+1 on Buna.
Awash for sure. I like it much better than Buna or Rahel, personally. Just make sure you call ahead to confirm they’re open.
EDIT: D’oh. Too late lol.
My group’s interest in dinner last night fizzed. Will keep these in mind.
Thanks
y’know, i’m curious.
i haven’t had any ethiopian here in los angeles (hard ‘g’ a la mitchum),
but had it quite often way back in the day in D.C.
generally, how does the local stuff compare to the joints in d.c., if anyone
out there has tried both.
just looking for a general impression, a la, “the mexican in l.a. is superior to that
in borculo, michigan.”
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I would say generally there’s no comparison to DC. However, certain specific places like Meals by Genet (more refined) and Awash (more rustic) do food that’s comparable imo.
I’m a Michigan boy and I had never heard of Borculo - although I’ve been to Holland which is in the same neck of the woods. How did you come up with that? I’m impressed.
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the trick is told when the trick is sold, mon freres.
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The vegetarian combo platter is awesome at Awash, especially if you like horseradish. But the dish that gave me a “Ratatouille moment,” so to speak, was the Awaze Chicken Tibs (not to be confused with regular Chicken Tibs). Chunks of thigh meat in a spicy berber sauce with a simple salad of crisp romaine on the side. I’ve gone back several times just for that. Again, however, call ahead, especially if you’re going a lunch time.
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Awash Ethiopian Cuisine
Finally made it to Awash. It’s been bookmarked for a while, but whenever I feel like Ethiopian I find myself trying various restaurants in the heart of Little Ethiopia instead, LOL. 
At first we thought it was closed: The storefront keeps their metal grating up, and their front door has an outer metal door as well, and with all the curtains drawn, I thought they were closed. But luckily I tried to open the outer door and it was unlocked.
We walked in, and the waitress behind the bar was chatting it up with 2 customers seated there. She gestured with a wave of the hand to any of the open tables around the restaurant and then continued to talk to them (not in English).
We sat ourselves and waited. The waitress seemed to be having some kind of great conversation because she kept talking and laughing and talking to the 2 customers for a good 15 minutes(!). She never came around to give us the menu or take our drinks during that time.
I finally got up and walked up to the bar counter to get a menu. Then after we decided what to order, she still didn’t come around. I walked up to the bar again to place our order. We figured maybe she’s just a lazy waitress, oh well.
Then to make matters worse, 4 different Ethiopian groups arrived after we did. For each one of them, she promptly stopped chatting and dropped off menus and took their orders. Uhm…
We had placed our order a good 10+ minutes before the first new Ethiopian couple arrived. After they arrived, she greeted them in one of the Ethiopian languages (not in English) and took their order.
Strangely, they got their food within 10 - 15 minutes, while we were still waiting for our food (so it’d been almost 25 minutes or so). I casually got up and passed by their table and noticed what turned out to be eventually the same Vegetarian Combo that we ordered.
We ended up getting our food about 40 minutes after we ordered it.
What looked like the owner(?) showed up from the entrance behind the kitchen (you can see through the kitchen from the dining room), whispered something to the cook and patted him on the back, and then sat down at the bar. Within minutes the cook was cooking up something and plating it and giving it to the fellow at the bar (while we sat around and waited).
The other 2 Ethiopian groups ended up getting drink orders delivered promptly (we didn’t get our drinks) within minutes as well. I don’t casually use the “R” word, but we were seriously wondering if there was some racism going on here? We were nice and smiled at the waitress when we entered, and we got the worst service I’ve seen in a long time.
Vegetarian Combo:
With 7 different vegetarian items, this was plentiful and generally tasty.
Stewed Spinach:
Their Stewed Spinach was only lightly spiced, and had a mild flavor profile. It tasted fine.
Salad:
Their only raw vegetable item was a lettuce salad that was surprisingly spicy. I bit into a Jalapeno, which explains the heat. It was rather tart, but fine as well.
Spiced Lentils:
Their Spiced Lentils were the saltiest item in the Vegetable Combo. It wasn’t overbearing, but it was a bit heavy handed. Otherwise it was a nice bit of heat, salt and fragrance.
Stewed Carrots & Potatoes:
This was a pleasing delicate stew of Carrots and Potatoes. It was comforting and rather tasty.
White Lentil Stew:
What the waitress called White Lentil Stew turned out to be pretty tasty. There was some Horseradish burn (in a good way), helping to clear your sinuses a bit. 
This was tied for my favorite item on the Veggie Combo.
Yellow Split Peas:
Their Yellow Split Peas are similar to other dishes around Little Ethiopia. These were the most balanced, spice-wise and flavor-wise for my tastes. Delicious.
“Another Split Pea Stew”:
The waitress didn’t have an English name for this other than saying this was “Another Split Pea Stew,” a different way of cooking the Peas. It was much more soupy, barely a gravy in density. But it was still pretty delicious, a bit heavier and spicier than the Yellow Split Peas.
Awaze Chicken TIbbs (Chicken cooked in spice and Awaze, Special Red Pepper Sauce):
Huge thanks to @Bigmouth for the recommendation. This was absolutely delicious! Despite the inferno red color, it was thankfully only lightly spicy (heat-wise), but the Red Pepper Sauce was unmistakably, mouth-wateringly tasty! We couldn’t stop eating this.
