"The Eritrean/Ethiopian cafe has been a staple in North Oakland since 2000, but I only recently discovered how much I had been missing out on their incredible shihan ful. I went to Alem’s for the first time to order the stew-like dish made with slow-simmered fava beans that are pureed and topped with thinly minced onions, tomatoes, feta cheese, jalapeños, olive oil, and berbere. Each order also comes with two big oval-shaped French rolls, which are the perfect vehicles to scoop up heaps of this flavorful stew. I’ll definitely be back for their other East African breakfast and lunch dishes, like kitcha fit-fit, fata, and tibsy with beef and lamb. - LC" - Julia Chen 1, Lani Conway