This family owned restaurant opened only a few months ago and has quickly garnered positive word of mouth and a good review from Garrett Snyder of the LA Weekly. One thing I quickly noticed after perusing their website was the fact that they serve breakfast items as well, and these are dishes I have never tried, much less ever heard of.
Having dined there this past weekend with members of one of my foodie groups, I really enjoyed each of the dishes we tried, with the exception of the Enqulal Fir Fir. The dish was nothing more than everyday scrambled eggs with diced bell peppers and onions.
All descriptions of the dishes have been extracted from Lalibela’s website.
Kategna with Ayib – Rolled strips of injera coated with berbere sauce mixed in Ethiopian spiced butter or olive oil served with fresh Ethiopian cottage-cheese.
Genfo, A smooth wheat porridge with a dash of cardamom, served with Ethiopian spiced butter and berbere chili pepper seasonings.
Enqulal Fir-Fir – Scrambled eggs prepared with a dash of Ethiopian spiced butter, and sliced jalapeños (fresh tomatoes and onions can bed added).
Quanta Fir-Fir – Injera moistened in a seasoned sauce mixed with dried strips of spiced beef.
Injera Bread, of course
Veggie Utopia – A special combination of fourteen veggie dishes: Shibera Asa, Gomen, Shero, Miser (2), Dinich, Cabbage, Ater, Suf (sunflower seeds), Tematim Fifit, Fosalia, Azifa, keke aletcha, and salad.
LAMB Yebeg Alethcha Wot – Succulent pieces of fresh lamb sautéed in creamy sauce seasoned with mild spices and fresh herbs.
Collard Greens Duo Combination – Collard Greens : Side Dish
Their Ethiopian Style Fruit Smoothie made with papaya, mango and avocado
It’s time for the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony
Freshly roasted coffee beans for you get a good whiff of.
Maybe I’ve had way too much Starbucks’ coffee, but I found their coffee to be smooth, low in acidity and bitterness. Can drink it straight up and savor the full flavor of the coffee, but a teaspoon of sugar does make it easier to enjoy.
Perhaps the next time, it would be nice to enjoy a meal in their back patio.
Aside from traditional table seating at a restaurant, Lalibela offers this option for you as well:
