Azla

I’m definitely a fan and will love to revisit if I’m ever in the area. :)

I walked around the food court wondering where the Mercado La Paloma restaurant is… There is none! its the food court’s name itself. Unilocal or the owners of the location need to take the location name out of the «restaurant» category! How misleading and confusing for newer business clientele that’s not used to the weird naming!
But I am so happy I stumbled onto this place. Last couple times I was here I ate at the Chichen Itza spot, and then the Thai location. They were both reviewed by me. You can find my review in a search.
This time the nice server/​hostess/​girl offered me to try some of the items.
I tried the split pea/“Kik”, the red lentils/“Misir”, then the Spicy Tofu, then the carrot stew/“Fasolia”, the the potato stew/“Yatakilt”, Then the kale/“Gomen”…I didn’t even bother going on, I already knew I wanted 4 of the items I tried!
Got the Yatakilt, Misir, Kik and Spicy Tofu.
Btw, There were mild versions of the Spicy ones I ordered, and boy were they spicy! But not spicy like burning mouth spicy, just solid deep flavor spicy, which is what I love!!!
I should have gotten a salad to cool things down.
I really loved all the items I tried. Only thing I didn’t like much was the side of bread. It was to spongy and bouncy. I know its hard to do gluten free bread, but there should be an alternate. I will order the rice next time… And surely some salad.
The service is minimal as its conter you order at, but they were very nice and accommodating to my unfamiliarity. I tried a juice as well, the Tumric Lemonade… it was good, but too sweet to drink a full cup with a meal. If they reduce the sugar in it and make it more tangy, perhaps will go down more refreshing.
If you’re unfamiliar with Ethiopian food, I can relate some of the spices to Indian, although they are very different. There is a mint sauce…(Oh the 2 sauces I tried were GREAT!), which reminds me of Indian cuisine, and the split pea. As well as the use of Tumric (a super food spice!)…So if you are familiar with these, you will love the differences Ethiopian cooking offers. Btw, the red sauce is a spicy one!
The 4 items on my plate were perfectly enough for a lunch, even though I ate 1 roll of the 2 breads, My lunch cost $ 15 – 16 which included a bottled sparkling water.
If I had to select 2, I think the split pea/​Kik and the Spicy Tofu were my favorite.
All this great flavor…
I found a new GOTO spot when in the area!!!

This place was very yummy for a casual take out place. I love that it offers very tasty and healthy vegan and gluten free food.

Never have I ever tried Ethiopian food until I tried this place. First impressions are everything and I’m sold! Ladies working over the counter are so welcoming and sweet. Food is vibrant in color, healthy, lite and delicious. It was so yummy it had me going back to back in my (drake voice) lol. This is the kind of food I can eat everyday. Oh I can’t leave out turmeric ginger lemonade which also has its benefits. Since I’ve been here already three times this week I’m sure I will be back before the week is out, it is that darn good.

Sans meat
Sans animal by-​products
Sans gluten
It’s okayyy, don’t be timiddd, give it a try.
Friends: …VEGAN food??? :{ No.
…but looook, they have gluten-​free cupcakes!
First of all, I’m not one to shy away from gluten-​laden baked treats. Nowadays, celiac disease or not, people are avoiding gluten. I don’t know why, but who cares, I’m totally okay with it being favored enough by some people to see all these gluten-​free bakeries opening up all over LA…
…because sometimes, they’re TASTIER. It’s crazy! After randomly coming across a free bag of Lenny & Larry’s The Complete Cookie (it’s marketed more towards bodybuilders and other health/​environmentally-​conscious folks, because high in protein, vegan and… of course, gluten-​free), I was totes-​magotes thrown off by how surprisingly deeeeelicious they were, and considering that these are prepackaged cookies that don’t expire for like an entire year, wow, so good! The next thing you know, I’m out shopping for them to keep around for times I can’t run to the bakery for the fresh stuff (both gluten and non). I’m not even a bodybuilder, nor do I exercise or am allergic to gluten.
Anyway, gluten-​free goodies are awesome! And like I said, sometimes even tastier. Although, it’s probably because a bunch of other things are added into them to compensate for the total absence of gluten, but I don’t care. As long as they’re made right. (Fonuts and Erin McKenna’s… such DELICIOUS gluten-​free treats, whereas Café Gratitude’s cinnamon roll was horrifyingly repulsive and inedible)
So onto the food at Azla, it’s like that Joey scene from Friends where Rachel accidentally makes a fusion of shepherd’s pie and English trifle.
What’s there not to like?!
Fresh veges. Good.
Curry. Good.
All the spices they use. GOOOOOOOD.
Except this isn’t such an absurd concoction, and he doesn’t eat veges. Neither do I, honestly. Hardly. Still, everything was soooo PACKED with flavor and made for a satisfying meal, believe it or not. All the ingredients they used were fresh, and you can tell right away as they gracefully scoop them onto your plate. Tofu was overcooked to the extreme, but it’s alright. Again, the flavors, wildddd!

