Rahel Ethiopian Vegan Restaurant, 1047 South Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90019, (323) 937-8401

Named Best of LA 2009
Ethnic Vegan Restaurant
by Los Angeles Magazine

New York Times
April 9, 2006
By Gregory Dicum
Frugal Traveler

From Sitcoms to Farm Markets, Charms Abound in Los Angeles

MY wife doesn't like Los Angeles. "The cars," she says, "the smog — it's a wasteland!" In the decade Nina and I have been married, I have never come close to convincing her that the cradle of global popular culture has any redeeming qualities — but it's always fun trying.

More than most cities, serious online legwork is a prerequisite to rooting out L.A.'s charms, but they are multifold: even before we arrived I knew our problem would be time, not money.

Still, I'd been given a budget of $500 for the trip, and the weekend would need to be carefully planned.

...Passing a stretch of Fairfax Avenue known as Little Ethiopia, we spotted Rahel, which claims to be the city's only vegan Ethiopian restaurant. In spite of our incompletely-developed appetites, we sat down to a platter of vegan versions of classic Ethiopian wots, or stews, spread out on teff injera, the sourdough flat bread.

We finished with the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony, and under the influence of the coffee and incense I could see that Nina was warming to Los Angeles. With a glass of telba (a cool flax smoothie) lunch was $20.

We proceeded to Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood. Judging from the flawless luxury cars prowling the street of extravagant boutiques, just setting foot on the sidewalk was going to cost us. But we figured a cafe would be safe — even one with valet parking, which we pointedly declined in favor of a spot on a side street... >> read more

Vegan dining out in Los Angeles is becoming easier and easier with a rash of vegan restaurants opening in recent months. Debuting in January 2005, Rahel Veggie Cuisine is the only all-vegan Ethiopian restaurant in L.A.'s Little Ethiopia, a huddle of Ethiopian restaurants that occupies the one-block area of South Fairfax between Olympic Boulevard and Whitworth Drive.

Rahel Veggie Cuisine in Zagat Survey, pick up a copy of Zagat Los Angeles; if you are already a subscriber... we greatly appreciate your input into getting us listed. Thanks.

vegparadise.com
A Los Angeles Vegetarian Web Magazine

The comfortable surroundings offer the diner an intimate, warm, and relaxing experience. The walls are dressed in two-tone beige and sprinkled with paintings and African artwork. A grass hut style roof divides the restaurant from the small spice shop at the rear of the long, narrow room.

Rahel Veggie Cuisine is truly a welcome addition to the growing list of vegetarian restaurants popping up in Los Angeles. And Rahel knows just how to pamper her customers who will find good value, reasonable prices, and scrumptious creations made from scratch. read full >>

KCET TV
kcet.org
LA's PBS Affiliate

KCET TV's Huell Howser visited Rahel's in early May 2005 for an episode that was broadcasted throughout california.

3rd Street Villager
Ethiopian Pioneer Flourishes on Fairfax
by Eric Gazin

Rahel is a true success story on so many levels. She came to the United States from her native Ethiopia, a student and has emerged as a local celebrity of sorts in Fairfax, just South of San Vicente.

Recently, I sat down with her at her new restaurant "Rahel's Veggies Cuisine" to discuss how her involvement in the local community, her love of food, and her desire to share her native Ethiopian culture with others. (A review of her restaurant coming next month).

Her "pioneer" label can come from a few different facets with her. Operating the world's only vegan Ethiopian restaurant in the world is quite a feat, as is being an entrepreneurial woman besides. Even in Ethiopia, there are no vegan restaurants. She mentioned that she expects to open additional locations for her successful vegan venture in the future, as her vegan delights have already attracted a wide following across from cross sections of Los Angeles. How did all this come to be?
About 20 years ago, she saw this Fairfax area as a location other Ethiopian store owners could thrive and share common cultural ways with their customers.

Rahel had already been in the restaurant business for a while, operating "Messob" not too far away. She saw there was an opening, and in 1985, took the same "Messob" name with her and opened the second Ethiopian business in the block. The story could have ended here, but Rahel saw opportunity here to do much more.

Slowly, the block's energy began to change into a robust, bustling, Ethiopian shopping street, with a number of shops including multiple restaurants, a hair dressers, grocery store, and other merchants from Ethiopia enjoying the success of tourists, locals, and anyone else looking for an authentic, multicultural, shopping and eating experiences.

For the last few years, I had noticed a blue Los Angeles City sign proclaiming this area "Little Ethiopia". I had to ask her about it. Sure enough, Rahel was behind this. "I was interviewed a few years ago by the L.A. Times", she said smiling. "When talking about the area, I referred to it as "Little Ethiopia", and the name stuck after than", she beamed. I jokingly told her she was like the "Mayor of Little Ethiopia".

The blue sign does signal something special on this street - a mini oasis of ethnic delights for people of any background and any taste. Raheb said that after operating Messob for over 15 years, she took a break a few years back, but found she missed the restaurant business so much, that she opened a new restaurant that meshed closely with her own eating style, vegan. "I researched other kinds of food, and being a vegan, I knew that there just was not a lot of alternatives in this area," Rahel mentioned. Next month, I will continue the conversations with Rahel, and take 3rd St. Villager readers on a culinary journey to one of the best and most original restaurants in Los Angeles.

Eric Gazin writes the "eBay Tips & Tricks" column for the 3rd Street Villager, as well as various other beats for the paper. He can be reach at eric@gazinauctions.com read full >>

happycow.net

Traditional Ethiopian cooking, very tasty and 100% vegan; special flax beverage & desserts! Accept Credit Cards. read full >>