- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Awash Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Ethiopian Restaurants Vegan Ethiopian, Vegan [Edit]
5990 1/2 W Pico BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90035
Neighborhood: West Los Angeles
(323) 939-3233
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Michael M. said: "I am basically the opposite of the sort of person you might expect to go to Euphoria. I'm a total carnivore. I eat pounds of meat (aiming for grass fed) everyday. Many animals have died for my pleasure of eating them. See, I eat…" read more »
167 reviews for Awash Restaurant
Review Highlights
-
"I liked this), beef kitfo, and chicken tibbs." In 26 reviews -
"the vegetarian combo was ginormous." In 30 reviews -
"Vegetarian Combo - Lentils, yellow split peas, greens and..." In 5 reviews
Loading...
167 reviews in English
-
Review from Caye B.
4/14/2012
Came here for an early dinner with a friend one night when we were feeling extra adventurous. We had no idea what Ethiopian food was like, but it sounded exotic enough, so we searched Yelp for recommendations and settled on Awash.
It was SUCH an interesting experience!! And the food is definitely unique and awesome. We ordered the Awaze tibbs (beef w/ spiced red sauce -$10) and Kitfo (steak tartar). First came out a GIANT spongey pancake-looking thing that apparently is called injera. It's sort of like a soft sour dough naan.
Then I noticed there were no utensils... Ah. So apparently you eat Ethiopian food with your hands.
I looked around and took note that other people were putting their meats on top of the injera and ripping it off and rolling to eat. I was extremely bad at this, dropped food left and right... made a huge mess and badly embarrassed myself. But totally worth it.
Beef tibbs came with veggies and other things that I did not know what they were, but were tasty. This one had a lot of spices and some jalapeno for a good kick. The kitfo was pretty much raw ground beef in a black iron pot. I was pretty intimidated by the idea of it at first, but it turned out to be so good!
The neighborhood looks kinda sketchy (the shops have bars, etc.).The interior decorations looked frozen in the 70s/80s. There were interesting murals of Ethiopian people, and they even had a disco ball hanging lol. But a good majority of the cliente were people who I presumed were Ethiopian, so I'm gonna assume this is the real deal. If you're in the mood to step out of your food comfort zone, I definitely recommend Awash! -
Review from Anne J.
Los Angeles, CA
5/4/2012
My husband and I went on a double date here with some friends on their recommendation and were well pleased.
First, it feels like you are eating dinner in someone's Ethiopian family's living room in the best possible way. As is the case with any ethnic food it is always a good sign when the restaurant is filled with non-Americans. We sat down to pleasant service and fun decor.
We ended up ordering the veggie combo and the awaze tibbs. The portions are more than generous, even for Ethiopian food. And they don't skimp on the injera, which is always my favorite part of the meal. The awaze tibbs had a great flavor, but for portion sake didn't even need to be ordered.
Also, this was the first Ethiopian we've had since moving from the East Coast, but they had raw peppers(like jalapeno but not as spicy) stuffed with almost a pico de gallo. I am not sure if that's Ethiopian, but it was delicious.
Certainly our go to for Ethiopian, amazing. -
Review from Aimee C.
4/1/2012
i was in l.a. for a conference last week and my friends and i used yelp to help us find a restaurant that got great reviews and also catered to vegetarian needs. we came across the listing for awash and figured it was worth a shot.
o.m.g.! so great! the food was fantastic. and the lynchpin on the whole experience was that the place seemed to be frequented by ethiopian people. authenticity bump!
as usual with ethiopian food, we ordered too much. so if you have a hungry party you'll be fine. and sharing is definitely caring. -
Review from Arspeke G.
Alameda, CA
5/22/2012
Awash!
Definitely a place with great food and friendly staff. The prices are very good as for the amount of food you get. I'll have to give this place 5s star because this was the first Ethiopian food I have ever tried. It was a little different from the food that I eat, the cool thing is you eat the traditional way which is with your hands. I didn't use any utensils the whole dinner.
I went for dinner and ordered the vegetarian dish and a meat dish for about $20 which gives you an arrangement of a small salad, flavored lentils, and potatoes in this orange sauce which was my favorite! They had about in total about 5 - 6 different vege items on the plate which was more than enough! Let me say that when I ate all the items with the injera bread that you eat with everything, it will fill you up!