Amazing! First time trying Ethiopian Cuisine and loved it
Ps
Pretty bomb cupcakes too.

I like this place! The lentils, spicy tofu and potatoes are my favorites. I usually need meat for a complete meal but this place makes the exception!

I’m obsessed. If I could I’d eat here everyday. The staff is friendly, knowledgable and considerate. They make you feel like family. The food is fresh, delicious, healthy and CELIAC FRIENDLY! Bring all your GF friends and their mothers. This place is the best LA has to offer.

Azla is one of my favorite restaurants in LA. Every single thing they make is a work of art. I am just sad they don’t offer classes! Please try the mushroom wot and tofu tibs. Can’t get food like this outside of LA. Heaven.

I got the spice lover’s plate here. My favorite of those were the spicy tofu and lentils. Instead of potatoes, I also had the carrots, which were supposed to be spicy? but they weren’t super spicy. Their spicy sauce also adds quite the kick. I was pretty happy with my meal. It’s a nice place to go to for lunch. Price was reasonable — the plate is two meals for me. I probably should have just gone with 2 items and the injera.

Excellent Service, very very very… yummy food.
Holly fredchen I be back :)
Thank you very much.
Keep up the good work guys.

Spicy tofu, spicy lentils, spicy everything and a brownie to end it all. I think I need another brownie.

My guy and I went after work to check this place out. We got the 3 combo plate of red lentils, potato curry and tofu. I would say everything was really great but the tofu was a little tough as in texture! It’s a little plaza filled with random shops and small eats. I am definitely coming back!

I’m not a vegetarian, but I could be happy eating at here all the time and not miss meat. There are so many items to choose from, each with different distinct flavors. I wanted to try them all, so I settled for the 4 item combo with the promise that I’ll be back again to try the rest. I chose beets, kale salad, spicy tofu and zucchini with injera (My favorite was the spicy tofu dish). In the previous times I’ve eaten Ethiopian food, I recall using my hands to eat a bunch of different salads and wots sitting on top of the injera bread, which generally made it pretty soggy by the time I dug in. So it’s nice that the injera is packed (rolled) separately here at Azla.
Pro tip: there’s a $ 2 off deal for all Azla orders placed through the RushOrder app right now so that’s a huge plus!
Azla is located in the Mercado la Paloma near USC. There’s a lot and parking is generally easy to find so this is a good alternative to the crazy downtown options where parking is less plentiful. Will definitely be back for more of that spicy tofu!

Vegan restaurants generally make me very very sad. The food often lacks flavor and I usually leave hungry and craving a burger. BUT, Azla does not fall into this category of disappointment. The food is flavorful and filling, the portions are generous, and the menu is enlightened without pretense.
Azla adds to the diversity of the Mercado La Paloma fare. I appreciate their healthful twist on Ethiopian cuisine. The entrees are displayed cafeteria style and scooped to order, much like Chinese fast food. I love that they allow you to try before you buy. My favorite dishes are the spicy tofu, the carrot and potato curry and the greens. I like they allow you to choose between rice and injera. I love Ethiopian food but somehow I never acquired the taste for injera.
Azla also offers gluten free desserts and healthful beverages! Their chai tea is amazing, and when I’m feeling extra adventurous, I get a pomegranate kombucha tea.
Parking in the Mercado La Paloma lot can be tough during peak hours, but I am usually able to find a spot and there is plentiful street parking if you dare.

