I love food. I love talking about food. I love talking about talking about food. So, in the aftermath of my Once In A Lifetime trip, let’s talk about Israeli food.
During my 10 days there I ate some glorious nosh. The trip began with a visit to the International Arts & Crafts Festival at Khutsot Hayotser in Jerusalem. There, myself and my fellow blogger Dan went on a shawarma hunt in the food village of the event. We were jubilant as we located, ordered and devoured some chicken shawarma in laffa. Look at the quiet satisfaction on my face. I also had fine shawarma at Agenda (near Dizengoff Mall in Tel Aviv) and other places.
I am not normally a fan of tapas, but the Israelis seem to do it so much better than most. Tapas1 (27 Ahad Ha’am Street) is currently one of the hottest places in Tel Aviv. You need to book weeks in advance and it’s no surprise. The food is astonishingly nice, as you would expect given that chef Jonathan Roshfeld is one of Israel’s finest.
The atmosphere is positively electric and the decor is at once hip and relaxing. Also, I couldn’t help but notice, one of the waiters is breathtakingly hot. Like, seriously. So get over there, sip the sangria, eat the food and take in the visuals. Speaking of Tapas, the atmosphere at the Vicky Cristina tapas bar in Neve Tzedek is also fine, though in a more relaxed, watching-the-sun-set way.
An even more relaxed vibe can be found back in Jerusalem at Hashlosha Restaurant (68 Agripas Street), which is just round the corner from the Mahane Yehuda Market. Here, the authentic home food includes many fine Iraqi and Kurdish dishes such as kubeh. You’ll feel at home instantly in this place, and the range of dips, dishes and breads on offer is fascinating as well as filling. We also visited the Arab village of Abu Gosh, where the hummus is legendary. Perhaps because it had been over-hyped I was mildly disappointed by the hummus, but it was certainly very nice.
If you like pizza – of course you do, who doesn’t? – then I insist that you visit Dona Fresca, (Rehov Shlomzion Hamalka 1, Jerusalem). This is an eaterie with numerous time-related decorations including clocks and bells on the walls. The pizza is freshly constructed in front of you, as you choose from a series of sauce and topping options. For dessert you can also choose your own filling for your freshly-made profiterole. I chose halva and so enjoyed it the observant waiter quickly pressed into my hand a plastic glass full of the halva sauce, on the house. Beteavon? You bet!
For fine theatre as well as food, visitors to Jerusalem should head to Mahane Yuda restaurant (10 Bet Yaakov St). The on-show chefs row about football, laugh heartily, dance and also spontaneously drum along to the music with their saucepans with wooden spoons. The food, much of which is sourced from the nearby Mahane Yehuda market, keeps coming to the table at a rate of delicious knots. Sometimes, for dessert, the waiters cover the table with foil and simply dollop the pudding straight onto the foil.
It’s all great fun, as is the restaurant’s sister bar across the narrow road. People dance between the two venues and the air is full of music and laughter. So much so that an elderly resident has grown so tired of the noise that she has been known to throw eggs at revellers. I secretly hoped she would launch such an attack while I was there but it was not to be, though a clothes peg did randomly bounce off my head at one point. On a more serious note, I do feel sorry for the lady. I hope some sort of resolution to her satisfaction is found soon, as it cannot be much fun for her being kept up at night.
The Kedma Restaurant, located above the new Mamilla Mall in Jerusalem, is a more classy affair. As you sit on the open air roof you can see the walls of the Old City. I had chopped liver (a posh take on the classic dish), and then a Corned Beef sandwich (good, but not a patch on the NYC classics). We also ‘ate in’ a few times, including a marvellous shabbat dinner at our Rehavia apartment and a wonderful Moroccan/Jewish dinner the following night with a family in Ein Karem. Spicy fish – surprisingly nice. Dan accidentally threw hot tea over me after the meal, but nobody ever said life is perfect.
Although it comes close to perfect when you have an Aroma iced coffee in your hand. These are hideously addictive things, as I’ve written before. I also tried iced coffee in other Israeli cafes including Tmol Shilshom in Jerusalem (lovely), Cafe Ne’eman (above average) and in the Old City’s Austrian Hospice (nearly as nice as Aroma). Boker tov, boulder!
The biggest culinary revelation of the trip only happened by chance. One of the organisers – the wonderful Sharon Elgay – was trying to find us the best shawarma place in Jaffa. But then we got pushed for time and ended up going to Dr Shakshuka (3 Beit Eshel, Jaffa). There she recommended I try a Jewish-Libyan dish called Mafrum, which I can best describe as a huge beef sandwich with the tangiest of sauce. This became a firm favourite and was the food highlight of the Once In A Lifetime trip.
What is your favourite Israeli food – and where do you go to get it?
Chas – with all this talk of delicious food, I’ve quite forgotten Israel’s brutal military occupation and colonies!
Of course – you’ll notice Chas made no mention of the blood of Palestinian babies, which I’m sure was a major ingredient in all the meals he enjoyed while he was in Israel.
It really does sound like you had a tough time while you were in the Zionist apartheid state, Chas!
Now that this allegation has been made on an Internet website, I think there ought to be a full and open International investigation into it. Obviously just to prove it wrong, you understand.
Obviously I’d like to distance myself from Jenny T’s remark, above, and simply say that she’s very sorry she ever said it. But she can’t tell you that herself right now because, um… well she just can’t right now, OK?
I’m a friend of Israel, by the way, but you know, it’s your best friends who you can rely on to slag you off all the time and try to render you defenseless.
