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Wed-Sun. 5:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Now the Italian food on the menu just irked me to no end. My new husband dislikes Ethiopian food so while I appreciated the gesture for his sake, the purest in me was offended. I was further offended by the price tag on the meals. Not that they were expensive in the grand, dining out scheme. However, by Ethiopian restaurant prices, zowwie.
But then I had my meal ... If you read my other notes, I ALWAYS order Doro Wat on my first visit to a place, I may order other dishes but always the Doro Wat. Now the portion was tiny tiny tiny. It didn't matter. The Doro Wat was out of this world! Did they marinade it for a week? Did they import Ethiopian warriors to specially torture the chicken to give up its best flavor? Was the dish blessed in front of the Arc of the Covenant? I don't know, but that is how delightful the dish was. This was not your mom's home made kind of dish, this was a well considered remake of a traditional dish. Don't get me wrong, this was a traditional dish, it was simply taken from being an ordinary house dish to ... wow. I have had a number of meals there now and every one of them has been outstanding. I am told that the Italian meals are probably like a 3, but my husband is not writing this review either. The ambiance is modern and romantic. I rather wish they had traditional tables, but that would probably ruin the romantic atmosphere so I am going to let all my purist tenancies slide. So minus a whole star for all my purist tendencies being offended but the meals were out of this world!
If you are going to have one Ethiopian meal and only one, come here. If you are going with people who are squeamish about non-western food, absolutely come here. If you want a moment of culinary bliss, here.
Amazing. Amazing. Amazing.
This review is going to be severely incompetent because I cannot possibly recount all the goodies I consumed at MBG. But goodies, they were. And our server was delightful.
The big platter of meat and vegetable mixtures is like a big palette of colors that you want to paint your stomach with. And your brush is a big piece of spongy bread. Which tastes like sourdough. Which reminds me of clam chowder. And I love clam chowder.
more MBG, stat!
This was the source of a Yelp UYE.
Genet provided a sampling of all her appetizers. The food was well prepared, impeccably served by extremely knowledgeable servers.
They described the dishes in detail, including the ingredients.
Food was good quality Ethiopian dishes with somewhat of an American twist. It was awesome.
I have been frequenting this little piece of heaven for about 6 years and it never gets old.
The owner, Genet, greets us every time. She is in the kitchen nearly everyday ensuring that quality food is leaving the kitchen, and many of the entrees she prepares herself!
We order the same thing every time. Vegetarian platter with yummy goodies such as collard greens, two different kinds of pureed lentils, and a yummy sauteed potato carrot dish.
We also get Dorowat on the side which is similar to Mole in the Mexican food world. It has chicken and a hardboiled egg and is perfectly spicy...yum.
If your lookin for utensils, forget it. Ethiopian fare is eaten with a spongy, sourdough type flatbread called Angera. There is plenty of it at the table and the food is eaten community style with one plate for the group.
One thing...spicyness factor. Be prepared. This food is VERY spicy and not for the faint of heart or, in this case, pallet. I always order water with my food cos I know it is the only thing that will help me get through the meal and we always follow up Genets with frozen yogurt or gelato to help the cooling process...
Overall, very yummy, authentic, great service, and the whole thing under 30 bucks, including tip! Not bad at all.
Amazing food, affordable, great with a group, and a lot of fun. 5 stars for food and service. If you like spicy food, and want to try something different, this place is wonderful. I would recommend doubling up on the potato and carrot in the veggie sampler. mmm...
I go to this place at least once a month. It's spectacular. We almost always get the same thing (veggie combo w/ chicken tibs and tofu tibs, sometimes steak) though the dorowat is great too, as is the lamb. This place has the best ethiopian in little ethiopia. Don't bother with the other places. Genet knows her stuff!
There's a lot of review written already about this place so I won't waste your time and i'll keep it short.
ITS FUCKING AWESOME!!!
why 4 stars? wtf do you care?
3.5
I met up with someone who shares my initials across the street for a drink before dinner and then walked to Genet where we found a mass of people hungry and waiting for a great meal. Genet delivered that! Albeit slowly.