I was new to the injera bread and it was quite tasty, very different from naan, it has a fluffy texture like a pancake and its very light and tastes almost like sourdough bread but a very soft pleasant and not overpowering sour taste.
They will also refill your injera bread when you run out and are very quick with service.
All in all a great place and highly recommend! -
Review from Ann E.
Fullerton, CA
5/20/2012
Came out here a couple years ago with a group of friends. This place was not with the other Ethiopian restaurants on the main street. Its a small restaurant. We drove pass the place a couple times before finding it.
We chose this place after finding great reviews of this "hole in the wall" restaurant (of course on Yelp). It was our first time trying Ethiopian food, and the waitress was very patient and recommended a couple dishes for us. Everything we ordered was a delicious! We ordered Injera, the Awaze Tibbs, and another dish that I cannot remember.. and we still had plenty of leftovers afterwards (there were 6 of us).
Pros: Food is delicious. Service is Awesome. Clean.
Cons: Parking, -
Review from Eunice J.
Make sure your hands are clean because you'll be eating with them! Ethiopian food is so much fun - you tear off a piece of the injera, a spongey, slightly sour bread, and use it to grab the different dishes that come out on one huge platter.
A friend and I ordered the vegetarian combo and the beef tibbs. Our favorites were the gomen (Ethiopian collard greens, basically), the potatoes and carrots, stuffed peppers, lentils, and of course, the beef tibbs. In my opinion, the other ones weren't as flavorful, but still good. The beef tibbs were well-seasoned and cooked to perfection. Between the two of us, we devoured almost everything. After we ate, we ordered some Ethiopian honey wine to sip on.
The service was very friendly and relatively quick, especially considering that I only saw one woman waiting on all the tables. Prices are very reasonable for the amount of food you get. I'd definitely come back! -
Review from Mable Y.
Los Angeles, CA
3/19/2012 1 Check-in Here
First time I've never had Ethiopian food and Awash left an amazing first impression.
For a party of 2, we ordered the Vegetarian combo, number 1, and number 6 (raw).
The vegetarian combo is abslutely delicious although the sourness of the injera does make it hard to finish everything the stews itself were delicious.
The raw beef mixed with olive oil and Ethiopian butter was.. different. For a person that doesn't really eat meat I was curious as to how this dish would taste like. I'm not sure how to describe it, but it was.. different.
The service here is impeccable and for our raw beef the waitress asked if it was good and if not she can bring it back to the kitchen to cook it. We tried it cooked and it tasted a lot better and by a lot I mean a loooot.
Overall the experience was superb, the wait was minimal even on a busy Saturday night, the food was delicious and came out in a timely manner, and the service was great with the friendly waitresses.
I would definitely recommend Awash to anyone looking to try something new and exciting. -
Review from Micah A.
1/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm convinced that Ethiopian food is one of the most underrated meal choices in the country. It's like Indian food, only healthier, cheaper, better, and better. I'm betting Ethiopian is going to pull a taco truck sometime in the next decade - out of nowhere, everyone will start eating there because they think they're doing something ethnic, and suddenly like most things hipster they won't be cool anymore.
It's become a mission of mine to find good Miser Wot in California, and Awash was one of the first stops. We came here for some reason that I've long since forgotten, but I'm guessing it was Yelp App related as most things are.
The first thing I noticed was that the food looked boring. There's a tendency on Yelp to equate "authentic" with "great tasting" which is stupid, and I'm going to continue to complain about it all the time. Authentic doesn't mean good, and it never will. When I saw this food "potentially authentic" was the first thing that came to mind. It looked, visually, kind of boring, and I picture most foods originating out of necessity, thus making the foods boring.
We ordered two veggie combos, and no surprise - the food was kind of boring. It was good, yes, but it was boring. The flavors of most of the dishes weren't very strong or interesting, and even the injera was free of that sour flavor that most people need to get used to before they can enjoy Ethiopian food.
But there was one part of the veggie combo that was absolutely interesting - some type of wasabi flavored lentil dish. I've been to at least 10 Ethiopian restaurants, if not more, always ordered the same thing, and I've never tasted wasabi flavored lentils. That part of the veggie combo wasn't boring at all. I don't know if I want to call it "great" because it didn't have my favorite aftertaste, but hey! It was exciting! Like how you read this text when I add exclamation points!
I'd definitely go back, but I probably will never go back. -
Review from Jay K.
