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| - If you've never had Ethiopian food before and you don't have Ethiopian relatives to cook for you, then I recommend Cafe Lalibela for your introductory pleasure. If you're a seasoned pro to this cuisine, this is the best Ethiopian (restaurant) food you'll find in Phoenix.
As a vegan, I get the vegetarian combo, which comes with 4 hot dishes and a small salad. The hot dishes are misir wat (spicy lentils; my fav!), gomen (chopped collard greens), tikil gomen (cabbage & potatoes), & fosolia (string beans & carrots). The food is spiced to perfection; these are very authentic flavors. If you dine in, the food is served on top of injera bread. (If you despise soggy bread, be sure ask for the salad on a separate plate.) I'm not a huge fan of their regular injera; the taste is sour and a little "off" compared to the home-cooked injera I'm fed back home. But if you use your hands (as is the custom) to pick up the food with the bread, that taste is disguised. (They have forks, if you must.) I've recently discovered that they have a gluten-free injera option which is actually really good; I was surprised! I prefer it over the regular injera. The veg combo will last me 2 days when I'm not that hungry. When I'm being a hungry hippo, no leftovers for me. ;)
If you're dining with friends, I suggest sharing the large veg platter. These combo & platter dishes are great for first timers (try several dishes to figure which you like) & regulars, like me, who want it all. No vegan desserts, though. Boo.
The owner is very nice, as are most of the workers. There is a worker who never smiles or seems to care. Don't take it personally; I think it's just her personality.
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