The injera at Yenat Guada - a light, spongy sourdough bread central to the Ethiopian dining experience - served with virtually every meal here. It also doubles as a customary dining utensil. Just tear off a manageable piece and then use it to pluck your food. Silverware is available upon request, but try the traditional route.

The tart, flexible flatbread has an airy texture that doesn’t weigh you down as other bread would. That’s important because if you’re eating the traditional way, injera will accompany every bite of your meal.

Try the vegetable combo platter for two ($28), siga tibs ($16) and fish goulash ($16). The platter is a stacked lineup of classic Ethiopian vegetable dishes and sides: red lentil stew, split peas yellow stew, spice-buttered roasted chickpeas, string beans, carrots, sautéed collard greens, tossed salad in a zesty Ethiopian dressing.

The centerpiece here is Ethiopian fish goulash in a heat-packed tomato base sauce with jalapenos, onion and garlic. Flanking each side of the goulash is siga tibs, two fistfuls of juicy beef tenderloin bites seasoned in a peppery Ethiopian chile blend known as berbere, a cornerstone ingredient of Ethiopian cooking. The contrasts of the many different flavors and textures combined for an epic meal.

Yenat Guada also offers braised and simmered lamb dishes, a popular rib dish (goden tibs), a wide selection of vegetarian options and a solid wine list.