Category Archive
The following is a list of all entries from the Jerusalem Scene category.
I Got My Hands All Over Israel’s Ethiopian Food!
I love eating with my hands. There’s no middleman fork or spoon in between my taste buds and the actual taste. My favorite food to stuff my face with is Ethiopian. And while this country may lack in Mexican food (my familiar angry rant) it almost makes up for it with Ethiopian food.
When it comes to Ethiopian restaurants you need to seek them out, they don’t find you. They’re hidden all over Jerusalem and I assume they take a similar pattern in other cities. They’re small and everyone is really friendly. Until you go to a place at least three or four times, you feel like you are actually walking into someone’s kitchen. In fact one place I went to was basically a home and when we walked in I felt like I had just become the uninvited guest that they always have an extra plate for, just in case.
I have found one restaurant where I go on a regular basis. Don’t ask me the name, because I am not sure if it even has one. But what’s in a name after all? The food is amazing and I’ll tell you how to get there. And then someone will read this and tell me the name and I’ll appreciate it but forget it and still refer to it as my yummy Ethiopian restaurant (thank you in advance).
How do you get to this hole in the wall? Get to King George and Agripas (the Felafel King place is right next to the light at the intersection). Walk up the hill keeping on the right hand side. There will be a few narrow alley entrances. Go down one of them and the Ethiopian restaurant will be on your left hand side with green doors and an Ethiopian flag. Which alley way? Now, why would I spoil all the fun of telling you exactly where it is? I want you to find it on your own. It’s a part of the experience!
Once you get there, you might get funny stares (the whole kitchen-uninvited-guess-thing) but they will warm up to you right away. Ask for a menu and take a seat. The menus are in Amharic (Semitic Ethiopian language), Hebrew and now in English-they know we are coming!
Me eating my yummy Ethiopian food
If it’s your first time eating this food, I would start with the basics and order injera (a large sourdough flatbread about 50cm or 20in in diameter and made out of fermented teff flour) with different types of salads and dips added right on top of it. This is the part where you use your hands. Just tear in and start dipping. Don’t question what’s on your plate just eat the colorful variety of veggies and beans and hope your stomach agrees with your choices.
Ali takes a chance on coffee
After your first tasting, you may want to venture out, but to tell you the truth I have remained a fan of the veggie option which seems to have new salads and dips every time I go there. Ethiopian food is healthy (probably) and decently priced (I think it was in the NIS 30-40 range the last time I was there). Add a strong coffee at the end of the meal to get the full effect. You don’t have to drink the coffee with your hands!
Here’s a list of other restaurants that Becca- my skinny co-blogger and friend- found online. And a voucher from Ethio-Israel Restaurant (I found that because I am cheap). Any additions would be great!
Shegar
Opening hours: 9:00 to 23:00
Address: Agripas St. 10, City Center, Jerusalem
Not Kosher
Ethio-Israel
Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday, 12:00 to 1:00
Address: Elyashar St. 5, City Center, Jerusalem
Phone: 02.622.3992
Kosher
Eluna voucher
Ansara
Address: 17 Jaffa Rd., City Center, Jerusalem
Phone: 054.698.6664
Not Kosher
More in Tel Aviv: A list of Ethiopian Restaurants
Three Weeks of NIS 3 Coffee!
While it may seem like the holiday season is over, there is still much to celebrate. How about NIS 3 coffee? I don’t know about you, but I’m jumping up and down (and not just because I had three cups of pure caffeine joy!). What café finally got the memo that coffee doesn’t have to be expensive? Café Hillel on Emek Refaim right here in Jerusalem, that’s who!
Although I previously reported that Café Hillel would be opening at a new location on Emek, it turns out that they have changed their minds and decided to stay at their original location and renovate. The café itself is closed but for the next three weeks you 
can get NIS 3 coffee at the little side barista they opened up during the renovation process. The cheap coffee isn’t just hot; you can also get ice café for NIS 9. It isn’t as cheap as my all-time love of NIS 5 ice café at Marzipan in the shuk, but it’s a bigger cup and low fat (supposedly). In any case these are just some of the amazing deals worth pooping your pants over.
Good bargains don’t just happen. Either you or someone you know has hunted them down, passed them along or created them on their own. We cheap buggers have to stick together and look after each other to ensure the deals keep coming. That’s why I implore you to not only take advantage of the next three weeks while the coffee is NIS 3, but to tell the cashier, manager or owner to permanently keep the NIS 3 coffee as a part of the menu. I think in the long run they will end up making more money off the NIS 3 coffee than any of their ridiculously over-priced salads. Also, if the coffee is NIS 3 now, but after the renovations the price goes back up to NIS 15, we will all feel scammed — and nobody goes to a restaurant that rips them off.
Friends, drink and be merry, but don’t forget to be cheap and persuasive too!
Partial Passover Anxiety Relief: Collection of Chametz by Shachen Tov in Jerusalem
The Passover/Pesach frenzy has begun as I greedily relish bread (gasp!), cookies, cakes, and other leavened products (naughty!) before I have to give it up for a week.