PORTER RANCH, CA
4/21/2012
If you happen to be in LA and you're near Pico & Crescent Heights stop by Awash and order their grilled chicken with rice & salad. You will find me and thank me, the spices and flavor explodes in your mouth, the chicken is spicy and exquisite! Pleas let me know what you think if you eat there and tell them I sent you :)
-
Review from Olivia Z.
Los Angeles, CA
4/11/2012
I came here with a few coworkers. This place is great for groups and sharing food. Their platter for three fed six people. The food was delicious. I love the injera pancake!
-
Review from Ellerton W.
Los Angeles, CA
4/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is definitely a hole in the wall! I was a little disappointed with it; I remember liking Merkato a lot better. Perhaps we ordered the wrong things, per Yelp's suggestions -- the veggie platter and some chicken dish. I had a large plate of beef at Merkato which I much preferred.
-
Review from Brett J.
Los Angeles, CA
4/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
The combo for two was delicious (and probably suitable for four) and featured a large stack of grilled lamb nestled in the center of their tangy injera pancake - the size of a large pizza and a flavor like sourdough bread. Delicious!
-
Review from Clara L.
where do i start...
last night EJ and i were due for a meetup as it had been MONTHS since we'd gorged/caught up. she suggested ethiopian as she used to frequent restaurants up north. i'd never been so i was a bit wary but super curious and wanted to peep it out.
i got to awash early and nearly missed the entire restaurant as it's SO tiny and from the outside it looks like it's closed. the curtains are drawn and the door is shielded by an iron gate. i walked in and literally ALL eyes were on me. for one, everyone inside was ethiopian. two, i'm a 5 foot 9 korean girl dressed in a black jacket, black beater, and black leggings with black booties with jet black hair. they mustve thought i was some femme fatale ninja assasin who stopped by to enjoy some ethiopian food before heading out to die in my final battle against supernatural intergalatic robots.
once seated, i perused the menu and automatically decided on the vegetarian plate and special beef tibbs. i mean, "sizzling" just SOUNDS appetizing. EJ joined me shortly after and no joke, she was dressed head to toe almost identically to me except in lighter colors (she's also taller than average and we have about the same build). they must've thought we were the black and white ninjas from some yakuza clan. once the flying saucer sized vegetable platter and RIDICULOUSLY delicious smelling sizzling beef tibbs were placed on our table, we dug in.
the patrons and wait staff gaped in amazement as we ferociously tore apart the injera and sopped up all that amazingly spiced vegetable dishes (we preferred the darker, red spiced ones over the light hummus looking one and yellow squash thing). the beef tibbs were, as suspected, super juicy and flavorful. peppery, spicy, but not overpowering. we. could. not. stop. eating.
you don't want to see after pictures of the food we demolished.
we sat for a bit longer and sipped on some honey wine. we sat and talked until the waitress flipped the sign from "open" to "closed". we both agreed that it was one of the best (and not to mention one of the cheapest) meals we'd had. normally when we go out, the two of us always rack up a bill $60+/each. i think we paid $19/each.
will def be back to try the chicken. -
Review from Diz M.
Los Angeles, CA
3/27/2012
This place is the best Ethiopian restaurant I have been to! Granted, I only get the Veggie Plate (which can feed about 2 people) and I have tried the whole fried fish (which is 1000x better than Merkkato on Fairfax). I love how you kinda have to be "in the know" to actually find this place. This is my new Ethiopian place HANDS DOWN!
-
Review from Dave O.
Los Angeles, CA
3/31/2012
For the most part this place is a 5 star
First, the positive: cheap, tasty/flavorful/rich, authentic, local. This is BY FAR the best Ethiopian cuisine I've found in LA (I've tried 3).
The negative: some variability throughout the week
They serve tons of delicious meat dishes but my favorite is actually the veggie combo platter. Serves 2 easily.
So the place is authentic. It is close to Little Ethiopia and there a lot of Ethiopians who eat there. I think it's telling when a cuisine's origin ethnicity frequents an establishment. Telling but not definitive. For instance, my polling of friends food tastes shows that a disproportionate amount of Mexicans and other Latinos don't like Chipotle or rate it lower than other other races (disproportionate). The place is great to dine in or to pick up from - I don't believe they deliver but you could probably go through another food delivery company- but if you dine in don't do it before a movie or any time when there is a time constraint. It's kind of nice bc there is no pressure like other places to have a leisurely meal. If you order for pick up they can usually accommodate in 15 minutes. I'm not sure why the discrepancy. -
Review from Eletta B.