I watched people stuff their faces with injera (unleavened bread you use to scoop food in lieu of utensils) and scrumptious meats and lentils at the next table. I'm getting hungry!
But good things come to those who wait, right? Or if you suddenly become "vegetarian" and snatch mouthfuls from a friend's plate.
I've been to almost all the Ethiopian restaurants along Fairfax in Little Ethiopia so it was interesting to compare this joint to the others. Meals by Genet is a white linen sort of place with a level of service unheard of at other Ethiopian restaurants I've been to.
We did a bottomless meal which included meats, veggies and fish. I found the veg dishes to be great and inventive. The sunflower seed dish was unusual. And I liked that they had tofu even though that's not "authentic." This is fusion at its best.
Of the meats; the fish was very dry and not well-cooked. The head should have been crispy. Don't you want to chew on crunchy eyeballs? Or maybe not.
The lamb was on the bone and I'm not sure what part of the animal came from. It was tasty though a bit stringy.
The beef tartare was warm and gingery which I liked but I am not a type to consume tons and tons of raw meat so I only had a couple of bites.
The chicken was white breast meat and very good. The beef was good as well. But the ultimate benchmark of Ethiopian cooking has to be the chicken and egg stew which I thought had great flavor. It looked a lot darker than I am used to, perhaps it's more spicing?
We were served injera by the piece, much like again, an upscale restaurant rather than a communal basket.
The restroom is an unisex stall down the hallway.
Vegtarian combo is $14 and meat dishes are $2-$4 more.
They have a small parking lot in the back but I usually find parking in the neighborhood readily enough.
I would definitely come back for the veggie combo though I still miss my beloved Nyala and their warm injera across the way.
This was my 1st venture into the wondeful world of Ethiopian food and it was great!!!
Since we were a large group we were able to get AYCE for $30 a person. We were able to try all the different things they offer and they were all delicious!
The three servers were extremely friendly and really knew their Ethiopian food! They told us what each food was and how it would be best to eat it as well as which two would go together for an even greater taste!
This place is obviously nice for large groups as we had a great time here but it also seems perfect for coming here with your gf/bf and enjoying some delicious Ethiopian food!!
*** An exceptional culinary experience ***
I really cannot add much more to what
Shemuell has already written before me.
Excellent job, man. We both met over 20
other yelpers here for an event to explore
Ethiopian cuisine. Meals by Genet came
highly recommended. Now I know why.
It's proprietor, Genet; she is awesome.
She personally took my calls beforehand
to arrange this private soirée: fluctuating
number of people, individual tastes from
meats to veggies, pricing and timing, etc.
Then she prepared and cooked platters to
accommodate our party w/o any hiccups. ;)
Food was delish, ambiance soothing ... nice.
*** A superb chef and businesswoman ***
Yum! Loved this food. Every bite was so interesting and tasty.
I wish I could tell you exactly what we ate but I can't remember all the Ethiopian names. The only word I remember is injera, which it the flat bread you use to pick up the food instead of utensils. It's made from teff, barley and wheat and tasts kind of like rye.
I suggest ordering the vegetarian combo and add one or more meats. The veg platter has at least a dozen different offerings from pale brown paste to dark brown paste with some recognizable vegetables too ranging mild to spicy - all delicious.
The grilled beef tibs and beef tartar are exceptional. Chicken tibs real good too. Lamb had great flavor but strange texture. Chicken stew (dorowot) was a little over-powering for me but a taste was nice. Fried Trout was dry.
Parking for any of the Ethiopian restaurants on Fairfax can be a challenge since you can't park in the neighborhood but remember Genet has parking in the rear, and yellow loading zones are fair game after 6pm.
A close friend took me out to Meals by Genet for my birthday dinner last week. She found the place on Yelp and we had to try it out. First off, I'd like to say the service was awesome. The servers were all very competent and proper. They definitely helped make the candle lit experience a memorable one. We had never tried Ethiopian food before, and didn't know what to expect. Fortunately, the waiter was patient enough to describe some of the items on the menu. Now on to the food!