What I have not been relishing, though, is the thought of cleaning my house. The anxiety for Pesach starts weeks before, as I second guess if I should buy one or two bags of pasta; 3 or 4 rolls; 1 or 2 packages of flour… you get the idea. But, no matter how much you try to space it out, thinking this year I’ll magically be chametz-free the day before the holiday, you know these attempts are futile.
So, instead of trying to fight it, this year I got an email from my friend Dena, who told me about Shachen Tov Organization (Good neighbor) who is collecting donations of chametz (closed packages, only), before Pesach. They will be selling all the contents of their warehouses, and after Pesach they will distribute it to the needy families they help. If you are interested, please contact the person in your area:
- Ramot – Ortal – 054-5868427
- Katamon – Sara – 052-5389994
- Nachlaot – Chagit – 050-7881007
- Gilo – Shalom – 054-3395419
- Baka – Yossi – 052-7203673
- Ramot Eshkol – Meno – 052-6674062
Further information – Matan – 052-5389996
And of course, for your viewing pleasure, The Matza Ball Rap
New Jerusalem nightlife blog – Luz Control
You could say that Jerusalem is not so famous for its nightlife scene. Museums, really old archeological finds, and awful drivers, fo’ sure. But nightlife… not so much. Jerusalem has only a handful of really happening clubs and recently, Jerusalem’s best known club, Haoman 17 shut down rebranded to “17” and I heard Bonita in the city center did too. But, just when I thought it’s lights out for the holy city, I came across a new section in the weekend Jerusalem Post called Luz Control. Written by Luz Ofek, the section is a list of all the upcoming hottest clubs and parties in Jerusalem. Luz also updates his herblog frequently for those not interested in the now 14.90 NIS Friday Jpost paper (I don’t know what kind of addictive substance they’re putting in their paper, but I can’t live without it on Shabbat!)
The site is in hebrew, but let’s see how you do with this academic language of our forefathers:
דה קונסטנטין דה בסט דה ביגטיים דה לייק איט לייק אה טרק!!
uh… what?
Our ancestors would be so proud to know just how flexible the hebrew language has become. They certainly didn’t teach enough Hebrish in my ulpan.
Have fun out there! As for me, I’ll be sitting at home, devouring the opium-lined Jpost and coping with my denial that I’m not 21 anymore.
Yay Women!
I’m a woman everyday of the year (even if I don’t act like one). I bring up this fact because today is International Women’s Day where we celebrate women and their achievements! Yay team women! As we reflect on our progress, we step back and realize that there is still a hell of a lot more to conquer. Boo!
The Jerusalem Post published a depressing article about the long path ahead in Israel, pointing out that although a bunch of women became Knesset members in the last national elections, “data shows that the number of women in management positions in Israeli companies stands at 14.8 percent – five percent less than last year. A global average of women in management positions stands at 30%.”
The article’s data was collected from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, which somehow have stats for the high level of optimism women have despite their salaries being a third less than men in parallel positions. Does that sound right to you? Because frankly, I am pooping my pants knowing a man is doing the same job as me and making a lot more. So unless I am cheering for poopy pants, I can’t say I’m optimistic about the situation. No “yay poop!”
Friends, we women must stick together and recognize how awesome we are. And I have a way we can literally show our support. Sure it might be a cheap plug, but it is a worthy one. What is it? Show your support by purchasing a ticket to this year’s Vagina Monologues.
The Vagina Monologues is a part of an international movement to help stop violence against women. The monologues are being performed throughout Israel. The show will be presented March 26th and March 28th in Jerusalem and one performance on March 23rd in Tel Aviv (there are other performances, but I just don’t know the exact dates).
All three performances are being presented by BaMatMaBat Theater Company. The company seeks to utilize the stage as a platform to inspire dialogue about taboo social, religious, and political issues. They will definitely get their message across with the monologues. The show is open to both women and men, so encourage your male friends, partners, co-workers(anger!) and even the random males in your lives to come see the show.
A note about the Vagina Monologues Performances:
March 26, 2009 8pm
March 28, 2009 9pm
Performance held at the Merkaz Hamagshmin in the German Colony.
90% of the proceeds will go to the women’s organization COHI and the other 10% will go to V-Day. Tickets are NIS 60 after.
For more information or to order tickets contact vday.israel@gmail.com or see the event on Facebook.
Indian food in Jerusalem
After 4 years in Israel, I think I’ve finally moved out of my obsessive pita and humus stage. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always save a special place in my heart for the quintessential Israeli snack that requires swift wrist action, but it’s time to move on and sample some other cuisines.
Recently, I discovered a little hole-in-the-wall Indian restaurant, Ichikidana איצ’יקדנה inside the Machane Yehuda outdoor shuk in Jerusalem. And … it was delicious! And cheap – the small platter of thali was 24NIS 35 NIS! And cute – tiny room with wooden tables covered with collages of pictures and mementos from the staff’s trips to India. And so… I’m hooked. I even went home and starting looking up Indian recipes for things I had never even heard of before like Chana Dal (Curried Chick-Peas), Tamatar Ki Chutney(tomato chutney) and Garam Masala. Apparently, other people have also discovered this yummy joint, so you can read more reviews from Jewlicious and Presentense’s latest issue.