Pasadena, CA
3/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
Best Ethiopian restaurant on Pico and all of Fairfax! Come and taste culture!
-
Review from Lacey J.
Los Angeles, CA
3/27/2012
I've had better Ethiopian. People are raving about the vegetarian combo but I found it to be a bit boring. Dishes that I've had hot previously were cold in this serving. The spices were lacking as well.
-
Review from Brittany H.
Boston, MA
1/3/2012 2 Check-ins Here
It had all the qualities I look for in a place.
Somewhat sketchy, questionable outter appearance, full of the population they cater to, in this case ethiopian, and a disco ball. You can picture the after hours parties that could take place in this establishment. Even after all of these awesome "checks" in my head, the food was ok. I'll go again, but I'll also search for even better. Merhaba in Anaheim is better. -
Review from Bela M.
10/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
My fiance and I went here last night and it was delicious! We're lucky we read the Yelp reviews because we definitely would not have found this place without knowing it was across the street from CVS. As everyone said, it's a hole in the wall, but the waitress and staff were extremely friendly. We sat ourselves and were immediately given a menu. They do serve alcohol here, but I guess you have to ask for it because it's not on the menu. Following our trusted Yelp reviewers, we ordered the veggie combo and the spicy chicken tibbs. You know the food was fresh because we waited about 20 minutes before everything came out.
The veggie combo was amazing!! There were about 4-5 different lentils and each one of them had a very unique and savory flavor. The cold white lentils were seasoned too much for us, but everything was perfect. The spinach wasn't as flavorful so we combined it with the other lentils and it added a nice texture to each bite, since the lentils were so smooth. We finished all of the veggie combo (minus the white lentils) and were so close to eating the spice soaked injera, but we were too full.
The chicken tibbs were also really good. We got the spicy version instead of the regular option (who doesn't love a little kick?), but the tibbs were actually spicy at all. They were, however, very tender and the sauce was very flavorful. You could tell that each item that was sent to our table was made fresh and with a lot of TLC. =)
It's a really great place to eat with a group of friends, as long as you don't mind sharing a dish and eating with you hands! -
Review from Tommy U.
Los Angeles, CA
3/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Best Ethiopian food in LA, the folks who work at other Ethiopian restaurants eat here! Says a lot. Get the fish and white lentils. And it's cheap... Nuff said
-
Review from Ginger F.
Pasadena, CA
2/18/2012
I've eaten here a number of times over the years (it's our go-to birthday get together place). The food is delicious.
-
Review from Angela J.
Davis, CA
12/10/2011
GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT!!
This is the best ethiopian food I have had as of yet. Where do I begin? The injera is so delicious and fluffy and I love that they keep bringing you more.
I like to order the vegetarian combo. I am always skeptical of vegetarian entrees at restaurants because I feel like a lot of the time, they can taste like mediocre meat substitutes. This is not the case. The vegetarian platter is so yummy and flavorful. They have this thing that tastes like it has horseradish in it. I don't know what it's called but it is sooooo good. There's also the stuffed peppers, gomen, chickpeas, potato and carrot. It's so hard to pick a favorite because they all all delicious!
Although I always order the vegetarian combo, I also get an order of lamb tibbs. It. Is. So. Good. I don't know how ethiopians season their meat but it is always juicy and full of flavor. The sauce is also great to soak the injera in.
I feel like I had to wait a while before my food came but I totally forgot about the wait once I was eating. The food was AMAZING. It was one of those time that you know you're full but you have to keep eating because the food is just too damn good. The servings are very generous and I always expect to have a full to-go box of leftovers that I will most likely devour that night anyway.
If you love ethiopian food (or you want to try it for the first time) and you are in the LA area you MUST go here. This place should be the standard for ethiopian food. -
Review from Dan M.
Newport Beach, CA
7/14/2011
My second Yelp review and another TFF. (The Full Five- WooHoo!)
First, how did I even end up at this restaurant? After all, I did not get there by bike. My brother (Grant M. from Texas) was in LA for business and I offered to pick him up where he was staying in Hollywood and drive him to the airport. On our way I had my brother get out his iPhone and Yelp a restaurant for lunch.
