If I had to name my very favorite restaurant anywhere, it would be Rahel Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine in Los Angeles. Rahel was the first restaurant where I ever tried Ethiopian fare. And it set the bar very high.
They introduced me to slow cooked stews called wots and spongy, sour bread made from protein-rich teff flour called injera.
It was there that I discovered the joys of using that crepe-style bread as a utensil, scooping up each bite of stew from a large shared platter, using a torn bit of bread to encase it.
The platters of wots are reminiscent of a Jackson Pollock painting with loud splashes of colors. The bright trays give a glimpse into the array of flavors that lay across the trays with chickpeas, collard greens, lentils and split peas, dashes of turmeric, and sautéed ginger and garlic.
Each stew has complex layered flavors and nuance with none of the oiliness that can easily dominate when infused oil (niter kibbeh) provides so much of the flavor.
Over the years, I've made many wonderful memories at Rahel. When I lived in Los Angeles, it was a regular stop for birthdays, anniversaries, or Valentine's Day.
Even though Ethiopian cuisine wasn’t something that I ate growing up, it’s now very much comfort food to me. A plate of soft injera and warm, enveloping stews feels like going home.
Plus, there’s something very intimate about eating from the same platter with a significant other or group of close friends.
So obviously I couldn't go to the West Coast and not eat at Rahel. I invited some friends to join me, picked up a couple of bottles of wine from Trader Joe's, and made sure to leave plenty of room in my stomach for the deliciousness that awaited.
To drink, they offer juice, tea, and coffee. They don't serve liquor. However, you can bring in your own bottle(s) of wine or beer. And they will bring you an opener and glasses. They don't have a corkage fee.
On the walls there are large, dramatic black and white photographs, giving the restaurant a clean, open feel.
There's a mixture of standard tables on one side of the room. And on the other, traditional Ethiopian tables are available with basket-like messob and short, low-backed chairs.
Because of the size of our group, we ate at one of the standard restaurant tables. However, if our group had been a little smaller, it would have been fun to eat in the one semi-private hut that is available.
Before the meal, a server comes to the table with a pitcher and basin to rinse guests' hands since dinner will be eaten from shared platters and without utensils.
(Although, plates and forks are available upon request if you're feeling squeamish about a shared dinner, or if you're nursing a cold that you don't want to give anyone.)
We usually order one of the combination dishes to get a mixture of flavors. The Hudade Special Combo is my favorite since it doesn't include an appetizer.
(Their lentil-stuffed sambussa appetizers are very good. But I always walk away from Rahel stuffed to the maximum. Instead of getting full right away, I want to keep as much appetite as I can for devouring their wots with injera.)
Gluten-free injera is available upon request.
We ordered two large platters for our group. And everyone walked away satisfied with even a bit remaining for leftovers.
The Hudade Special Combo comes with:
- Shiro wot & Yeshimbra assa – two different chickpea stews
- Yemisir kik wot – a spicy lentil stew
- Yeatkilt stew – a mild dish made with potatoes and carrots that is wonderfully earthy
- Yeater Alica – a homey, mushy yellow split pea stew with onions and garlic
- Yefasolia wot – a mixed vegetable dish with soft string beans and carrots
- Yebagela siljo – broad beans paste
- A green salad
- Sunflower mixed with injera
- And my favorite of the bunch – greens that have been slow cooked until tender and seasoned with garlic
All of the wots are packed with spices but not spicy hot. However, they do have trays of hot sauces if, like me, you prefer things on the mouth tingling side.
David and I also picked up a couple of Rahel injera wraps when we were at a (now closed) all vegan grocery store for the plane ride home. It was such a delightful treat eating a Rahel wrap while flying over Nevada.
We both chose the wrap with yellow split peas. (The one with greens is my favorite. But they didn't have any of that type at the grocery store.)
The wraps are made with gluten-free injera and were filling without being overly heavy. When you're flying, it's nice to have something that feels healthy and substantive.
On the label, the ingredients for the filling are listed as yellow peas, olive oil, sea salt, turmeric, onion and ginger. For the injera wrap, the ingredients are teff, buckwheat, and water. It is amazing what they are able to do in terms of flavor with a few simple ingredients.
If you should ever find yourself in the Little Ethiopia neighborhood of Los Angeles, I can’t recommend a trip to Rahel highly enough.
For more Ethiopian restaurant recommendations, check out these posts on Fasika in the Twin Cities, Taste of Ethiopia in the Quad Cities, Bunna Cafe in Brooklyn, and Nile in Orlando.
Jenny Bradley
I must try this place! I haven’t been to Little Ethiopia since moving to Los Angeles, and Ethiopian is one of my very favorites! Injera is so great; I love that sour flavor (I’m a Bay Area girl through and through).
Cadry
Oh, yes, you definitely need to go and take lots of pictures, so that I can enjoy it vicariously! I’ve now eaten at Ethiopian restaurants all over the country, and Rahel continues to reign supreme. I’ll be interested in hearing your thoughts!
