Posted by Kaori Furue in african, restaurant review on November 14, 2008 at 4:49 pm

Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant
869 Bloor Street West
416-535-6615
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip, and coffee ceremony: $36

Lalibela, named after a holy city in Ethiopia, is a down-to-earth and affordable restaurant on Bloor West at Ossington that has been quietly, almost secretly, serving some of the best Ethiopian in the city. Bright, pastoral murals and soft, yellow lights line the perimeter of this modest room containing mostly booths for four plus a long bar with stools usually occupied by regulars having hot, spiced tea.

The sheer size of the 60+ item menu, amplified by full colour photos, creates the exciting dilemma of choosing what to eat. Ethiopian food resembles Indian in that most dishes are slow-cooked stews accompanied by fresh salads and cheese, and eaten by hand with a spongy, sourdough-based bread called injera. Lalibela offers several combination platters that allow sampling of small portions of up to eight dishes at once and come in three varieties: vegetarian, meat-leaning, or greedy (both).

On one trip with an adventurous friend, we ordered the Meat Combination ($15 for one; $23 for two), which includes a hot and spicy lamb stew called Yebeg Key Wot; Kifto, an Ethiopian version of steak tartare; Dullet, a coarse mixture of lamb, tripe, green chile, and onion; Doro Wat, a chicken stew with boiled egg; Gomen, bitter collard greens; Ayib, crumbly cottage cheese; and a lightly dressed salad of iceberg lettuce and tomatoes. On a whim, we also chose the Bozena Shero ($14 for one; $17 for two), a dish of ground chickpeas in berbere sauce with chunks of lean beef served in a thick, black cauldron-like vessel called a deest. Buttery, rich and filled with plump pieces of soft meat and crisp green pepper, it was "die happy" food – our overwhelming favourite.

On another occasion with slightly less daring but very dear companions, we ordered the Lalibela Special ($23 for two), which is similar to the Meat Combination, but with the addition of beets, lentils, split peas, and cabbage (mixed with carrot and potato) and the subtraction of the Dullet. All of these vegetable dishes were mild with the exception of the peppery lentils. The platter is built for two, but can easily tackle three hungry people.

On both visits, I wanted a frosty Ethiopian beer to go with, but while Castel and St. George are on the menu, none were available on either occasion. I had St. George there this past summer, so they may have just run out for the moment. Until it disappears from the drinks list completely, keep trying - it’s worth it.

Lalibela doesn’t offer Ethiopian desserts (does anyone order the ice cream and fruit salad?) so on both excursions, we ended with the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony ($10/pot for four). The server roasts coffee beans in a metal can with a long handle that resembles the Big Dipper and shakes them tableside to let guests inhale the nutty aroma. About 10-15 minutes later, she brings the brewed coffee in a round-bottomed pitcher called a jebena along with a large basket of lightly salted popcorn and a small wooden chest holding four tiny cups, two doll-sized teaspoons for stirring in sugar, and frankincense spitting and burning away on a bed of hot ashes. Our server told me that it’s the woman at the table who pours the coffee, so I did my best but needed everyone’s napkins to deal with the spillage. I read that Ethiopian women practice for years to learn how to pour coffee for all guests in one continuous stream from a height of one foot above the cups. I’ll have to work on it – a lot. The coffee is strong, dark, and never enough. Traditionally, it’s impolite to have less than three cups as the third round is considered to bestow a blessing. I more than oblige, but pay for it by staring at my ceiling, sleepless until 3AM. But, I’m a coffee lightweight so don’t be afraid - indulge.

Service at Lalibela is a bit shy but warm, and they return often to refill water and replenish injera. Knowledge of the food varies by server and most only recommend the combination platters. I was dying to try the Shefinfin, the sole unexplained (and un-Googleable) item on the menu and received two wildly different answers. The first waitress said that no one orders it and the second referred to the wrong picture to explain it. But not to worry; the meticulously detailed and illustrated menu provides more than enough information on most dishes to dive in and try something new. And everything is so cheap that we can all go again and again and maybe become regulars ourselves. I'll be the one bellied up to the bar with my hot, spiced tea.

Kaori Furue is a Toronto-based blogger whose adventures big and small (mostly small, and mostly about food) can be found at: I can’t believe I’m back in Toronto.