The first two that popped up were for sushi. Won't work for me. The third restaurant turned out to be Awash. Ethiopian food? What the hey, we both decided, let's give it a try. Great decision, and here's why TFF:
Star 1- Location. A nondescript hole in the wall. My kind of place. Star 2- The menu. Did not puff. In fact, gave absolutely no clue as to the goodness we were about to enjoy. Star 3- Our waitress. When tasked with the job of ordering our dishes for us, she came through like a champ. A champ with a smile. (Isn't it amazing what a big difference this makes?) Star 4- The main attraction. The food. Wowsza. You absolutely must get the vegetarian dish. And the spicy beef dish that was first on the menu? Delicious. But I strongly suspect that everything else is also. Ethiopian food? Who would have guessed? Star 5- Spending time with my brother- priceless.
Will I be back to Awash? Absolutely. In fact, it gives me a reason to actually look forward to the next time that I have to get in a car and drive to Los Angeles. It was this good: Y cubed. Yip-Yep-Yelp. -
Review from Tiffany L.
San Jose, CA
9/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Want a variation on Indian/Middle Eastern food, here ya go! The food is simply delicious and fun to eat with the sour crepe. Something about everyone digging in with their hands and sharing.
Important: Service here is...relative. Absolutely no one is in a hurry to do anything really. Make sure you come here with no immediate plans. -
Review from Woger W.
Los Angeles, CA
1/24/2012
This place is legit. Serious eaters please. Family friendly. $5 corkage. Go now.
-
Review from sara l.
6/22/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I grew up a few blocks from Little Ethiopia (way before it was officially recognized as such by the city council), and I fondly remember eating with my family at the only (then) Ethiopian restaurant in the area, on La Cienega. I'd grab the conical table top, putting it on my head and dancing around. The owners were nice enough once to let me and my brother back into the kitchen to pour the teff mixture into a pan to create our injera.
That restaurant burned down in the 1992 riots. Lucky for us, there are a ton of wonderful restaurants that have opened in the years since, mostly on Faifax. I've been eating regularly at almost all of them since, particulary at Merkato. I've been hearing wonderful things about Awash lately, so my whole family went to try it.
I was blown away by the food. I've had Ethiopian food in LA, D.C, Boston, and Beijing...practically everywhere but Ethiopia (I'll have to work on that), and I think Awash is probably the best. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't perfect. But it was amazing, and there were some things on my plate that I'd never had before.
Their teff was as sour as I'm used to--I assume because it didn't ferment as long as others. It was great and spongy though. There was plenty of food, as there were six of us, so I got to taste a lot. The vegetarian platter was fantastic, and came with the usual suspects of salad, split pea alicha, collard greens, vegetable alicha, lentils, and a wonderful cold dish of white lentils that I've never had before! They were great, and tasted a bit similar to a white bean puree of a hummus.
The meat platter was also delicious. It was HUGE, and had chicken tibbs that were sauteed with vegetables, there was beef awaze, beef alicha, and the most amazing, succulent zilzil tibbs I could ever imagine. They were perfectly cooked, hot, pink in the middle, and fork tender. Mmm, I can't even wait to go back for more.
Over all, I found that Awash seemed to put a lot of love into their food. Everything was heavily spiced in a beautiful way, and the niter kibbeh (it's like their spiced ghee) flavored every dish really well without leaving the food overly oily. Awash is very well worth the $2 more you'll pay for it, and I'll be back many times, I'm sure. All the places on Fairfax are great. Awash is, too. Go! And make absolutely positive to order the zilzil tibbs, and probably a vegetarian platter, too. -
Review from Michael T.
Los Angeles, CA
3/25/2012
This place rocks! It's so rare to find good ethnic food on the Westside but Awash definitely delivers! It's certainly a hole in the wall as the entrance is so tiny and shady looking, if you walked by you'd guess they were out of business. The staff is very nice though kinda shy and not professionally trained or anything. This place gives new meaning to "family" restaurant. There are always friends / family members (all presumably Ethopian) lounging around the bar / kitchen. You're never really quite sure who works there and who doesn't unless they walk over to your table. The way they run things, you literally feel like you are at somebody's house getting cooked a meal. The first few times I ate here, it took forever and a day to get our food - almost a full hour after we ordered. I remember getting pissed off, but the food was sooo good, all was forgiven. Then about two years ago, my buddy whom I introduced the place too, told me that when they go they call their order in ahead of time. Bingo! Suddenly with that knowledge Awash goes from 4-stars to a full fledged 5-stars on Yelp. They don't have a liquor license either, but if you order ahead and BYOB, you will be treating yourself to one of the finest meals on the Westside. And at a fraction of a price of all the pretentiousness just up the street on La Cienaga aka Restaurant Row....
