Eji’s Ethiopian

Eji’s held an event with Simmr where we got to try several of her dishes, the enjira rolls, learned about her business and the spices for only $ 30. It was also very up-​close and personal, as she talked to the group and came around and spoke with each table. Eji is incredibly sweet and just a warm personality to have around.
Her food was filling but tasted really healthy, and amazingly all of it was veggie-​friendly. We all really enjoyed her food and had a great time! The dessert (reminiscent of baklava with the flaky phyllo-​like dough) was also amazing:
cross-​section:
Other dishes we tried:

I tried Eji’s food for the first time at an Opportunity Fund Taste of Microfinance fundraiser. She had Injera Rolls with her Spicy Red Lentil Gravy rolled in and omg it was so delicious – I hate like 10 of them. I’ve never seen Ethiopian food served in rolls like that, and it’s such a great idea. Really easy to eat on the go and the way she makes it, it’s just the right amount of gravy in each bite.
I find that Injera is often hard for Ethiopian restaurants to get right – often times it can be too sour or too bland. Eji’s Injera, however, is just the right amount of sour! Definitely the best Injera I’ve had.
I visited Eji’s 331 Cortland location a few weeks ago and she hooked me up with one of her platters and it was pretty delicious. Kinda sad she let go of her permanent spot to focus on catering, but power to her /​whatever she wants to do – she’s such a sweet lady.

*****And for my 100^th Unilocal review in 2013…*******
There is something so incredibly comforting about Ethiopian food. Its rich, its heavy in flavor (but not in your stomach) and it feels like a giant warm blanket on a cold day. I most certainly did not grow up with it, but I somehow associate it with a homey-​comfy vibe.
That being said, I’ve never had the same favorite dishes at multiple Ethiopian place. They all make them with their own twist, and every red lentil, beef tibs, alicha wot is made completely different.
At Eji’s, my absolute favorite was the mixed greens. The stewed collard greens, swiss chard, kale and carrots almost reminded me of traditional southern food, but lighter. I added a few drops of lime juice on the greens and they were absolutely perfect– I seriously could have had a giant bowl of those alone (and not felt bad, because they are technically healthy). The next one on the list was the cabbage: not too soft or too hard, lots of flavor and easily mixed with the yellow pea sauce (Alicha Wot) or even the spicy red lentils.
My red lentils could have definitely been spicier (I can handle my heat!) but the texture, overall flavor and consistency of the dish was right on. It gave the injera (that I placed at the bottom) the most flavor as it had tons of sauce that the bread would soak up.
The cool thing about the takeout was assembling it myself at home and enjoying my feast, almost (almost) as if I made it myself. My favorite thing to do is to layer the bottom place with injera and put all the dishes on top, like you would be served at any Ethiopian place. BUT after, i grab the injera bread at the bottom (that has absorbed all the juices from the different stews and veggies) and I pan-​fry it with the tiniest bit of olive oil. The injera gets crispy and crunchy but its jam-​packed with the flavor it collected with all the dishes. I eat it as a snack or add hummus to it. Its the best thing on earth.

Worth the trip from Redwood City for spicy lentil rolls! Good food and fun atmosphere at 331 Cortland with other artisan eateries.

I was craving some Ethiopian and turned to Unilocal and was reminded I have Ethiopian food right on my hill. Except it’s Eji’s, blah. Eji is a warm, wonderful person serving dull vegetarian food. I can’t believe people saying it’s spicy and flavorful. On the bright side, there’s other food in the same building. Turn around and get a brisket sandwich or turn left and get a Piroshki. I’ll be extending the radius of my search.

I stopped by to checkout the Cortland marketplace and was very pleasantly surprised to find an Ethiopian restaurant. The jackpot is that Eji carries 100% teff injera (on occasion she can only get 50% teff injera). Although injera in Ethiopia is made exclusively from teff, I’ve never found 100% teff injera served in restaurants in the US. You can tell by the color: teff flour is somewhere between grey and reddish brown. And it’s traditionally fermented over days. In US restaurants you’ll find a white or yellow injera made with fast rising yeast and mostly wheat flour. Since I stopped eating gluten, I stopped going to Ethiopian restaurants: You don’t eat Ethiopian food without injera. Teff, however, is a gluten-​free grain. Teff is also extremely nutritious: it’s very high in iron, calcium, and thiamin. The Ethiopian ex-​pat community has improvised with their injera, especially in restaurants. Up until the last few years teff was only commercially grown in Ethiopia and shipments were sporadic. Teff flour is also about 4 to 5 times more expensive than wheat flour and the process for making traditionally soured injera a multi-​day process versus something that can be put together in an hour. I’ve made it both ways and there’s a huge difference in what you get.
But enough about international agriculture. More about taste. One word: Delicious. The injera was tart and had a wonderful consistency. It left no stickiness on your fingers and was firm enough to tear and use to pick up food. I would always order meat at Ethiopian restaurants because I thought vegetarian options were too bland. Eji, however, only has vegetarian and vegan options and she spices each dish distinctly, exquisitely, and powerfully. Her spices are made from scratch and I feel her food stands out from those of other restaurants. Her dishes appear to have less oil and/​or butter than what I’ve have before in other places. I had the combo sampler — which means I had a taste of everything. I think I had a taste of five (or six) different dishes. And she has a wrap if you want to go smaller and simpler.
So check it out!