The food arrived on a deceivingly big plate with a sourdough type bread that served as the eating utensil. Interesting enough, most of the food is vegetarian but it was not bland. I felt like every bite took me on a flavor trip as the combination of spices and sourness from the bread was unlike anything I've had before.
I would definitely recommend this restaurant to my friends in the future and would go back for a second helping any day.
I was introduced to Meals by Genet by a co-worker who told me that if I loved Ethiopian and was a fan of Nyala, that I had to try Meals by Genet, as it would likely blow my mind. There were definitely things I liked, things that I found weird, and things that were not as impressive as advertised. As an avid yelper, I did my homework before coming here. The reviewers were right on many levels - the veggie combo is the way to go. Doro wot is excellent. Atmosphere is nice. Staff is really friendly and MUCH more attentive/helpful that at other Ethiopian restaurants I have frequented in the neighborhood. (And yes, as many other yelpers mention, the staff is quite.. well.. Flamboyant. They took a liking to my boyfriend.)
Now, all that being said, the menu is LIMITED. I was actually really disappointed to see only a handful of Ethiopian options mixed with (wait for it) veggie lasagna, pasta, etc. REALLY?! The menu at , say, Nyala is FAR more varied, and I actually think I like the sauces on their meats much better. (My beef tibs were really dry and kind of bland) Another interesting observation was that nearly every patron of the restaurant was of the hipster variety (shudder) and...well... NOT Ethiopian... which concerns me a bit when I'm looking for an authentic meal. Not a deal, breaker - but still.
In summation, I had a nice experience at Meals by Genet and would go back, but it also won't become one of my frequent haunts for Ethiopian.
This is my first foray into Ethiopian food, so I can't compare it to anything else. Our server recommended the dorowot and vegetarian combo. Both were very good and more than enough food for two people. The dorowot was excellent, it was very similar to a mole. The veggie combo was excellence in every bite. I really enjoyed the collard greens and cabbage.
The service was a little over the top, but better that they are over attentive.
I need to try more of the restaurants at Little Ethiopia to get a better gauge of the food and the menu. But this restaurant certainly inspires future trips.
Service was great and the food was really good. We had the veggie platter as recommended by other Yelpers and it was a great choice. I don't have a lot of experience eating Ethiopian food but I didn't feel intimidated eating here because the wait staff. They explained everything thoroughly. We also had the Harar beer which paired well with the food and tastes a lot like Red Stripe.
Next time I'll be a little more adventurous and try the other traditional Ethiopian dishes.
I've been to this restaurant several time and LOVED it. However, last Friday's meal gave me the worst food poisoning I've ever had. Sadly, don't think I could bear to go here again.
I have to say, this place was great. The Dorowot platter was fantastic and I really enjoyed the wide variety or spicy, mild and odd-textured sauces.
The service was great. I hadn't been there before, so they briefed our group on how/what to order. They made great suggestions and checked on us frequently (maybe too frequently?) I would have like to enjoy the dinner a bit more with my group but the waiter was pretty adamant about chiming in whenever possible.
To drink, I ordered the Tej wine, which is so smooth and sweet. Not syrupy like other Honey wines. It paired well with the fare.
Probably wasn't a good idea to write this review while hungry, at work!
I must caveat this review with the disclaimer that Meals by Genet is my first trial into Ethiopian in LA. I was loving it though, and I fully intend on checking out the other great spots along the Little Ethiopia row.
The restaurant decor was totally not expected, kind of early nineties Beverly Hills...but aside from that everything was amazingly authentic and wonderful. We did the Veggie platter, Dorowot, and Beef tibs. The blend of the chicken, mole-like cinnamony rich sauce, and egg was so insanely good. The lentils, kale, and several of the veggies were very worth mentioning. The beef tibs were cooked to perfection and even more amazing when adding to the dorowot sauce. The Harar stout was a bit too sweet for my taste, so I think I might go the wine route next time.
Overall food was great. Service was stellar. Genet came out several times to ensure we were enjoying our dishes, which is always a huge plus. Solid first jump into LA Ethiopian.
**Few side notes - Not sure about an Ethiopian restaurant catering to those that don't like Ethiopian food...ie - the "European" offerings, cheesecake for dessert, and not-so-authentic bagged tea...but I digress as the rest of the experience was amazing.