I want to start off by saying as I’m contemplating the words to write, I am hungry once more and for this food. That’s how delicious it is here at this cute little gem in the mercado. I took my boyfriend here because I wanted him to try Ethiopian for the first time, and he fell in love and so did I… With the food I meant! :P
For cuisine being vegan neither of anticipated that we would end up walking out extremely stuffed. It was as if we just finished Thanksgiving dinner, and we were sure as hell thankful! My boyfriend didn’t know what to get so he let me pick for him. I got us both the four item combo (yeah we were that hungry), and for the first plate I opted for the spicy lentils, spicy tofu, kale, and potatoes and carrots. His plate had spicy lentils, another version of tofu, split peas, and the daily special was the spicy zucchini. The order will have the option between brown rice or injera which is a tangy Ethiopian flat bread that’s similar to a crêpe to use to scoop up the food. Of course I wanted him to have the same experience I did when I first tried Ethiopian food in San Francisco, so injera it was! Traditionally you rip off pieces of injera to scoop up bites of the wots (the selected entrées) you ordered. Of course there are utensils for those who are hygienically concerned with eating with your hands, but it’s not as fun. We ended up ordering a lot of food, and we didn’t want to insult the cooks on their delicious food nor did we want to take it back to the hotel, so I bought us four more injera rolls so we could go to town, and nonetheless we cleaned our plates and no sauce remained. That’s how damn delicious it was! And we tried the hibiscus iced tea, and ginger turmeric lemonade to wash it down. All were a perfect combination! Our voted favorites were definitely the lentils and the spicy tofu! The hibiscus tea was the perfect amount of floral, sweet, and spice (the spice it up with cardamom– amazing!) that I fought myself to not order another. I also fought myself to not finish my boyfriend’s ginger turmeric lemonade which holy crap! We didn’t realize the combination was harmoniously refreshing and delicious!
The alchemy that is conducted in this kitchen is borderline witchcraft that I will be honored to join their coven. Whenever we find ourselves in the area, we will definitely return. I feel that this place has a lot of potential. So come on down and get your delicious fix of food, comfort, and culture. You won’t regret it! :)

Delicious & hearty vegan food, though definitely not the cheapest. For a meal that doesn’t include any meat, I think Azla may be a bit overpriced. However, I do place high value on places that serve food that are gluten-​free and good for you.
I got a 2-​item meal (~$ 9) and chose the kale salad and curried potatoes. The portions weren’t very large and I’m talking especially about the small scoop of kale salad. The curried potatoes were pretty tasty however and kept me filled along with the rice. I got the fried tofu and split peas one time and that combo was actually a lot better and definitely more filling.
Don’t get me wrong – all the items were great and flavorful, but I feel like the kale salad portion was too light and small to be considered an item.
Azla utilizes an interesting mix of spices that really give really plain food staples (potatoes, peas, tofu) a nice twist. Still being a bit pricey for a casual lunch, I’m still guilty of frequently coming back here to enjoy a meal that’s different from the usual.
Comes with a free chai or hibiscus tea drink if you check-​in on Unilocal!So yummy and refreshing.

Affordable, quick & causal vegan place at the Mercado la Paloma food court. Shared a 4-​combo meal with a friend, a pretty light healthy meal that will definitely leave you room for dessert.
The injeras reminded me of sourdough bread with a spongy pancake texture.
Glad that nothing was too greasy and salty; everything tasted healthy, fresh, and simple. Had the spicy lentils, spicy tofu, curry potatoes, and the daily special (broccoli & cauliflower). I preferred the spicier foods since they had stronger flavors to it (the curry potatoes could be stronger).
But nothing truly stood out to me that will particularly draw me to Azla. But I think it’s a great option at the food court (there’s also a health juice bar with green smoothies and sorbets if you want to start and finish healthy haha).

We came here because we tasted their food at the Vegan Street Fair. We liked what we had so when there was a chance to visit this place after we went to the museum, we took the opportunity being that we live far away from it.
We were surprised that it is inside a food court called Mercado La Paloma. We almost missed it. I was expecting that it is a restaurant. We passed the food court and had to go around another circle to find the place. So, if you are looking for this place find the Mercado La Paloma first. We parked on the street since we were afraid not to be able to find a parking space inside the parking lot and had to go around again. It turned out there was a parking space.
The food was great! It was in a steam table. Not sure what to select. I select 4 items combo and hubby selected the same. So I got 4 items of the ones hubby didn’t get. Then, we share both plates.
The injera is GLUTEN FREE. This is unusual. Ethiopian places usually has wheat in their injera. It was delicious and soft. Very good.
All the curries were so yummy and not too spicy. The lady gave us 2 hot sauces that we can add to our dishes while we were eating.
The service was warm and friendly. The dishes were served on real plates and real fork was given. So that was great.
The food court was also clean. We will be back again when we are in this area.

I am neither Vegan nor seasoned in Ethiopian cuisine, but my girl friend is the former and definitely approves.
We settled on the 4-​item combo to share and ordered the curry potatoes, red lentils, kale and collards, and a butternut squash and kale salad. Served with a choice of brown rice of gluten free injera, the injera is definitely the way to go. All the items were delicious and full of flavor. I liked that everything wasn’t covered in a thick sauce, so the consistently isn’t as «moist» compared to non-​Vegas Ethiopian cuisine. I actually prefer the consistency at Azla, but understand that it is not for everyone. The injera has a thin, sponge-​like consistency and had a slight sourness to it, but in a good way.
You’re welcome to get a sample of any items of interest before committing and the portions are just right to share. Everything does taste freshly made and healthy, which I have come to appreciate over time as I continue to refine my taste in ethnic and quality eats.