Mudai Ethiopian Restaurant San Jose

To those who (like me) are nearly translucent white, Ethiopian food can be a bit daunting. The menu descriptions are a bit, er, lacking in detail at times and it's somewhat advanced eating (no forks or chopsticks--it's "pinch a bit of food in a spongy tortilla-like thing off a shared plate"). If you're comfortable with Indian cuisine, the spice and content transition is fairly easy (many of the same techniques and flavors in both). If you're comfortable with anything ending in the word "masala," you'll probably be happy with the flavors here. You need only adjust to the eating style--the spongy sourdough flatbread (called "injera") is made with a grain called teff and has a unique, subtle flavor that most in the US would find pretty foreign. If you'd feel comfortable eating scrambled eggs by tearing off some pancake and using that to pinch up some egg, you've got the basic technique down. As for this restaurant itself, it's one of my favorite places in the Bay Area. It's very affordable (the veggie combo is a stunning value), the quality is superb, and the staff is always super friendly and helpful (though admittedly not always the fastest on things like refills). their competitor Zeni on the Saratoga/Santa Clara border is perhaps a bit more OG with the traditional woven tables and seating, but this whiteboy prefers Mudai by a mile. Recommended: the veggie combo (you pick 4 of 5 items, and they're all great). Pretty much anything lamb. And the ginger tea will kick you in the teeth (which isn't a bad thing if you love ginger as I do). Great for vegetarians and anyone who likes lamb. If you're planning an outing with veg friends from India, I'd highly recommend it--most Indians I know have zero experience with Ethiopian food, so this is a good shared experience. NB: because of the technique used to eat the food, it can get a bit messy (so maybe not on a first date...).

The food was sooooooooo good! I highly recommend this place. The staff was very kind and friendly. We will go back!

Love the food and service will continue to go there ty���