Also definitely do the open parking in the back. All the meters on Fairfax are 1 hour and its a pain to duck out and refill them.
i've had ethiopian food only once before, but i remembered it being interesting, flavorful, and different (the good different). i arrived a little late and immediately was set up with a glass of water and a pinot noir. looking around, this place is far swankier than the other place i've tried in the area, but it was nice to have some ambiance for dinner. chatted up the yelpers at my table while we watched the other table get all their food before us. it was all being cooked fresh to order so the wait was more than understandable for the number of us, but we were hungry!
finally steph, dan and i, the weird fish/veg group got our platter and damn was it worth the wait!! i don't know the names of everything except the injera which was the spongy bread that we used to scoop everything up. i couldn't get enough of the tofu and the salad, especially combined as our adorable server recommended. spicy, crunchy, heaven. as i ate through all the various dishes, i noticed the temperature in my mouth was rising. it wasn't too spicy for me, but it was more heat than i regularly eat. steph was struggling a bit! but i enjoyed that even though it was spicy, the heat didn't mask the flavor. my favorite had to be the split peas and the potato tomato thing, and of course the tofu. i ate not even two injeras worth and i was stuffed and happy. i did venture out and try the crispy fried fish, skin and all, and it was...ok. others mentioned it was dry and not done as well as it should have been. whatever, i was happy to stick to my veggie options!!
great food, great conversation with great people. the staff was friendly and accommodating and genet cooked us a lovely meal. will definitely come back the next time i have a friend who wants to check out ethiopian cuisine. or the next time i feel like forsaking utensils.
This place serves gourmet Ethiopian food. Of which is reflective in the higher prices and the minimalistic decor. Another thing that sets Genet apart from other places in Little Ethiopia row, is the attentiveness of the staff. I don't think I've ever been to an Ethiopian place where I DIDN'T have to flag the waiters for service.
I went with 2 other people and shared the veggie combo ($14), mamoshye's special kitfo ($14), and the dorowat ($18). The veggie combo was filled with inventive dishes that I've never seen in other Ethiopian restaurants. Each one was unique and delicious. There was even one made with sunflower seeds! Yum! The kitfo is basically an Ethiopian style steak tartare. It was incredibly rich and melted in my mouth. Extremely fresh and slightly sweet. In case you're squeamish about eating raw meat, they can prepare it medium rare. But, in my opinion, eating it raw is the only way to go. The sauce in the dorowat was smokey and complimented the chicken and boiled egg well. A small Ethiopian salad (chopped tomatoes and lettuce tossed in dressing) was included in the vegetarian platter and was serious crack. I don't know what they put in the dressing, but it was addictive. The light garlicky lemon dressing was ridiculously flavorful and I couldn't stop myself from eating it. If I hadn't been so full, I would have gotten a separate order.
If you're a fan of sweet wines, you HAVE to try their tej (honey wine). They bottle it themselves and is a glass of pure bliss. Definitely worth the $6/glass, $25/bottle price tag.
For those seeking delicious Ethiopian food and great service, look no further. You've found it. Just be aware that you'll probably be spending $20-$30 a person but rest assured, it's worth every penny.
I visited Meals by Genet after trying and reviewing another Ethiopian restaurant across the street - only to have a few Yelp friends let me know that Meals by Genet was better. I've had it in my bookmarks for some time now, and finally got a chance to visit last night with some friends before a show at the Hollywood Bowl.
We ordered the Dorowot and Veggie platters, which came with an assortment of 12 small vegetable dishes to try along with the spicy chicken (in a mole-like sauce that supposedly takes three days to make). Everything was very good and I specifically liked the variety of things that we were served. Most Ethiopian restaurants that I've been to will serve a only few things to combine with the main protein, having 12 veggies and condiments to choose from made every bite different.
Genet herself came by and checked on us at the end of the meal, a very nice, soft-spoken woman. She also took our reservation on the phone and was equally nice.
