Tucked away in a little strip mall in San Jose,
Zeni's is a shining example of Ethiopian food. Don't believe us? Try going for dinner after 7:30 PM -- you will have at least a 30 min wait.
If you have not tried Ethiopian food before, it is one of those cuisines that is rustic and immensely comforting. The food consists of many different types of stews or
wot. Lentils seem to dominate the cuisinee ranging from those stewed just with turmeric, garlic and salt, to those seasoned with
berbere.
Berbere is a complex spice blend, and usually includes chili peppers, garlic, ginger, dried basil, korarima, rue, white and black pepper and fenugreek, and is often used in both Ehiopian and Eritrean cuisines.
These wots are served on a bed of
injera, a yeast-risen flatbread with a unique, slightly spongy texture made with the grain teff. The sponginess is a great medium to soak up all the sauces, but be warned, it seems to have a way of expanding in your stomach. So, do the smart thing, eat like there is no tomorrow, so your brain doesnt have time to comprehend how full you are! Conversation can wait till later, afterall you wouldn't want to keep a meal waiting.
One of the more unusual things about how the meal is served, is that it comes on a huge platter, to be shared by all the diners at the table. Your fingers are your utensils as you tear little pieces of injera and use that to scoop up a bite of your favorite dish. One thing is for sure, it is not just a meal, it is an experience!
If you can't already tell, excessive eating is the name of the game. Our standard approach is to get the vegetarian combination, and then add on a few other a la carte dishes. The vegetarian combo comprises of
Ye Miser Wot (Pureed split red lentil, simmered in a berbere sauce),
Ye Kik Alitcha (Split yellow peas made with onion, garlic, ginger, and turmeric),
Atakilt Wot (Boiled chopped cabbage, sliced carrots, and potato chunks, simmered with onions, garlic, and ginger),
Ye Gomen Wot (Chopped collard greens simmered with onion and herbs),
Ye Timatim Fitfit (injera tossed in blended fresh tomato, onions, green pepper and house dressing). Yep, all that, plus a really tasty salad with their signature house dressing, tangy & refreshing.
And yes, we do add on additional dishes, cos thats how we roll! So, listen up! The other recommendations are, one of my absolute favorites,
Shuro Wot, a dish made with roasted, powdered chick peas, simmered in spicy sauce, a rich and flavorful dish.
If you are into lamb, the
Ye Beg Tibs is great, the lamb is sauteed in butter seasoned with onions, green pepper, tomato and rosemary. A must get chicken dish is the
Ye Doro Wot, a drumstick cooked to perfection in a hot & thick red pepper, onions, garlic, ginger & purified butter sauce, and served with a hard boiled egg and home made cheese. The onions are cooked really slowly, adding only very small quantities of water through the cooking process, this slow and painstaking process yeilds perfectly caramelized sweet onions, that contrast the spicy berbere perfectly. The
Foule is great too, if you like fava beans.
Of course, you can always an option just to get a few dishes a la carte, but wheres the fun in that!?
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| Zeni Ethiopian Restaurant |
As far as beverages go - if you like sweeter wines, try a glass of Tej, Ethiopian honey wine, which has a flavor similar to mead. If you like reds, the South African red wine is great. It is a fruity, medium bodied wine, and pairs well with the food.
Not in the mood for wine, try a cold bottle of Harar, or better yet their tea. The tea (black tea), is served with a steaming cup of water spiced with cloves and cinnamon.
I am sure you can tell how much I love this place, if you haven't been here, and more importantly if you have never eaten Ethiopian food, Zeni's is definitely the place to go.
Bottom Line:
Price - $
Ambience - Casual/Ethnic
Vegetarian Friendly - Yes
