African Restaurants in San Jose, CA

“I'm sorry if this sounds indelicate but there is something about Ethiopian food that turns me into an absolute creature. Once the craving hits it is simply too powerful to ignore and I find myself thinking only of those soft simmered stews and those earthy spices. I am absolutely delighted that Mudai is only minutes away from my current residence and so my desire to indulge in hedonistic excess is one that can be easily and frequently sated. I tried Mudai for the first time a couple months ago after I tried Kitfo at a restaurant in Oakland. I learned about kitfo from a random tweet and was intensely curious so of course I tried it at the first chance I got. My first experience wasnt good, wasnt bad but it did leave me craving the dish more because that texture and those spices are unique and unlike anything I'd eaten before. On one of those occasions where I was too lazy to want to leave the house, I ordered kitfo for delivery from Mudai which was a mistake but only because it came to me cooked which- no I get it honest mistake and let's be real there are most certainly people out there who will expect any sort of tartare dish to be cooked and complain when it's not. It's fine. Oversight on my part although admittedly I was a little put out because I wanted that silky succulent texture but it's fine it goes great with the injera and you can mix it with other stuff I suppose. So, learning from my mistakes, I went in for pick up the other day because I was hit powerfully by one of those cravings. Got the kitfo. Also got gomen because you gotta have veggies too. Gomen is the Ethiopian name for that piping hot collard green dish but I like that it's the same word for "sorry" in Japanese because thats how I feel when I descend upon a steaming bowl with my injera and appetite because 1) I am not sharing 2) I will be devouring in a MOST unbecoming matter. The apology will only occur after I have inhaled it all myself. Gomen ‍ This is long enough as it is but to wrap up, finally, the owner was very sweet and very kind and the kitfo (raw this time of course).... just phenomenal. A more savory flavor than the first kitfo I'd had and has an excellent spice to it that's sharp and tasty. It's just such a well balanced, spicy and savory flavor that is not too overpowering but lingers memorably. Everything is just right. I'm in love. Of course I started eating n my car because I have no impulse control. I am so so so thankful Mudai is so close to me and my wallet will simply have to deal. Life is short. Eat kitfo.“

“I like bread. And I like bread even more when they're stuffed with other stuff. Did this place meet my standards? Hmmm somewhat. LOCATION: So the store is part of a shared kitchen located in a commercial park. I saw a drug deal go down right in front of me. And by drug deal, I actually mean a Door Dasher picking up his precious cargo. But who knows...there might be drugs hidden in his Door Dash bag instead of food. ORDERING: It is online only. So order before you get there. Or be like me and wait 10-15 minutes for your food at the spot. At least they have comfortable chairs. 10/10. Would smash again. There are 3 different meat-filled sambusas on the menu and I ordered 1 of each type. Oh yeah, the lady running the store gave me an extra sambusa for me having to wait. Very nice of her. Great service. BEEF (Wannabeef): There's seasoned ground beef and bean in the filling. HOWEVER!...the beans almost completely overpowers the taste of the beef. Overall, I liked this, but I would prefer a stronger beef flavor. CHICKEN (Flustercluck, but I call it clusterfuck): There's roasted chicken, corn, and red peppers in the filling. I like the texture of the chicken, but the filling flavor was kinda bland. SHRIMP (Aquatarian): Cot' damn. For only $4.25, this thing packed full of shrimp. By itself, the shrimp has a slightly sweet, caramelized taste, but is way too salty. The acid from the califa or kandake sauce complements this sambusa by balancing out the saltiness. BREAD: I like bread so much that I dedicated a section just for it. The outside was fried and the inside was soft, slightly chewy, and moist. It was very thin. THE 3 SAUCES: (Btw, they're 50 cents a piece. I postponed laundry day so I could use my quarters to pay for the sauces.) CALIFA SAUCE - Similar to Asian sweet and sour sauce, but more watery and more acidic. Has some heat to it. Califa is Arabic for "religious leader" or maybe "king". (That's right...you also get random knowledge in this food review. You're welcome.) KANDAKE SAUCE - I think Kandake means "queen". And just like most women, this sauce is hard to describe and understand. Just kidding #feminism. This is a watery, orange-colored sauce that vinegary and salty. There's some herbs in here. I want to guess dried parsley/oregano, dried peppers, and sumac. ISIS SAUCE - Just by writing about this sauce, I risk getting wire-tapped by the Feds. But I'm doing it for the Yelpers (...and the ratchets). I got ch'yall. This is similar to Greek Tzatziki sauce. It's a white sauce with tart yogurt as the base. I'm gonna guess that Isis means "princess" just to keep with the theme here. Or maybe it's a reference to Egyptian Goddess Isis.“