My only real gripe, and it really isn't a deal breaker, was a somewhat overly flamboyant waiter that needed to over elaborate and be sure that everyone knew he was there. Kind of a distraction while we were trying to have a conversation. Again, not a reason to stay away and not a bad guy, just wish he could tone it down a notch.
Add this place to your list. You'll be glad you did.
Delicious!
This was a pleasant surprise.
First we were greeted by two servers that had the biggest smiles on Earth. Personally for me, that's two stars by itself. Then, we sat down and one of them told us how Ethiopian food works and how we should order a protein (meat) and the veggie combonation. So, we decided on tofu and the vegetarian plate. It seems like they should reconstruct the menu to where you get a protein and veggie combo instead of having these items a la cart because you can't exactly have one with out the other and they serve them on the same plate. Perhaps a taste of Ethiopia? Olive Garden but better? oh well. oh yea, at least have one other person there with you otherwise you will have a lot of doggy bags.
We went there on a Thursday evening around 7 and we did not wait for our food for very long which was nice unlike other reviews that I had read on here. Maybe it wasn't so busy that night.
When we got our food, one of the servers gladly explained how Ethiopian food was eaten and even suggested cute ways of serving it to our significant other. When we dug in, it was absolutely delicious. I liked the eating with my hands aspect, it was kind of something new for me. The bread was awesome, it was like sourdough bread but in pancake form and the food was so flavorful. The tofu was delicious as well as most of the vegetarian sides.
I left there full but not yucky full.
I will be back again.
Yum.
Having a great meal with a group of 9 girls...we were able to try a good amount of food. I have never tried Ethiopian food and was pleasantly surprised. The atmosphere of the restaurant was intimate and nice. I think we got a little too loud for the little restaurant...but it was awesome. The waiter, Sean, was great. Friendly service for sure.
We tried the Honey wine it was great....very sweet though. For the meal we had gotten the veggie plate along with:
Dorowot: The chicken had like a mole like sauce
Kitfo: The steak tartar was done well
Alitcha: The lamb was cooked really well.
Love the place Genet was awesome! :)
Sublime.
This is worth a try !!! The inside would surprise you how nice it is. VEGGIE PLATTER is awesome as well as the Dorowot plater.
TRY IT !!!
Well, well. Ethiopian food. I wasn't sure what to expect. I had no concept of what sort of food would be served. It's fair to say that most of the food seems geared toward the Vegetarian/Vegan sorts. But you can order meat as well. They keep the meat separate from the veggie stuff.
I ordered the Dorowot platter. One thing that they strongly suggest is that you get the veggie platter with any meal you order. Which is fine because if you order meat, you just get meat. It probably is the one reason why I don't give this place a 5 star rating... Petty? Sure, but that's how I feel about it.
All in all the meat (which is a chicken that is braised and cooked for three days) was amazing. The flat bread they serve is not unlike a pancake in texture and sponginess, but it also tastes a bit bitter, like soughdough. It's what you use to eat your meal and, I'd say, that it really brings out the flavor of your food since nothing served tastes at all like the flat bread.
We had the Ethiopian beer and I thought it was just okay.
The atmosphere is also very intimate and top notch in my opinion.
Come here on a date with a person that has an open mind and pallet.
Better than nearby Rahel's, Messob, and Nyala. Better than Fassica in Culver City and the now-defunct (and sadly missed) Langano in Van Nuys. Meals by Genet beats every Ethiopian place I've ever tried. The service is great, the space is clean and cozy, and long after you leave, you will be nourished and sustained by this life-giving food. A sublime gustatory experience.
3 stars for the food and food alone. The overall experience was a 2, saved only by the company I had.
Let it be known that I hate, and I mean HATE, when people give places poor reviews based on the wait of a location (if you read reviews saying you're going to wait for an hour, don't go there and then complain that you waited an hour), what music the restaurant is playing, etc. Unfortunately I'm giving this place a poor review based on the LIES the wait staff tried to feed my friend and me with (I work at a restaurant, I know exactly what you do!)
