Lalibela,
137 Fortess Road, London, NW5 2HR
30/07/2014
She
said: Every time we go to Brick Lane or Greenwich Market we pounce on the
Ethiopian food stands. We just love the food which always tastes so fresh and
healthy. We’ve tried hard to find a good
Ethiopian restaurant where we can actually sit down and try a wider range of
dishes but the last place I walked past in Kings Cross had a sign of the door
along the lines of: No knives or other weapons may be brought on to the
premise’. So, when I was on my scooter and noticed Lalibela in my peripheral
vision when driving through Kentish Town and it looked like it might be a
winner, I returned with him to give it a go. Good decision. Lalibela looks like
and is an institution. It has been owned by the same family for 20 years. It
looks tired inside but in the way an old aunt’s place might, as opposed to any
obvious hygiene issues. We were taken up some creaky stairs and seated at a
table overlooking the main high street from where I could keep an eye on my
scooter. The menu was huge. We were confused by so much choice so opted for the
vegetarian combination dish ‘Ye Tsom Beyaynetu’, which was sort of equivalent
to an Indian Thali but instead of eating from different bowls, each bowl of
food is poured onto a giant plate over a giant ingera (Ethiopian bread – an
acquired taste). The result was outstanding and I finished the meal full and
ready to come back to try new things. The bill of course was extremely
reasonable. I’ve noticed another Ethiopian around the corner from Lalibela so
might have to try that next but look forward to coming back for future
cravings.
He
said: I haven’t googled it, but I’m guessing Lalibela must be one of the
longest-established Ethiopians in London. When it first opened the décor must
have looked so exotic; nothing much has changed since then, except that the
knick-knacks are now a little shabbier. But this is all part of its charm;
Lalibela has a really winning family-owned restaurant feel to it; it’s a nice
contrast to all the meticulously engineered gastro temples run with the
precision of Kaiser Wilhelm’s Imperial Guard. You just know that aunty was in
the kitchen cooking up the magic, because it seemed like her nephew taking our
orders. Now all this sentimentality wouldn’t amount to much if the food wasn’t
also good; which it is. It’s very good; but I confess that I still prefer the
market stalls we hit every now and again. So, if I’m totally honest, I probably
won’t go back to Lalibela anytime soon, given how many other Ethiopians I want
to try. But it’s definitely worth trying.
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