Pretty decent, but not sure if we would return. The chef/​owner was very friendly though!

The chef/​owner of this food business seems like a very nice woman who prepares food with a lot of care. However, for what you get (both the portion size, which is comprised of too much injera and very little lentils and vegetables, and the actual ingredients used to make the vegan food), the food is just too overpriced. It might be a good choice if you want to eat Ethiopian food and you happen to be in the neighborhood, but otherwise it’s not worth making a special trip for.

I shared a couple platters with friends, and the food was delicious. Simple, pure and tasty greens, red lentils and yellow peas. Very affordable too, definitely going to go back!

When it comes to Ethiopian food, I am usually pretty happy. It’s all vegetarian here, so no tibs or kitfo; but what is here is good food: yellow daal, red lentils, and greens. Portion size is just right for a meal and a half, which means much smaller than you may have come to expect at Ethiopian restaurants where they bring out huge platters of food and you leave stuffed. The injera is fresh, and best of all the food is made with love! The place is run by the ever-​smiling Eji, chef and owner and it runs smoothly for a one-​woman show. It’s not a restaurant to sit down; it’s a tiny counter in a collective retail space. Come here to get your food to go or eat out front if one of the tiny tables is available! Try the thyme tea for a nice after-​meal refresher!

Wot is what.
Specifically the Alicha Wot stew made with yellow peas and spices. Stuffed into injera bread for an Ethiopian take on a Mexican burrito tradition. Delicious.
Eji herself couldn’t have been more endearing. She gave off a palatable sense of excitement and enthusiasm for the chance to share her creations with the world.
With the extra charge of a dollar for veggies it was almost a $ 10 dish. Not the cheapest lunch but you are paying to support the culinary diversity of the city.
Living in San Francisco that’s wot it’s all about.

Delish!
This is not a sit down restaurant, but a takeaway establishment and extra green points if you bring your own container for your meal.

Out for a walk on a cool, brisk SF day when we came upon a market place that housed a wonderful variety of businesses from The Spice Hound to a knife sharpening business to a few food places. We decided to go for the Ethiopian food at Eji’s and were not disappointed at all. We tried the 2 specials of the day, one being a spicy red lentil dish and the other was similar to a dal. Both come with a small side of cooked greens, injera bread-​2 types, one gluten free and one with wheat. Sat on a bench not far from the market and as we dipped and ate, the food just got better and better. The spicy red lentil were spicy but not like burning, just full of powerful flavors. The lady running the shop is soooo sweet and nice, very amiable and wanting to please. She gave us a little lesson the grain «teff», a teeny, tiny red seed that is packed with nutrients in its super tiny form. Definitely worth checking out!

Maybe I caught her on a bad day but everything was mediocre at best. She is really warm and friendly and I hope she does well but my first taste had me telling my wife to skip it. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Ethiopian food but found the pricepoint and portions out of whack and the food itself to not be very good.

It’s certainly not the best Ethiopian I’ve had but I will keep going back. Why? The portion is just right for a person. I’m not tempted to pig out like I often do in an Ethiopian restaurant with the giant platter and the constant flow of injera. The food was simple, tasty, and healthy. The lady is supremely pleasant. Not so nice that you feel she is overcompensating for what might be lousy food. Just a positive experience. My coworkers and I plan to keep driving from bayview to bernal heights for Eji’s.

I stopped by Eji’s for lunch today and was pleasantly surprised. I ordered a simple meal: misir wot (spicy lentils) rolled into injera (Ethiopian flatbread). The misir wot was spiced to perfection, and the injera was delightfully spongy.
Overall, I was happy with my lunch experience, and plan on going back in the near future.

I live in Bernal, so I’m a little hesitant to give the rest of the city another huge reason to flock to Cortland Street. But I can’t help it — because Eji’s is the best thing that’s happened to Cortland in a long time. If you like Ethiopian food, but don’t have time for a sit-​down meal, your HAVE to try this place. Eji’s menu is very simple — main dishes (all vegetarian and vegan) come either in meal or «roll» form. I’m a diehard fan of the meal option, which comes with a dish and a side, all on a bed of injera and with little rollups of injera to use for pinching and dipping. Everything I’ve had is delicious and clearly made with equal parts skill and love. Her spicing is a work of art. And her greens are addictively good. Plus, Eji’s is located in the cute little 331 Cortland marketplace, where you can also grab a chai, get your knives sharpened, buy delectable pickles, etc. I’ve already been four times — and I can’t wait to go back again.

Eji’s Ethiopian had vegan african fare. not if they are always vegan. maybe just at the fest.
locale: SF street food fest 2012(8/18)
eats: Sambus (3, small)
–2 freshly fried samosas, very crispy, with chickpeas and other veggies within.
hot sauce as a condiment given. didn’t use.
–similiar to indian samosas but has no potatoes as fillers. samosas usually premade, very thick.
–or think egg rolls (chinese). sambus was crispier since it was thinner.
foodnotes:
–big menu, 8, was a misir wot (mildly spicy red lentils in lots of spices with injera bread. just very filling, so skipped. probably a flavor explosion here.
–friendly, fast service.