The wait for our food was roughly 1 hour and 20 minutes. That's right. We sat there for an hour and 20 minutes with nothing but water. Long story short they forgot to put our order in and filled three order from table after us even though they knew they missed ours. If you know you forgot to put an order in you RUSH IT! You don't put it back at the end of the line and you sure as hell don't try to hide the fact that you forgot by blaming another group of diners because then you get called out by me.
After all that wait, the food unfortunately had to be excellent for me to think that it was worth it. Regardless of how I felt about the wait staff and the incredibly ridiculous manner in which they handled the situation, I wanted to give Ethiopian food an unbiased try based on the food and the food alone. Honestly, lack luster. We got the vegetarian combination and the beef tibs. The vegetarian combination has about 12 different items that you mix with the meat when you pick it up using their bread, but it was difficult to distinguish flavors. There were only 2 items that had very distinctive tastes. The rest were just there. You could've mashed everything together and it would've given you the same flavor, which was EXTREMELY disaappointing, especially after waiting for so long. Even with the standard wait of 30-40 minutes, there's no way that I would feel it was really worth it to pay
Even after what they put us through, they didn't comp anything or offer us a dessert for free. Yes they offered beverages, but if we didn't take them because we said we don't drink alcohol, why wouldn't you make up for it in some other way?
Great intro to Ethiopian food
charming and helpful wait staff, intimate-casual ambiance, soothing blend of eclectic music, reservation recommended, veggy and meat friendly menu, street parking.
Wonderful!
This place has it all service, flavor, and heart!
Every review has been spot on regarding the service. I went here with my girlfriend and our server was fantastically gay. He explained how to eat the food with so much enthusiasm it left both my girlfriend and I smiling. The explanation alone left us giddy.
I enjoyed a Harar Stout beer due to my servers recommendation. It was very unique, not quite like any stout I've had. I'm not a beer aficionado but this one was quite good. It matched the flavors in the veggie dish perfectly and left me feeling very satisfied.
The food was different, if you're unaccustomed to ethiopian food as I was I'd recommend following the servers recommendations.
I came back here with a date not long ago and have to upgrade to five stars. The servers are fantastic and friendly (we had three of them help us throughout the night; one of whom helped my date pick out a glass of red wine to go w/ the meal), the place is dark and candlelit and the food kicks ass. If you go to the back to use the restroom, you can peek into the kitchen and see Genet making magic.
They'll explain this to you when you get there, but the de facto arrangement is to get the veggie combo and another entree (the beef tibs are amazing). Everything on our veggie combo plate was basically eaten (with the exception of the horseradish-tasting thing, which apparently was the odd-man-out). I can't imagine not getting the veggie combo; it's like the scenery for the play. And you do indeed end up chewing the scenery. There was a Chinese family next to us, and at the end of their meal, I heard the woman ask in Mandarin, "what are those guys to the right of us eating?" I immediately thought, "You didn't get the veggie combo?? Listen to your server next time!"
At the end of your meal, you will be full. Oh yes. You will be full.
Great food, friendly, attentive service. Nice, clean and dark. The only thing I'm not crazy about… Read more »
Dorowot = Yummy
Yebere Siga = Yummier
Veggie Combo = Yummiest
Meals by Genet = Yumminess
Wow. Excellent place to experience your first Ethiopian food. Quaint, clean and intimate setting with great ambient music in the background. The servers are RIDICULOUSLY giddy... The price makes sense and worth every dollar - usually $14/plate.
Meal for two:
Ethiopian Beer (Forgot what it's called)
Vegetable & Dorowot Platter
Definitely would recommend both. The beer had a taste of honey but not overbearing. All the sides of the platter were excellent. My favorite was the Ethiopian Salad and the potato thing.
We took the leftovers and made great scrambled egg with scraps... so delicioooouuuss!!!
I came on a Friday night with 1 friend. We waited 2 hours for our food. It was good, but I probably wouldn't go there again because the wait is way too long. I was told that they were not used to having so many people and that there was only 1 cook making everything.
This is one of the less casual places in Little Ethiopia, which made me a hesitant at first, since I enjoy sitting on saddles and having the restaurant adorned with bright umbrellas as I pinch my food.
