew; and Tomato Fit-Fit, bits of injera tossed in tomato. 

Grab your injera and dip a little into every dish. Alternate your veggies, rotate your meats. This platter is a playground for the palate, with all sorts of flavors and all sorts of spices. It's a sampling of some of the best of Messob, but don't hesitate to add on some house specials if you're serving and sharing with a party bigger than two. I think I'll try a few new things next time I order, but it really says something that I still love this sampler platter after seven years of going to Messob!

Meals by Genet - Los Angeles

Meals by Genet is supposed to be Little Ethiopia's best kept secret, but now that it's becoming known as the Mindy dining project, I'm not so sure it'll be a secret for long. 

We waltzed into this obscurely pretty location with a sleek, simple-yet-chic dining room that makes you feel never quite elegant enough, and opened with some Ethiopian beers. The St. George is a smoother lager, and the dark-and-stormy Hakim is something special.

And we knew Meals by Genet was something special right when we sat down. Our server was assertive with his recommendations, and he clearly knew his stuff. Anyone carnivorous should try their signature Doro Wot because there is a damn good reason they're known for it. The slew of spices sink deep into those plump little chicken drumettes, and the darker flavors are brought out even further with a sip of beer.

We were worried about the Kitfo - buttery raw beef isn't without its risks. But if you maintain an open mind, you'll see that this dish outshines even the doro wot. The beef is impossibly smooth with not even a hint of connective tissue, and the butter makes it almost creamy. It slides down like silk, and the flavor lingers for days.

They always recommend the Vegetarian Combination with the doro wot and for good reason. Why just have one when you can try them all? There was no small number of things to sample, but every single item stood out. The ground sunflower seeds were dark and grounded, the lentils were firm but light, and both split peas at split levels of spiciness convinced this pea-hater to give them another shot. Chick peas and collards are classic, and these didn't disappoint. The beets were crisp and sharply sweet, and even the boiled veggies stood out.

I've had Ethiopian, but this kicks it up to a whole new level. The fullness of the flavors, and the meticulous calibration that goes into the flavors and spice is unparalleled. I walk right by Meals By Genet every time I'm in Little Ethiopia, and all I can think is, wot the hell have I been missing?

Marveling at Messob – Los Angeles

I love fine dining. I love wearing pretty clothes for proper sit-down meals with carefully crafted plates of artful combinations, and I love the polish and refinement with which we eat. Sometimes. Other times you just want to dig in.

To be honest, I have no idea how to use a fish spoon, and I’d eat my whole dinner with a salad fork if I had the choice. But while foods like hummus and pita are natural finger foods, even on my lowest-maintenance day I find the idea of eating an entire meal with my bare hands repulsive.

And that’s where injera steps in as Ethiopia’s slightly soggy sourdough-flatbread that acts as an edible napkin. Break off a piece and pinch up some Gored Gored, a chopped beef served practically raw even when you ask for it medium. All those primal meat-hunting hormones will kick in when you chow down on these chewy bits of bleeding beef.

The Super Messob Exclusive for two easily feeds four with more left over than we knew what to do with. And why not use this to try the menu instead of making the agonizing decision between chicken and beef?

Far as I can see, the Doro Wot is Ethiopia’s version of barbecue chicken with a less tangy, spice-soaked sauce. The Siga Wot (same thing with beef) is even better, and the Kittfo, grains of ground beef with a dash of chili, is best.

I got called out for doubling down on my share of the Yebeg Siga Alitcha, but who wouldn’t when confronted with lamb stewed in garlic and ginger?

As if you weren’t already full of meat, the Yemisir Wot made a hearty lentil stew, literally the Siga Wot minus the meat, and even the simply steamed veggies of the Yatakilt Alitcha packed plenty of punch.

I’ve had plenty of Ethiopian food before, and suffice it to say it was never my favorite cuisine. The injera was fun, but I often found it a bit bland. I don’t know what happened at Messob, but the food just came alive. Every bite was full of flavor, and every spice stood out. I used to find eating Ethiopian mildly amusing, but after this meal at Messob, consider me obsessed.