The Age
by
Matt Preston
March 29, 2005
"I'm in love with Derek Tibs. The only problem is, so is the woman on the other side of the table. It's getting pretty tense as we sit in the simple dining room of Cafe Lalibela - all rich purples, tables coated with plastic sheeting and strange orange backlit panels jutting from the walls. It was quiet when we arrived but now it is packed with the white intelligentsia of new Footscray. They have to be smart because Cafe Lalibela is not only cheap but numbers among the city's best Ethiopian restaurants.
It's pretty cosy, too, so this is not a good place to make a scene - and to make matters worse, eating Ethiopian style means sharing the food. Eating from the same plate. As if things aren't tense enough already...
This is a rich, hot and meaty beef stew that's spooned steaming from a clay pot on to the blanket of bread. The stew is fiery with berbere, an Ethiopian mix of chilli and black pepper with spices such as cumin, coriander, fenugreek and cloves. Mop up a handful and the heat of the gravy coats the tongue until the tang of the bread cuts through..." more>>
The Age
Cheap Eats 2005
"THIS slice of Ethiopian cafe culture is testament to Footscray's African evolution."
The Age
Cheap Eats 2004
"Cafe Lalibela serves as an unofficial meeting spot for Ethiopian expats, and a jumping off point for local adventurers."
The Age
Cheap Eats 2004
'World Food Dish of the Year,'Out of Africa and into Footscray comes this Ethopian dish of mashed bean,sparked with green chilli,onion,tomato and dollops of soft ricotta.'
The Age
Agenda
4/4/04,Roslyn Grundy
'you'll receive a broad enamel platter covered with injera,the spongy sourdough bread,on to which will be upended things like doro wot (chicken stew)...Then it's time to tear off hunks of bread, wrap it around the food or use to mop up the juices.'
The Age
Epicure
Under $10
John Weldon, 15/10/02
'Yefem tibis $8.' "What is yefem tibis- Ethiopian diced lamb sizzled in a clay pot."
The Age
A2
Food & Wine
2/8/03, John Weldon
'Dining here is a genuine thrill for those who haven't tried Ethopian cuisine as everything from the food to utensils and the tableware is unlike anything you might have sampled before.'
Herald Sun
Sunday Magazine, 2003
Sally Fisher
'food is exotic and eating utensils are non-existent...excellent and cheap eating experience.'
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