Meals by Genet, has white table cloths and napkins, which makes eating with your hands, feel a bit out of place. Though I managed to adjust quickly and loved every minute. The food was to die for. The service was attentive and a pleasant surprise was a table-side visit by the owner and chef herself.
I tried ethiopian food for the first time about 6 months ago at some restaurant that I can't even remember the name of. That restaurant's food was flavorless and not very appealing. I thought to myself, why does my gf find this cuisine appealing? And, man, I'm gonna have to eat this even though I don't like it. Well, Meals by Genet changed my stance on Ethiopian food!
We met up with some friends on a Friday night and although the restaurant wasn't horribly packed, Fairfax was. So beware when making reservations that you should take into account the traffic on fairfax and the time it will take you to find parking. The restaurant itself was very clean and dimly lit with candles. The service was excellent. Our waiter in particular was very animated and you could just tell he loved his job as well as interaction with the customers.
We ordered the chicken tibs, tofu tibs, hirutyes yebegsiga alitcha (lamb) with a double order of the vegetarian combination. Everything was delicious.
- The vegetarian combination had so many different items on it that the plate was very colorful and beautiful. I would have taken a picture of it but the room was a bit to dark for that. Their was a salad, 2 garbanzo bean dishes that tasted similar to hummus, lentil beans, a tomato relish of sorts similar to salsa and collared greens. All were tasty but were a bit spicy.
- The tofu tibs tasted similar to the Vietnamese fried tofu with tomatoes except not as saucy and a bit spicier.
- As for the lamb, it was very soft and tender and had the consistency of a hearty stew.
I would recommend all the dishes above. The only dish we ordered that I wouldn't necessarily recommend is the chicken tibs and that is not because it wasn't delicious but because it basically tasted like any other chicken breast plate and why would you eat that when there are so many other wonderful ethnic tasting dishes to choose from.
For drinks, the girls had a Pinot Grigio and a Chardonnay. Basic wines with not much to comment about. However, us two guys elected to try the Ethiopian beer. I elected to try the Hakim Stout brewed manufactured by the Harar Brewery. I thought it was very good......similar to a sweet Porter but not as heavy. My hispanic buddy said it smelled like sangria.... I'll have to take his word for it since I was congested.
Because of this restaurant, I have definitely changed my opinion on Ethiopian food. Since I have only tried two Ethiopian restaurants, I can't say that I'm in love with Ethiopian food but what I can say is that I do love Meals by Genet!
My third Ethiopian cuisine experience. Many years ago I had lunch at Nyala & another Ethiopian restaurant on the same street... both of which were lentil-dominated vegan buffet meals that were good but didn't leave me craving for more.
Meals by Genet is something else. Last night my friend and I shared the Veggie combo & Beef entree and I cannot tell you how amazing our dinner was. Everything on that plate was delicious. A variety of flavors and textures soaked up perfectly with the light and spongey Injera bread - which I didn't use to like but now I love. (Where's a good place to buy Injera bread?) And it's fun to eat with your hands!
Something to be mindful of: there is only ONE CHEF at Meals By Genet. We were here on a Friday evening with no reservation; the place was full and we waited ONE HOUR for our meal to arrive. Next time I will come on a week-night...
P.S. After your meal, check out the two phenomenal 'cake decoration stores' across the street. You'll see what I mean. So bad they're good.
This would be my third time experiencing Ethiopian Food. My first time was at Nyla and second time was at Merkato. Both restaurants were across the street. I had made reservations for 5.30 and they opened their doors promptly. The decor of the restaurant was quite different from the other two I have been to. By walking in the place you would not know that it was an Ethiopian restaurant with the nice white linen and glass tabletops. The last two I went into you can smell the strong spices and it was decorated with a lot of Ethiopian artifacts.