Here’s a list of the kosher Indian restaurants in Jerusalem. If I missed any, please leave a comment and I’ll update the post.
Ichikidana איצ’יקדנה
Location: 4 Haeshkol St., makhane yehuda shuk/market
Phone: 050-224-7070
Hours: Sun-Thu: 08:00-20:00, Tri: 08:00- one hour before Shabbat
Almora
Location: Even Sapir, past the Hadassah Hospital in Ein Karem
Phone: 02-643-1186
Hours: Open Sunday – Thursday 10:00am till 11:00pm. Friday till Shabbat. .Motzei Shabbat till midnight.
Kohinoor
Location: Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, by Binyanei HaUma and the Central Bus Station
Phone: 02-653-6667
Hours: Open for lunch, Sunday – Friday from 12:00 noon till 4:00pm. Open for dinner Sunday – Thursday 6pm till 11:30pm, and Saturday night after Shabbat.
In other Indian-related news, I went to see Slumdog Millionaire at Cinema City and it was incredible (both the VIP experience and the movie itself). Here’s some Indian music that I can’t get out of my head.
Don’t Have a Happy Chanukkah have a Funny Chanukkah!!
Benji and I are at it again. Watch Benji attack the people of Jerusalem to find out what Chanukkah is all about in the Holyland!
Food Torture: Not Another Cafe!
Cafe Hillel, just another cafe.
I’m angry. What a surprise. I’m in the daze of a food nightmare. Living near Emek Refaim Street, you would think a girl could have her way with restaurants: endless options, yummy in your tummy food, and the cultural basics. But apparently the Food Gods don’t like us Jerusalemites.And instead of lots of different restaurants, whipping up all kinds of food-we in Jerusalem must suffer with choice A: falafel or choice B: café food. Crap and crap.
The sign reads: Coming soon Cafe Hillel. I wish the man in the picture would just keep walking. He even looks like he is stealing our taste buds! Shady!
In a previous anger post, I wrote about my desire for a Mexican restaurant in Jerusalem. Needless to say, my prayers and rants have gone unanswered. But friends, it just gets worse. Since my cries for Mexican food, two pizza places have opened in my neighborhood. And then…then this happened (focus your eyes on the picture). My cheap wrap place that almost felt like Mexican food if you closed your eyes tight enough and just held on to the wrap like it was a burrito, Tarantino’s, suddenly without warning closed down and a café Hillel is now opening in its place. Oh, the food inhumanity! Oh, the food torture! And obviously the worst part about it: THERE IS A CAFÉ HILLEL TWO BLOCKS DOWN!
Is this for real? Isn’t it bad enough that Emek Refaim is lined with cafes? It’s just the same menu, with different names for the salads, soups and sandwiches. Not to mention the difference in price from Café Aroma to Caffit for practically the same meal.
Now I know Nir Barkat just became mayor, but wasn’t he all about adding some culture to this city? I’m not saying that adding Mexican should be the first item on his agenda…no, I am. I think Mayor Barkat should shut down the building of this new café Hillel, which is clearly an abuse of our taste buds and a monotonous slap in the face. And instead, let us join together and build a burrito stand and unite for the sake of Jerusalem and her culture. Mexican food is just the beginning!
Stop the lame cafes from taking over our streets. They can have their menus but not our shekels!
H&M and Gap stores heading to Israel (finally!)
Well it’s about time. Rumor has it that H&M and Gap will be opening up stores in Israel by 2010. 2010?! Why you gotta keep us waiting like that? We’ve already been looking forward to the Light Rail in Jerusalem and the fast train to Tel Aviv for, oh, several years now. I don’t know if I can handle another grand opening to look forward to. And so the race is on. Which will arrive first – an H&M store or an express train from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv? It’s a tough call, but I think we may be sporting some trendy yet affordable dresses before being able to hop over to Tel Aviv to show them off.
H&M and Gap make aliyah. Good call, Ynet.
World AIDS Day: Be Safe, Wear it, Measure it and Spray it on!
Today is World AIDS day, reminding us that there is still no cure for this epidemic. If you are in Jerusalem and would like to have a free, anonymous HIV test, you can go to the Open House Clinic on Sundays between 5pm and 9pm. The clinic is located on 2 Hasoreg Street at the intersection of Jaffa St. and Queen Shlomtzion.
And remember an easy way to stay safe is using a good old fashion condom. Now apparently if you’re French then you’ll need an XXL according to a European study by the Singen-based Institute of Condom Consultancy. Yes, after over 10,500 men measured their member, it turns out Frenchies need a condom that is about six inches (15.48 cm) long, making them the biggest in the region.
Of course I can’t help but wonder where Israeli men would fall on the scale, but I will say this: anyone is free to measure and figure it out on the Institute’s website. While I admit I’m kind of curious to do my own study, I don’t think my husband would approve. You know you’re a little curious too (oops, I said little, is that a Freudian slip?)! Continue reading this entry »
The Big Felafel 