-
Review from Tamisra J.
Bothell, WA
2/13/2012
Our friend introduced us to this restaurant & we fell in love with the cuisine. This was our first try at Ethiopian food & till date this is the best Ethiopian food we have ever eaten. The vegetable platter is to die for. The meat dishes are equally delightful. Since Awash we have tried Ethiopian cuisine at various restaurants in various cities & states but nothing comes close to it. If you like to try different cuisines & ambience is not that important you should definitely give this a try. The food is simply delicious.
-
Review from Lana T.
I don't know what all the hype about Merkato is. My disappointment with it soured me on Ethiopian food in LA for months, until one day I could no longer resist the craving and ended up Yelping for a place that might be better. I'm so glad I did--Awash blows it clear out of the water! I'm so happy I finally have somewhere to go to get my Ethiopian fix! =)
Came with a friend on a Friday evening. The good thing is that meters here are free after 6 pm, and we had no trouble finding a spot right in front of the restaurant around 8. It's true, you can't judge a book by its cover.. the barred doors and windows look shady as hell, but the interior of Awash is cute and cozy. The restaurant was maybe 1/3 full and we were able to sit wherever we liked. We ordered the vegetarian sampler with fried trout and the zilzil tibbs (no judgment, we were hungry!)
I had prepared myself for a long wait after reading the other reviews (as well as a similar experience in Little Ethiopia), but to our very pleasant surprise the food came out in about 20 minutes. I can't say the service here was great, as there is only one waitress working the whole room, but she was very nice. But if you need anything, it's much more efficient to just go up and ask for it as opposed to waiting for her to make her 30 minute rounds and desperately trying to catch her eye as she stares off into the opposite direction.
Yeah. Anyway, on to the food--
If you've never had Ethiopian food, you basically eat with your hands by tearing off pieces of injera (sort of like a spongey wrap, essentially bread) and wrapping meat and/or veggies in them. It's definitely a messier experience, but also unique and really fun!
Injera was good, but I've never had bad injera. It's not as sour here so whether that's good or bad depends on your palate. But the entrees.. as soon as the smell wafted over we were drooling, especially the zilzil tibbs. They were savory, fragrant, tender, with just the right hint of garlic. Best piping hot, but delicious throughout the meal. The trout was perfectly cooked as well, fried and crispy on the outside but incredibly tender underneath. There are no utensils, and it was tender enough to just break off with the injera. Vegetarian sampler was good too, but I would say it's about as good as it usually is at most Ethiopian restaurants--not that this is a bad thing at all! I loved the split peas, lentils, curried potato, and shiro wat. Let me follow that up by saying I don't like any of those things at all outside of Ethiopian cuisine.
It was definitely a lot of food and we ended up bringing some home, but I'm glad we ordered all of it! I didn't order kitfo (raw beef), my favorite, after my traumatic experience at Merkato, but I'm definitely willing to give it a chance here. Awash is actually a little bit more expensive than Merkato, but totally worth it in my opinion. The total ended up being $18 per person, but we got a ton of food!
I'll be back to try the kitfo! -
Review from Qian G.
San Gabriel, CA
7/18/2011
My first experience with Ethiopian food. Found the restaurant based on Yelp review. It is truly a hole in the wall place.
We ordered the vegetable combo, and the Awaze tibbs for two of us. We cannot finish it, we are stuffed. It is good for 3 people. The food has strong flavors. But the spongy bread is too sour for my taste, and it overpowers everything. So, I shamefully told the waitress that it is too sour and I want regular bread. She brought me warm bread, so good. She is very nice and laid back to not be annoyed by my request and comments.
Worthy try if you never experienced Ethiopian food, or if you like Ethiopian food, this would be a good place because I saw a lot of regular customers. -
Review from Abs L.
Los Angeles, CA
4/4/2012
We had veggie combo which is SLAMMIN. Loved it. We also got the whole fried fish, also delicious. I have to give it 4 stars instead of 5 because the service is VERY slow, so be ready for that. Totally worth the wait though. This place is legit.
-
Review from Fia R.
