Arada

Our friend Haile Asfaw's restaurant, Arada, received a glowing review in Friday's News.

Adrian Monk, the hyper-phobic TV sleuth, would freak out if he ever had to work on a case while dining at Arada Ethiopian Cuisine.

For one thing, customers are given no utensils: no forks or knives, and spoons are just for serving. Entrees such as the sloppy joe-like minchetabush ($9.50) - finely chopped beef butter-sautéed with ginger, onion, cardamom and pepper - are eaten by pinching up a taste with a piece of sponge-y, sourdough injera flatbread.

That's right, Mr. Monk, you eat with your hands. More precisely, your right hand only, even if you are left-handed. All I can say is that there's a very good reason for this tradition.

By the way, at Arada you don't get a plate, at least not an individual one for each guest. All the entrees for a table are served on one round platter lined with a large, single round of house-made injera. As much as you might like to, finger licking is considered poor form.

You deduce correctly that all the different foods touch each other, including a choice of sides such as tomato fit-fit, a sort of bread salad; fresh tomato salad; slow-simmered green beans; cooked greens; and velvety mild split yellow pea puree.

Food critic John Lehndorff continues to describe several dishes. I recommend the Kitfo.

After the singularly positive review Lehndorff concludes by rating Arada with a 'B-,' which deosn't jive with the text of the review. Arada is a solid 'A' if I'm doing the rating.