Their Injera Bread seemed fine, pillowy, soft, with some heft. It was slightly tart and fine.
I hope our experience was a fluke accident, with the horrendous service, but if it’s the same way the next time we visit, we won’t be going back. Otherwise, it’s a great alternative to Rahel’s, but I think I like Rahel’s more (obviously the Awaze Chicken Tibbs is something you can’t find there, though and worth coming back for).
Awash Ethiopian Cuisine
5990 W Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90035
Tel: (323) 939-3233
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fwiw:
i shuttle between awash and rahel’s.
love them both
have never had the service problem you describe.
maybe it’s because i always sit at the bar??
Thanks @westsidegal. It was thanks to your recommendation and @Bigmouth’s and a few others that I decided to try Awash. The food was tasty for sure.
Yah if we sat ourselves at the bar, right in front of the waitress, I think she’d have no recourse but to take our order promptly (she seemed to stay there most of the time), or we’d be able to get her attention quickly. I hope it was just a fluke, or just isolated to 1 bad waitress.
i go there all the time and have NEVER been treated badly.
that said, from my years going to ibex, i learned that there is a cultural element in what can be described as “good service,” and i learned, be it right or wrong, never to get my pants in a knot when going to any mom 'n pop ethnic restaurant.
rahel’s lunch buffet, being self service, will always be your bet lunch bet for fast service.
I’m so glad you enjoyed Awash and the awaze chicken tibs, @Chowseeker1999!
I’m so sorry about your service experience, though. I’ve definitely encountered slow/flaky service at Awash – sort of par for the course at Ethiopian places – but I’ve never felt discriminated against. What you describe sounds really lame. I’d be angry, too.
BTW, have you tried the veggie combo at Meals by Genet? I personally like it better than Awash or Rahel.
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Hi @Bigmouth,
I can’t stop thinking about the Awaze Chicken Tibbs, so huge thanks to you. 
I haven’t made it to Meals by Genet yet. Are they open for lunch these days?
I will def try their Veggie Combo (noted). Can’t wait. Thanks
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Meals by Genet isn’t open for lunch, but they will usually do takeaway if you call and ask nicely. Be prepared to wait ~30+ minutes, though.
Merkato Ethiopian
Went for a large group birthday party last Saturday. After considering Awash and inquiring at the newer Lalibela, Merkato seemed most able to handle a large party. It’s a very colorful and festive place. They serve beer, honey wine and charge a corkage fee for B.Y.O.
Yemisir Sambusa - These lentil stuffed pastries w/the rich & spicy red sauce are delicious. The perfect starter or a meal itself.
I’m still looking forward to trying the Chicken Tibs at Awash which seem richer and more savory. But these were tasty, with tender chicken and a zesty tomato sauce.
I wanted the regular Ribeye Tibs, but for some reason the waitress pushed for the Awaze Tibs & Yetibbs Fir-Fir. One is cubes of “selected beef” with onions, tomatoes, peppers and spiced butter. The other is sautéed strips of beef with onions, tomatoes, green chillies and garlic tossed with injera. The one with strips was only slightly less chewy than the other. Definite fails IMO.
The star! Whole Fried Fish. No coating of any kind, just a little salt w/lemon wedges and injera on the side. It’s crispy & savory on the outside, delicate & moist on the inside. 
The Veggie Combo had Spicy Tomato Salad, Collards, Cabbage, Yellow Split Peas, Powdered Peas and my favorite Spicy Lentil Stew. Very satisfying.
The Honey Wine was strangely addicting. It tasted like day old white wine w/honey, but in a good way 
.
They also have a store packed with a plethora of goods and curiosities - With a sweet little coffee bar, seated with regulars drinking coffee, beer and shooting the breeze.
This really is a cool spot. We got a little rowdy. But the staff just took it all in stride.
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Hi @Chowseeker1999 -
That’s funny. It’s common in Ethiopian restaurants. They definitely don’t feel the need to fawn all over customers. I find it amusing, as long as it doesn’t cross the line to rudeness. But the thought has crossed my mind before - and your experience is putting weight to it - that Awash may be into “regulars” only. They are off the beaten path.
I work with 2 Ethiopian guys. For years they told me to skip Fairfax and go to this authentic place on Pico. Funny, neither could remember the name. They just know where it is and go. They kept trying to explain the location to me, but I could never find it. Finally I spotted it while driving down Pico. I thought, “This looks so nondescript and uninviting.”
Maybe I’m reading too much into it. @Bigmouth and @westsidegal did not have the same experience… Hmmm.
Definitely still going to go. These pictures of the food look too good. But glad for the tip about the service. So I won’t take it personally 
.
Awash is so great. Been going for a while.
Favorite moment was a visit some two weeks ago, when one of the outlets short circuited… the electric line went out for the whole place basically, including kitchen. Place was full so they kept cooking and within a couple of minutes the whole place was filling up with smoke (no ventilation), delicious delicious ethiopian spice flavored smoke… people sitting around kind of giggling, we not caring… . but a table next to us with a couple of younger non-Ethiopians were quite concerned and quietly whiny … when waitress came back with drinks they asked if they can have their food to go… she asked why? they pointed at the outlet and she said calm your tits children, we just called THE MAN… THE man comes from who knows what, he was there within 5 minutes, with tools, and fixes the plug all by himself… those two guys never really relaxed hahahahah
this is from yesterday and is way bigger than it looks
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