Obviously, this Chatsworth Newquay-Blenheim chap is wrong to have enjoyed the cuisine of a prison camp. I’m going to get the boy Hague to have a strong word with him – it’s not on! After all, friends don’t let friends exist as sovereign nations!
Lol at occupation and colonies!
Interesting food talk, Chaz. Gotta love shawarma. Glad you enjoyed yourself.
Ah but you missed the greatest culinary gift of all – dinner at my house! Eclectic cuisine and a sassy chef lol! Next visit to israel you need to come north, you haven’t lived until you have tasted Galilean food.
A great place to eat is an ‘in home’ restaurant in Ein Keram named Spoons.
Chas, where can I get some lovely Aroma Coffee in London?
I’m always dazzled by the glorious array of salads on offer in Israel. Makes my Brit-style efforts look poverty-stricken and emaciated.
Breakfast at Ein Gedi, where there are five full counters of goodies, is just a riot of colour and flavour. Oooh, and the bread…..divine.
Visit Israel – not only because it’s a wonderful country but two weeks there does wonders for both the complexion and the waistline:-))
The Moroccan spicy fish is called Hraime, Chas. You’re always welcome to come and try my version. In this house it is usually served on a Friday evening as a starter with lots of fresh Halla bread for wiping up the sauce.
That is often followed by couscous: not that bland English stuff which goes by the same name, but a riot of vegetables of all different colours, chick peas, home made meatballs containing lots of fresh parsley and coriander, all in a spicy sauce made on a base of home grown chillis.
Now, I’m not quite sure what they passed off as Mafrum to you, but what you describe doesn’t sound much like the Libyan flag ship dish to me. The Mafrum I make is an incredibly intricate dish with spiced ground meat sandwiched between slices of potato, courgette and aubergine, then fried and after that cooked in a spicy tomato sauce.
Me, I’m mad about Labane with Za’atar and olive oil and I buy it in the Druze villages in the north of the Golan, together with fresh Druze pitta bread. Delicious!
A tip from the north African kitchen: if you’re cooking any beef or lamb dish, put half a teaspoon of ground cardamom, half a teaspoon of ground nutmeg and a teaspoon of cinnamon in with it. Together they enhance the flavours of the meat like nothing else.
I make my own hummus, felafel and pitas here in my zionist colony in Herefordshire.
To any Israelis here: can you recommend the ultimate hummus recipe? I’m just playing it by ear at the moment so need some assistance.
hi Chas, thanks for reminding me of the great food I enjoyed in January when I visited Israel for the first time. I was part of a Christian tour, and had detailed conversations over some fine food, well presented from Galilee to Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The salads, even at breakfast were so tasty. Everyone I talked with has good friends from all three religions. The Brewhouse feast in Tel Aviv was a great way to say goodbye to my new friends. I will be back, but without a tour group.
Aparatchik – What I do is this: soak the chick peas for at least 8 hours and then boil them for another 2 hours or so until they are soft and the skins come off by themselves (a teaspoon or so of bicarbonate of soda in the water speeds up the process).
Then mash the chickpeas in the food processor with a little extra virgin olive oil (not any other kind of oil – that’s where British supermarket humous falls down), a good handful of chopped fresh coriander (or parsley, or both), and lots of crushed fresh garlic.
Meanwhile, I make up some Tahina (Tahini) – adding water (must be very cold) to the concentrated Tahini until it makes a fairly robust paste, then salt, pepper, dried cummin,hot chilli powder,and fresh lemon juice.
Add that to the chick pea paste, mix well, and tuck in!
thank you israelinurse, some useful tips there, especially the fresh coriander/parsley. i think that’s what mine has been missing so far – something really loving from the garden.
btw do you use readymade tahina? i’ve been making my own of late and it is ridiculously easy: just toast the sesame seeds and mash them in a blender. I use a bit of olive oil to smooth the process.
I usually buy it – we go through such incredible amounts in this house (it’s a favourite straight out of the jar on toast or drizzled on top of roast aubergine along with some hot chilli sauce and melted goats’ cheese) that I’d have to spend all day in the kitchen if I started to make it myself!
It’s a great source of iron by the way for any anaemic readers and contains calcium too. When my children were babies I used to give them loads of it.
fair enough, but give it a try when you’ve got a quiet moment. you cannae beat the flavour of freshly toasted sesame seeds…
Arrived back in the uk last night..i am thouroughly depressed.had as usual the most amazing time in Israel……and yes chas,Dr sukshaka is immense.
I bought an English language cookbook about the cuisine of Israel. I’ve tried the spicy fish (Hraymi),Albondigas (spicy meatballs on pureed roasted aubergine)and Patira (herb stuffed pastry triangles). For dessert, I’ve tried Malabi (milk jelly in rose syrup). All fantastic! I now want to give a go to Jerusalem Chamin.
I love these comments! Such a celebration of Israeli food.
When I go to Israel I enjoy eating steaks, mostly because I can eat meat in restaurants, unlike at home, and I enjoy the novelty of it.
Shakshukah has really grown on me over the years. And all the simple saldas are wonderful there, but never seem as nice back home when I try them. Maybe it’s the raw ingredients (though I sometimes find Israeli fruit and veg not the best actually, compared, say, to those I get in Italy when I am there).
Have been in Israel a week – and have gained pounds I’m afraid as the food is so yummy. I love mafrum too. Also like Jonathan S, I enjoy eating in kosher meat restaurants here, as it’s rather a trek to the ones in London for me. My favourite (special occasions only as expensive) is 2C on 49th floor of Azrieli Tower in Tel Aviv.
Ice Coffee at Katsefet (Ben Yehuda Street) is the best. There is no other…
Except for the ‘new’ bagle shop, Holy Bagles, in the Old City. That is also good.