4/19/2011 4 photos
New to Ethiopian food? I am, too--err, I mean, I was ^__^.
Daniel L was gonna show the ropes at 4.5 star-averaged Meals by Genet (it'd be his 1st try there), but unfortunately it was closed on Monday! Thankfully, my hardcore foodie buddy had a backup plan, somewhere he had already tried, Awash, which was practically a minute or 2 away.
Ok, so for those still not used to holes in the walls: do NOT get intimidated w/ the black gated door & the knob-less, run-down wooden door. Inside lies the treasure of SPECTACULAR African cuisine--in BOTH meat & vegan!--& a mini-bar w/ the TV showing one of the NBA playoffs. I actually felt right in b/c, similar to Filipino culture, this genre doesn't give a crap about using bare hands as our utensils for the MAIN courses!
Again, since I'm a noob w/ the food, Daniel taught me about Ethiopian dishes in general, including the subtly sour & amusingly memory foam-looking & spongy Injera, which is the bread/rice of the Ethiopians--hmm, that sourness may be the reason why the typical sourdough is my favorite bread ;).
Using this Injera we dined the following:
-Zilzil Tibbs ($13): FIVE stars o.o-
Oh wow, the sautéed, very sizzling, beefy goodness elicited my 2 favorite adjectives: succulent & (impeccably) garlicky. Seriously, you have to get this for YOUR 1st try--w/ or w/o Injera--even if you are that finicky w/ garlic; it's not that strong & it won't give you the stench!
-Fish & Vegetarian Combo ($16.50): Fried Trout is a 3.5, while the Veggies are a happy 5-
The Trout was crispy & valuably meaty, but it had to remind me of my father's equally delicious Fried Tilapia, a very common Filipino cuisine, & so that's my own issue. HOWEVER, as a more meat-lover than a "vego-phile" I savored the not-spicy-at-all, perfectly chunky, & DISTINCTLY flavored veggie platter: freshly salubrious & vinegar-coated salad greens, invigorating lentils, sensational yellow split peas, fantastic spinach, & curry-like & zesty potatoes & carrots. In short, you'd intuitively know these are legitimately Ethiopian =P.
I'd love to give Awash 4.5 stars, if the fish were impressionable & if our smiley female waitress, although understandably slow for the cooking foods, didn't leave me desiccated w/ my water (-_-), therefore showing some inattention on a not-too-busy Monday dinner. From this & the generous leftovers I discovered I love Ethiopian food, too, thanks to Awash & Daniel!
See, Meals by Genet, that's what happens when you're not open on Monday xP! Oh, & street parking is FREE after 6pm--as long as it's close to Awash. -
Review from Angela L.
Los Angeles, CA
2/3/2012
The best Ethiopian ever! Better than any place we've ever had in NY (recent transplants from the Big Apple) as well all the other highly recommend Ethiopian joints in LA we've tried so far. We've never paid more than $15/pp including tax and tip and have always left absolutely stuffed!
* ALWAYS call ahead and PRE-ORDER! We've gone countless times to see other tables wait endlessly for their food while we have been seated and are eating our dinner even though we arrived well after many of the other guests.
* ALWAYS order the veggie combo. You can be the biggest carnivore but their veggie platter is a can't miss dish. DELECTABLE! For the meat eaters, the Beef Tibbs (long strips of beef) are amazing and their grilled chicken cutlets as simple of a dish as it is, is divine.
Go to Awash only when dinner is your main event of the evening. Bring your best foodie friends (kid friendly too!) and spend your evening in a relaxed and super chill restaurant. The hours will fly by! -
Review from Claire L.
Santa Monica, CA
2/3/2012
I could care less about the terrible decor and slow service - it's all about the food. We had the dinner for two, which was a ton of food, but all of it very mediocre. The beef was quite tough, and the flavors of every dish tasted the same. Basically it was stir-fry beef or chicken with bell peppers, onions, and some of the spiced butter. I'm a huge ethiopian fan and Awash was pretty poor.
-
Review from Cristina C.
Los Angeles, CA
6/10/2011
Love this place. Generous portions of high-quality Ethiopian food. What's not to like?
We always get the same thing, the awaze tibs and a veggie combo, which is more than enough food for two people. They have honey wine, a tv in the back for you sports fans, and friendly service. The food does take a while to come out, but I've never been to an Ethiopian restaurant with speedy service.