As for the Food. Between 4 adults we shared the vegetarian platter which consisted with about 10 different types of side dishes. I actually really enjoyed this tossed salad that was included in the platter. The ingredients tasted really bright and refreshing. As simple as the ingredients may be, it all worked really well. It appeared to resemble that of a Greek salad. The bigger stand outs were the marinated/pickled cabbage, dark greens, horseradish puree, and the pickled cauliflower and carrots. All not bad except that I felt the portions were quite small, we got about 2 tablespoons of each item. In addition we ordered the Beef Tib Bits? It was a beef stir fry dish with onions and fresh chopped chilies. This was a crowd pleaser but again for $15-18 we were given about 1/2 cups worth of beef. I remember at Merkato this same dish came separately in a sizzling platter that about 3 times what we got here. We also got the Chicken Dorowot which came highly recommended. I loved all the intense flavors on this dish. You can tell this dish took a lot of time preparing and the flavors were very complex. The waiter had explained to us that this dish takes about 3 days to make. The dish as $18 and they only gave us 2 drum sticks and two eggs. Love, Love this dish and it gets an extra plus because I Love eggs. I did feel it was on the skimpy side definitely.
The injera (their famous spongy bread) was a tad bit on the dry side. I like it extra moist and spongy. My bf noticed the difference also compared the other places we have been to. I read somewhere that the do not make their injera but order it from Rosalind's across the street.
Drink list, rather short. I was disappointed when I found out they did not carry Tusk beer that Merkato had. It was a smooth honey beer that I couldn't stop drinking.
People had mentioned that the food takes a long time. We didn't experience that because I guess there were only 2 other tables there that nice. The server was really polite and attentive. Our glasses of water were always full and they came to check on us all the time. Service at Merkato is awful. You have to flag them down every time you want something. What was also nice is that the owner/cook came out to ask how our meal was.
Our bill came out to $75 before tip for 4 pp. 2 meat dishes, 1 veg platter, and 3 beers. We were all decently full but did feel that we could have had more protein. The only advice I have for this restaurant is increase their portions. The restaurants across the street have comparable food for a better value, only that you would just have to deal with the bad service..
Great quality and great service. Very quiet, low-lit ambiance in a stark but classy setting. The Chicken Tibbs ($14) was flavorful and featured a lot of white meat. The veggie combo ($14) was extensive, if I remember correctly there were about 10 dishes that came with it; all the basics (lentils, collard greens, salad) plus things like a potent spicy mustard, an almost-hummus made out of sesame seeds, and some really good carrots and potatoes. The injera was fresh, spongy, and in good supply.
We had a beer from Ethiopia called Hakim that said Stout on it but didn't really taste or look like one, but it wasn't bad.
The service was excellent and attentive, and they explain everything very well as it's served. If you've never had Ethiopian before this could be a good place to start, a more gradual learning curve. At the same time it feels a little less authentic than a "true" experience in Lil Ethipoia. Sometimes a language barrier and bad service can add some charm. It's slightly more expensive than some places but reasonable and guaranteed you will leave feeling full.
My wife and I are frequent visitors to Genet's restaurant, and if you didn't know, Genet cooks ALL of the meals. If she's not there, they aren't open. So, make sure to go and poke your head in the kitchen on your way in or out and say "hello". She's a fantastic chef, and an even better hostess.
Simply put, there is not a better restaurant in Little Ethiopia (just south of Olympic on Fairfax). I have eaten at all of the restaurants on the row for the past 10+ years, and while I thought I had found *the* joint...but, my wife set me straight on our second date when she suggested we go to Genet's.
Basically, we don't eat Ethiopian food in LA if it isn't from Genet.
Here're the dishes we frequently order:
* Vegetarian combination - good for at least two people sharing.
* Stewed lamb which is absolutely wonderful and filled with flavor.
* Trout - if you're in the mood for fish, she makes the best one on the block. Just make sure that you call ahead and order before you get there, unless you have some time, because it takes about 20 minutes to cook properly.
* Chicken Tibs - these are really good, but beware, they can be a little spicy.
* Any of the pasta dishes - if you have less adventurous friends with you, you can tell them that Genet serves non-Ethiopian food as well. She makes a mean authentic pasta sauce for sure.
Maybe we'll cross paths with you sometime soon...
Neighborhood: West Los Angeles
Category: Ethiopian
Los Angeles, CA
Category: Grocery
Los Angeles, CA
Category: Ethiopian
Los Angeles, CA
Category: Ethiopian
Neighborhood: West Los Angeles
Category: Ethiopian
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