Randi (laughfrodisiac)
Ethiopian food is my faaavorite! I haven’t yet been to L.A. but I need to go to this restaurant whenever I get over there!
Cadry
Absolutely! You’ll have to make it happen at some point!
David Busch
Mmmmm, I wish we could eat Valentine’s dinner at Rahel tonight!!
Cadry
Sure, that would be nice… But a kale salad at home is lovely too, right? 😉
Susmitha - Veganosaurus
Gosh! Just reading through this post was pure torture for me. I LOVE Ethiopian food but we don’t get any here in India. 🙁 It’s so awesome that Rahel is a completely vegan restaurant. Makes me want to hop on a plane to LA right this minute!
Cadry
Ha! You and me both! As I was writing this post, it was snowing outside. I thought I must be some kind of glutton for punishment to write about my favorite restaurant in a place where it’s 80 degrees while I’m in a state without even a single Ethiopian restaurant and where it’s in the single digits!
Kylie @ FotV
I cannot believe I have never been there! I have wanted to go since I moved to LA almost 3 years ago, but I can’t convince the husband. It’s time to leave him at home and grab some friends and go! That platter looks so amazing I almost want to order one all for myself!
Cadry
Oh, yes! You should definitely grab some friends and go, or if you happen to be in the area at lunch-time, they also have a buffet. Your husband might be surprised, though. I’ve taken loads of people to Rahel, including folks visiting from Iowa who were used to standard Midwestern cooking, and everyone has loved it.
Amanda
That restaurant sounds amazing. I’ve been wanting to try Ethiopian food forever and I really just need to make it happen. I love meals that involve lots of different tastes and textures.
Cadry
You should definitely make it happen! I would bet that in a city like Boston you’ll have some great options. You’ll just need to make sure that any vegetarian dishes are made with oil and not butter for their niter kibbeh. Lots of restaurants use oil, though, and so you shouldn’t have a problem finding one that does. I’ll be interested to hear what you think!
cookeasyvegan
Every time you write about Rahel, I get a little bit jealous. I’ve been able to find vegan food (at least I think it’s vegan) at Ethiopian restaurants, but the idea of dining at an Ethiopian restaurant that’s actually all-vegan is so exciting. I love Ethiopian food, and had a great time testing for Kittee’s cookbook, but it would be so nice to occasionally be able to just go to a restaurant instead of prepping at home.
Cadry
I know what you mean! I’ve eaten at non-vegan Ethiopian restaurants in several other cities. While the food was usually pretty good, I really enjoy NOT seeing lambs on the menu when I’m ordering. It’s a wonderful experience to just go and share a meal with friends with only the smell of plant foods cooking in the air! I’ve heard from other vegans who rave about other restaurants in Little Ethiopia, but I can’t imagine being in an area with an all-vegan Ethiopian restaurant (especially one as good as Rahel) and not going there.
I can’t wait for Kittee’s cookbook to come out! It’s been so cold here this winter, and so I’ve been making loads of recipes from her zine, Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian. The warm stews really hit the spot in this chilly weather. Plus, I like it that the food is so inexpensive to make with simple ingredients like lentils, greens, carrots, potatoes, etc.
Lisa Coyne
Cadry, I’m visiting LA in a couple weeks and can’t wait to check this out! Thanks.
Cadry
Oh, excellent! I’m excited for you! I hope you really enjoy it. You’ll have to write me back and let me know about your experience. Have a great time in LA!
acookinthemaking
Wow, your favorite restaurant of all–that is high praise! I don’t even know what mine would be (probably something in NYC?). However, I have not tried Rahel 🙂
I LOVE Ethiopian food and I always look for a combo so I can try some of everything. That Hudade Special Combo would be like a dream come true!
Cadry
It’s been over ten years since I’ve gone to NYC, and I wasn’t vegan then. I know there are all kinds of amazing vegan restaurants there. I look forward to going sometime and doing some comparison eating! 🙂
Becky
Ooh this place looks amazing! I also love Ethiopian food, but Dave’s not a fan, so it’s extra special when I get to have some.
Cadry
Oh, how sad that Dave isn’t into Ethiopian! I hope you have friends who will go with you. Unless it’s a buffet or you’re having it at home, it’s a tricky thing to eat by yourself! 🙂
Becky
Luckily, I have a couple of friends who like it. Ethiopian and Indian are the two cuisines that I have to have a ladies night to enjoy, since Dave can’t have them. His poor belly can’t handle even the mild dishes!
Caitlin
i have never been to an ethiopian restaurant before. i’m always scared that i will be difficult to accommodate and will inevitably end up eating something i shouldn’t. this post gives me hope. i really want to try it.
Cadry
If you don’t make it to an Ethiopian restaurant before then, you should definitely buy Kittee‘s new Ethiopian cookbook when it comes out. It will be all vegan & gluten-free. This winter I have been cooking a ton from her zine, Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian, and everything is fantastic. If you can find gluten-free injera in your area to have with it, it will be even easier. But she does have a gluten-free injera recipe in the book.