I have been to several other Ethiopian and Eritrian restaurants, but only in the Bay Area. Awaze is by far the best that I've had. More flavor, better cuts of meat, and more generous portions. They also separate the different items on the plate more than other restaurants I've been to, which allows me to get a better idea of what I'm eating! -
Review from Jason C.
Santa Monica, CA
5/20/2011
I always thought Ethiopian food was like gazelles and wildebeests cooked over a giant fire in a desert. My friend had a craving for Ethiopian cuisine though, and being the open-minded person that I am, I decided to try it.
We ordered the fish + vegetarian plate and this beef dish (I forgot the name but it had a bunch of Z's in it). The restaurant eschews the use of Western silverware, and instead you're supposed to use this spongy bread (it's like a slightly sour crepe). I guess that's really helpful when your country doesn't have dishwashers.
The vegetables were arranged in a circle on top of some of the spongy bread, in large mounds. Some of them were pretty straightforward and a bit bland (not necessarily a bad thing), but a couple of them had very interesting flavors and a certain spiciness. There was also a raw jalapeno stuffed with diced tomatoes, which tasted like salsa and was actually surprisingly tasty. Overall they worked well, especially when combined with the meat.
The fish (I think I remember it was trout) was fried and scored transversely to facilitate picking it up with the spongy bread. Of everything in the meal, it was probably my favorite. The outside was crispy, the inside was still very tender, and it had a very pleasant flavor.
The beef was cooked well, and was really good when it was hot. There was a good outer char to it, but it was still tender. Of course it was not as good when it cooled down, but combined with the spicy vegetable mash it was still quite tasty.
Overall I really enjoyed eating there, definitely got pretty full and tried some new things (but the flavors weren't too out there). I'm also glad to find out that Ethiopians have a lot of pretty good food. One thing I was disappointed in was that there didn't seem to be any real Ethiopian meats, like lions and zebras. -
Review from Amber S.
Van Nuys, CA
9/5/2011
This restaurant is amazing and I'm so happy it's a hidden gem in Los Angeles! From the outside it doesn't look like anything I'd stop in traffice to look at, but inside the atmosphere is warm and lively, the food is beautiful and delicious and the staff is so sweet and friendly! My friend and I went on a Sunday night and it was bustling! We sat at the bar and were amazed by the food and service.
This is a place you must experience in Los Angeles. -
Review from Kyle B.
Denver, CO
2/18/2011
This is the second best Ethiopian restaurant that I've ever been to and I've been to Ethiopian places all over the country.
When we went, my fiance and I ordered the vegetarian combo ($10.25). It comes with 6 dishes. A traditional Ethiopian salad, a yellow split pea dish, a red lentil dish, shiro wat, stewed potatoes and carrots, and dish made of brown lentils called azifa.
Everything was phenomenal and the azifa fitfit was prepared slightly different than I'm used to. The azifa was made with brown lentils, jalapenos, mustard and they were blended together to match the consistency of the red lentils (which go together perfectly in a bite, P.S.).
Parking was easy to find in the residential neighborhoods on a Friday night and they allow you to bring whatever wine you wish to have for a corkage fee of only $5.
We enjoyed the food so much that on our way out we decided that we would like to take home an order of the shiro ($3.75) and the red lentil dish ($3.75) for either a midnight snack, or likely tomorrow considering we were stuffed. While we waited we had two glasses of their honey wine, which was delicious.
The two of us feasted like kings and queens for only $40!
I must say, although this restaurant is placed outside of Little Ethiopia, it is only around the corner and worth the trip if you're looking for some delicious ethnic cuisine.
Oh, just for what it's worth, the only Ethiopian restaurant that I've been to that I rank above Awash is a small, beautiful little restaurant down in San Diego called Muzita and is owned and managed by some of the nicest, most hospitable people I've ever met. Check it out if you're headed down that way. -
Review from Kevin L.
Bloomfield Hills, MI
4/18/2011
This place is the bomb.
I haven't eaten ethiopian food in a while so I had forgotten how tasty it was.
This place definitely hooks you up with generous portions. I recommend coming with 3 or 4 friends, come with an appetite, and get the combo for 2. Theres a combo for 3 people, but trust me, the 2 person combo is way more than enough for two people. It can feed 3-4.
You will leave full and satisfied, and probably with a little leftovers! -
Review from Lila T.
Oakland, CA
5/3/2011
Very simple.
Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!
