Mudai Ethiopian Restaurant

To those who (like me) are nearly translucent white, Ethiopian food can be a bit daunting. The menu descriptions are a bit, er, lacking in detail at times and it's somewhat advanced eating (no forks or chopsticks--it's "pinch a bit of food in a spongy tortilla-like thing off a shared plate"). If you're comfortable with Indian cuisine, the spice and content transition is fairly easy (many of the same techniques and flavors in both). If you're comfortable with anything ending in the word "masala," you'll probably be happy with the flavors here. You need only adjust to the eating style--the spongy sourdough flatbread (called "injera") is made with a grain called teff and has a unique, subtle flavor that most in the US would find pretty foreign. If you'd feel comfortable eating scrambled eggs by tearing off some pancake and using that to pinch up some egg, you've got the basic technique down. As for this restaurant itself, it's one of my favorite places in the Bay Area. It's very affordable (the veggie combo is a stunning value), the quality is superb, and the staff is always super friendly and helpful (though admittedly not always the fastest on things like refills). their competitor Zeni on the Saratoga/Santa Clara border is perhaps a bit more OG with the traditional woven tables and seating, but this whiteboy prefers Mudai by a mile. Recommended: the veggie combo (you pick 4 of 5 items, and they're all great). Pretty much anything lamb. And the ginger tea will kick you in the teeth (which isn't a bad thing if you love ginger as I do). Great for vegetarians and anyone who likes lamb. If you're planning an outing with veg friends from India, I'd highly recommend it--most Indians I know have zero experience with Ethiopian food, so this is a good shared experience. NB: because of the technique used to eat the food, it can get a bit messy (so maybe not on a first date...).

The food was sooooooooo good! I highly recommend this place. The staff was very kind and friendly. We will go back!

We ordered one vegetarian combo and one meat combo for three people. The waiter believed that that's all we need. Indeed, not only we were all very full, we couldn't finish the plate. All items were tasty. We liked them.

Went to Mudai for Thanksgiving because I was on my layover and a friend recommended me to try this place. It was really good and the serving was big! The server i forgot his name was really warm and friendly!

Yummy food, tasty honey wine! It was our third Ethiopian restaurant and experience was good. Shiro, shrimp tibs were yummy. We called a day before on timings and still were told wrong but owner was nice to let us sit in. Google has latest so refer that. Enjoy!

Great restaurant for Ethiopian food. Awesome for take out or to dine in. Friendly staff. Always lots of conversation to be had with staff as well as customers. Food is delicious and fresh! Team will describe and explain menu if not familiar with the food. Order spicy, vegan, mild, or get a sampler. Lots of yummy, soft injera (Ethiopian bread to accommodate the stews).

Absolutely loved the Ethiopian cuisine. Has a striking similarity to South Indian cuisine. We each had a Sambussa ( more like a Samosa but with lentil filling ) and 2 Vegetarian combos for the 3 of us, and it was more than filling. The Ingeras are an healthier option since it’s made of Teff. The sides that were offered with the combo were pretty good. Customer service is excellent. Scan the QR code attached for the menu options. Definitely recommended ✅