Z-Best Ethiopian Food in Orlando, FL

I ventured down to Lake Eola Park on Earth Day. Earth Day in the park was interesting because the March for Science was happening at the same time as the Central Florida Earth Day celebrations. The two events contrasted a bit with one promoting science alongside another that was promoting a whole lot of pseudoscience. Besides the tents telling me the the horrors of chemtrails, the Earth Day celebrations also had some food vendors which aren't normally in the park. I tried Z-Best Ethiopian Food.

I had their three item combo. I picked a lentil-filled sambusa, collards, and chickpeas. The sambusa was good, similar to a samosa in an Indian restaurant but with a flakier crust. The lentil filling had a nice bit of spice to it. Chickpeas were also good, cooked in a flavorful tomato based sauce. The collards were just okay, with not much standout flavor.

Z-Best was my first time eating Ethiopian food in Orlando. I know there are a couple other Ethiopian restaurants in town that I need to try, but so far I only have one data point. I guess that means Z-Best lives up to their name for now in Orlando.

Lalibela in Washington, DC

I was in DC and was given the recommendation to go exploring in the neighborhood surrounding the intersection of U Street and 14th Street. More specifically, I was told that I should eat at one of the Ethiopian restaurants in the neighborhood. Sounded good to me! We got off of the Metro, not really having a specific restaurant in mind and walked a few blocks until we came across an Ethiopian restaurant called Lalibela.

I had never eaten Ethiopian food before so I was excited to give it a try. I wasn't sure what to order, so we decided to split the dinner for two that the table next to us was eating.

I really couldn't name most of the items that were served in this dish. I know there was a spicy chicken with hard boiled eggs in the center. Pork, beef, and lamb were also served. Collards, cabbage, and peas were there. That was going to be the extent of my naming of the individual items served, but then I found a blog post about the same dish at Lalibela from iFlipForFood with wonderful descriptions. I learned all the fun details about what I ate from iFlipForFood! All of these individual foods were served on a giant piece of injera, which was like a spongy bread that absorbed all the sauces. No silverware was used in the restaurant. To eat, you basically ripped off a piece of the injera and used it to pick up the food, then ate it all together. Definitely a fun and different way to eat!

I enjoyed my first experience eating Ethiopian food. I need to try some more Ethiopian restaurants to familiarize myself with the cuisine a bit more!