Lalibela Ethiopian

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Lalebela Ethiopian Restaurant

4422 Cass Street

Where we went:

We decided to go out of our comfort zone today and try a type of food that Eric had never tried and Kyle had only had once before, Ethiopian. Neither of us are big on exceptionally spicy foods, so we were a little worried about what we would find here. The last time Kyle had Ethiopian food, it was quite spicy, but with a cold soda, he was able to overcome the spice. What is life without an adventure, so we gave Lalebela Ethiopian a shot.

What we Eat:

We had the combination platter that is meant for two to share. This is a dish served on Injera, a traditional Ethiopian sponge bread, with the different meat and veggie dishes on top, including traditional Tibs, Dorowot, Lentils as well as salad greens and cheese, it also came with, what I would call a buffalo wing and a hard-boiled egg. In addition we added a serving of Knuta Fir Fir, a dish of beef chunks. Along with the Injera that the food is served on, you receive an unlimited basket of fresh Injera on the side.

The Food:

To eat, you simply take a chunk of the bread, use it as a scoop and scoop up the food to eat. No flatware required. This can, however, sometimes get a little messy, so be prepared. The food was very tasty, it had a little bit of a kick to it, luckily it wasn’t overwhelmingly spicy. Although we weren't 100% sure which dish was wish, we enjoyed them all equally.

The Atmosphere:

Located in an old Pizza Hut building, this small restaurant isn’t very impressive from the outside, but inside it has the exotic flavor, that I now equate with Ethiopia. Flags and what appear to be traditional blankets cover the walls and windows, traditional baskets and other record fill the walls and empty spaces of the dining room. In the corner a traditional Ethiopian tea set is set up to serve, what I found out later was free, spiced tea. On each table was a flyer explaining different facts about traditional Ethiopian culture, traditional and foods. We weren't expecting this meal to be a learning opportunity, but it was!

The Service:

The service was very fast. The host allowed us to sit ourselves, but was almost immediately at our table getting out drink order. Lalibela is a small business run by an immigrant family, which is great, but their accents made it a little hard to understand them at all times. There is nothing wrong with that, but if we had lots of questions about the food, I could see it being a little hard to communicate. I would suggest doing research into Ethiopian food and this restaurants dishes before going, and know what you want upon your arrival (we do recommend that combination platter).

In the End:

It’s hard to go out of your comfort zone, especially when it comes to food you have never tired. We are very glad we tried Lalebella. Although Ethiopian food isn’t a type of food we would like to eat on a daily basis, it is good when you are craving something different. The fact that we were able to learn a little more about a culture so far removed from our own was an added bonus. We would encourage everyone to try Lalebella at least once, just make sure you have plenty of tea, soda or water to wash it down.