San Jose boasts a half-dozen Ethiopian restaurants, and humble Mudai is one of my favorites. Mudai Ethiopian Restaurant doesn’t feel so much like a restaurant as it does an Ethiopian cultural center or an extended living room. Of course, what makes Mudai most inviting is the food. Peering into the kitchen, I saw a couple of women with elaborate hair wraps stirring pots and chopping vegetables, in no particular hurry. The spicy, rich smell of niter kebbeh (spice-infused clarified butter) hung in the air like perfume.
503 W. San Carlos St., San Jose, CA
+1 408.292.2282