Meltzerz Restaurant Reviews

Monday, March 31, 2008

ETHIOPIAN

Nyala
1076 South Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90019

Cost (for 4) before tip $67.43

Oh my, has it been a year since our last review? That speaks volumes about our family's finances in the last 12 months. But last night we celebrated new jobs with a new (to us) gastronomical experience. And we gave it the thumbs up.

All food (except dessert) at Nyala is eaten with the fingers, scooped up in a crepe-like, spongy, sourdough bread called injera. We chose the meat sampler, the vegetarian sampler, Shrimp Tibs, and Doro Tibs. It was all served on one platter and we dug in.

Dr. Drool:
Great decor, bright and colorful paintings, large window with good sunlight. Good music, and a large inviting room. The meat dishes were wonderful, very good tastes and quite different from each other. The cold spongy bread was a bit off putting. Desserts were a disappointment, Italian ice cream and Greek pastry? Nothing African?? 7.5 out of 10.

BonzaMum:
I thought the injera had an odd texture and I didn't really like having to have a mouthful of bread with every taste of lentils and veggies. I would have appreciated another method of transporting the food to my mouth. A spoon, maybe? I don't mean to sound horribly western -- hey, I use chopsticks -- I just didn't really want 50% of my meal to be spongy bread. But that aside, the vegetarian dishes were very tasty. 7 out of 10.

PegLeg Scooty:
Welcoming interior and a nice, helpful waitress. The meat dishes were very good, but they were not spicy enough for me. I asked for more spice, which was great, and they let me take some home. The bathroom was nice except for the fact that there was a window that anyone walking in the alley could see into. The dessert (baklava) was amazing but I have never had this dish before so it could be just as good anywhere else. 8 out of 10.

LavaGirl:
They should serve decaf coffee, because I'm not allowed to drink caffeine and I wanted to enjoy the coffee ceremony. I thought the music was nice, and the place smelled good. Stevie Wonder likes it there (his signed photo was on the wall). The waitress was not focused because she was talking with her friends at the bar. But the food was delicious, and so was the tea. I liked the spices in both. And the BAKLAVA was great. 9.5 out of 10.