Mudai

Location: San Jose, CA
Cuisine type: Ethiopian
Atmosphere: authentic setting, thematic decorations
Meal: dinner
Price range: ~$10-$12/entree,
Overall grade: 7.8

Ben

Mudai was our first Ethiopian on the west coast, and lived up to our experiences we’ve had on the east coast. At first glance, the design of the restaurant looks like it is divided into an adult room and a children’s room. The entrance room is a well lit room with a bar and kitchen at the end and about a dozen tables. To the left is a smaller room with a rainbow array of exotic looking (presumably Ethiopian style . . I didn’t ask) chairs and tables made from cloth materials. The menu has a pretty good selection of meats as well as vegetarian food, we went with an all vegetarian selection. The dishes were pretty decent - to be fair we didn’t sample any of the meat entrees – the ingredients seemed fresh and the cooking was done well,  but I had expected dishes to have a little more kick to them. The highlight was a moderately spicy lentil dish, while the potato and the spinach dishes were a little more bland.The ethiopian bread was generously served under the dishes as customary with generous portions on the side for grabbing the food. The flavor and texture were pleasant, though a little more bitter than I had remembered. The beer list included Ethiopian beers among other imports, as well as a small wine list. The drink prices were good, about $3-4, as were the entrée prices at around $10-$15. The atmosphere is very relaxed and pretty quiet, a good place for conversation and there is no rush from the service to move people along. 

Food           7

Drinks         7
Atmosphere 7
Service        8
Value          9


Nina

Mudai came on our radar due to a coupon I had found, albeit with a minimum purchase condition. When we glanced at the menu we quickly realized that we wouldn't be able to meet this minimum, but then again, nothing wrong with a great deal for dinner!

What is most exciting about Ethiopian food is the way it is served - various creamy dips atop enjera (Ethiopian yeast risen flat bread with a very spongy texture and somewhat sour flavor), that are eaten by hand using pieces of bread. We ordered the full selection of their vegetarian entrees (miser kik - split red lentils in red hot pepper sauce, ater kik - split chickpeas in hot sauce, miten shiro - roasted and powdered chickpeas simmered in spiced butter, gomen - chopped collard greens simmered in mild sauce, and alicha atkilt - cabbage, carrot, potatoes and onions in mild sauce), which came neatly arranged around a crispy pile of lettuce. The level of spice varied from completely bland to medium spice, but I was disappointed at the texture profile of the plate. Since the flavors seemed like different heat levels of the same set of spices, having a uniform set of textures on top of that made the eating experience quite dull in the end.


I drank a red Ethiopian wine with my meal, which was fruity and smooth, and the acidity paired really well with the heavier, somewhat spicy entrees. The restaurant was split in two parts - the first room had a classic table and chairs arrangement, while the second room has a more traditional setup - stumpy stools with inlaid metallic lacing around a highly colorful table covered with a lid when not in use, quite a whimsical design. Service was very friendly, even tough we had some difficulty communicating with our waitress since her English was pretty bad. 


This restaurant is a great deal for dinner, very filling for low cost. I wouldn't count it as a very exciting dining experience due to the relative monotony of flavors and textures, but it's a delicious meal ideal for sharing with a group of friends in a relaxed atmosphere.

Food             8

Drinks           8
Atmosphere  7
Service          8
Value            9