Under African Skies

I had Ethiopian food for the first time last night, at Mudai, a restaurant in San Jose. 

The interior of Mudai isn't anything overly fancy; the tables and chairs were pretty rudimentary in looks. There appeared to be some authentic Ethiopian drums and other accoutrements located in the inlet behind out table, but beyond that, the remainder of the place was rather sparse.
We ordered family-style, which is customary for Ethiopian meals. We decided upon chicken, alicha lamb tips, and miser kik—lentils in spicy sauce. 

Ethiopian food is served unlike anything I've ever had before: The server spoons the dishes out onto a giant piece of enjera (Ethiopian bread), so the bread is essentially serving as an edible plate. In addition, diners are each given a smaller plate of bread to be eaten with the entrées.
Enjera is a bit like a spongy and porous pancake, though without the sweetness, and much larger in size.

The food was amazing. I appreciated that all three dishes were spicy, though not so much that it overwhelmed any other flavor. Each of the three dishes were distinctive, and all were well complimented by the bread. We ordered three entrées for four people, which turned out to be the perfect amount. 

San Jose as a city didn't bowl me over—I don't know if I'd recommend a "just for fun" visit, unless it's to Santana Row—but little gems like Mudai make the city worth a visit.