The best way to describe Zeni’s is Delicious authentic Ethiopian cuisine!

I love the the traditional seating arrangement at Zeni’s. There is also an option for regular table seating but I opted for the traditional one. The ambience gives you the feel of Ethiopian culture.

Tej Wine

We ordered Tej wine. Tej is a mead or honey wine that is brewed and consumed in Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is flavored with the powdered leaves and twigs of gesho (Rhamnus prinoides), a hops-like bittering agent that is a species of buckthorn. Tej is usually homemade, but throughout Ethiopia it is available in bars called tej betoch (literally, “tej houses”).

You can order various dishes on the menu but we preferred to order mix of Veg & Non Veg Combo.

The combo came with Injera

Injera

Injera is an Ethiopian bread that is flat and spongey.  Natural airborne yeast is used to ferment the injera dough like a sourdough starter for a few days.  Injera has a sour a sourdough kind of flavor.  Teff flour is the traditional Ethiopian flour for making injera.  Buckwheat, wheat and corn flour are sometimes blended with the teff flour.  The texture of injera is light and spongy.  Injera is perfect for picking up bites of food on a plate!

The injera was perfectly made !  The very light spongy texture of injera is very appealing.  The large round injera is cut into wide strips and each strip is tightly rolled, so the injera stays warm.  Unrolling the injera and tearing palm size pieces of the bread, then picking up pieces of the stew to eat is truly one of life’s simple pleasures!

A simple salad accompanies the stew and it also is eaten by picking it up with the injera.  After the first few bites of food, it is easy to become an expert at using injera instead of silverware!

Vegetarian Combination

A combination of YE-MISER WOT ,YE-KIK ALITCHA, ATAKELT WOT, YE-GOMEN WOT, YE TIMATIM FITFIT

YEMISIR WOT

Pureed split red lentil are simmered in Zeni’s own spicy, hot berbere sauce

YE-KIK ALITCHA,

Yekik alicha is an Ethiopian stew that features split yellow peas in a garlic ginger sauce. Milder than many other Ethiopian entrees, Yekik alicha is a good alternative to diners who wish to try a more exotic cuisine without worrying about hot spices. Some of the spices included in most versions of yekik alicha include cardamonm, cinnamon, and nutmeg

ATAKELT WOT

A delicious vegetable: Boiled chopped cabbage, sliced carrots, and potato chunks, simmered with onions, garlic, ginger, and vegetable oil

TIMATIM FITFIT

Pieces of Injera tossed in blended fresh tomato, onions, green pepper mixed with Zeni’s own home made dressing

YE-GOMEN WOT

Chopped collard greens simmered in a mild sauce of oil, onion and herbs

Meat Combination

A combination of Alitcha Fitfit, Doro Wot, or Key Wot and Home made cheese

Alitcha Fitfit

Ethiopian Alicha Fit Fit is a spicy lamb stew pre-mix and vegetables are added later in the recipe

The Alicha Fit Fit was perfectly prepared!  The flavor of the lamb stew was rich, savory and exotic.  The lamb was very tender after being slowly stewed.  Like most African stews, the bones are attached to the meat, so the flavor of the stew becomes even richer.

YE DORO WOT

A drumstick or thigh cooked to tenderness in a hot & thick red pepper, onions, garlic, ginger

& purified butter sauce. Served with a hard boiled egg and home made cheese