Going to Eritrea for Lunch

I went to Eritrea for lunch the other day with my friends Liz and Eitan. At least that's the initial story I've been telling people. Israel is home to hundreds of thousands of "foreigners" from China, Nepal, Thailand, the Philippines, and a variety of different African countries. Their presence and social issues relating to them are one of the more controversial and divisive issues in Israeli society at the moment.

Putting these issues aside, at least in this blog post, these groups have brought their culinary traditions to the country. The area around the old and new bus stations in Tel Aviv is home to many of these groups, and small ethnic restaurants are starting to pop up in the area. I went to eat at one of these places called Yergelum. I had read about Yergelum in Haaretz a few months back, and this article would play a crucial role in my meal as I would later find out.

Yergelum serves traditional Eritrean food, which is very similar to Ethiopian food. Injera, the Teff based bread, is a staple and it is used to scoop up the various dishes served to us. Upon entering Yergelum I received stares from dozen or so Eritreans who are clearly not used to see Israelis walk in to the restaurant.

You order not by the Amharic only menu, rather by pointing to the picture of the dish you want from the newspaper article.

Ordering was one of the highlights of the experience at Yergelum. The menu doesn't have a word of Hebrew or English, and the staff have poor Hebrew and English themselves. This meant pointing to the pictures of the dishes in the original Haaretz article to order. So while the menu had at least 20 dishes listed, I was only able to order from the five dishes whose picture were take for the article.

We ended ordering Shiro, Goat mutton, another vegetable dish, and two other ones I'm still not sure what their names are. Shiro is a mash of garbanzo beans, onions and the Berbere spice mix. I really liked the Shiro, although Liz and Eitan were not the biggest fans. The goat mutton was easily the best dish served. It has a lot of spicy berbere, and has a very rich and deep flavor. I could have eaten a whole injera filled with the mutton. The other vegetable dish was fine, but uninteresting. We also ordered a kind of dough in the shape of a volcano and some boiled dough with yogurt. They were both fine, but also a bit uninteresting.

The Shiro was scooped from the pot and put on the injera bread

The Shiro and mutton, the dishes with the Berbere really had a great depth of flavor and I would be happy to eat those anytime. I highly recommend visiting Yergelum for the experience and learning about a part of Israeli society that is often ignored or shunned. If you happen to know someone who speaks Amharic you might be able to order anything of the menu too. Who knows what great dishes I missed out on!

The Shiro, goat mutton, and veggies on the injera

Going to Eritrea for Lunch

Choresht Sabzi

Written by Alon Lewin-Espstein:
Growing up in an Ashkenazi house, I was not exposed until much later in life to Sephardic/North African cuisine, such as Kubeh, Jachnun, and Sabich which are some of my favorite dishes these days. Fortunately, it is easier to find restaurants or eateries in Israel that serve Sephardic inspired dishes than Polish, Russian or Romanian restaurants.

It was when one of my good friends, that is half Persian himself, took me to an authentic Persian restaurant in southern Tel Aviv, that I discovered the unique flavors the Persian kitchen has to offer. That day we went to a little place called Salimi, which is on Nachlat Binyamin street, caught right in the middle of the bustle of Tel Aviv.

The place is small with not many tables, and has a tiny kitchen where the whole extended family who owns the place crowds in together. There is always a long line of people outside waiting for the next table to leave, eager to grab a precious seat.

Salimi during lunch is quite hectic and if you take your time on deciding what to order you might find out your waiter had already done it for you, which was what happened in my case. However, since my knowledge regarding Persian dishes wasn’t vast, it worked out pretty well for me. Among several dishes we had, one of my favorites was the Choresht Sabzi, a beef stew served with red beans over rice with an extraordinary green sauce made from a large variety of herbs including mint, cilantro, dill and celery. The dish brought such a circus of flavors to my mouth that I had to look for a recipe and cook it myself.

Choresht Sabzi

Ingredients:
750 grams of beef (cut up to chunks)
100 grams of red beans (soaked over night)
2 cups of washed and dried cilantro
2 cups of washed and dried dill
1 cup of washed and dried parsley
1 cup of washed and dried mint
300 grams of washed and dried spinach leaves
2 stems of washed and dried celery
1 peeled and washed celery root (diced)
3 peeled onions (finely chopped)
1 tbl of dried fenugreek leaves
4 black dried Persian lemons
4 regular lemons (squeezed)

Instructions:
1. Put all the herbs in a food processor and blend by using the pulse function until they are finely chopped (be careful to not reach the point where it gets pasty)

2. Heat an oiled frying pan and add the diced celery root and the finely chopped herbs. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes until the liquids have evaporated. Take off of the heat and let it cool

3. Oil a big pot and put it on high heat. Stir-fry the chopped onions until the liquids have evaporated (do not wait until they turn golden)

4. Add the beef chunks and sear them until sealed

5. Add the beans

6. Add 2 liters of water and let cook on low heat for about 3 hours until the beans are ready and the beef is tender

7. Add the chopped herbs mix and the fenugreek leaves and cook for another 30-40 minutes as the liquids reduce

8. Add the Persian lemon, salt and pepper to taste, the squeezed lemon juice and cook for another 40 minutes on low heat

9. Serve on white rice

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Choresht Sabzi

Jasquila

I was in the Upper Galil this past weekend with my Dad and my Israeli family. We went on some beautiful hikes in and around Mt. Meron and even in late April one can see a lot of wildflowers.

For dinner we went to a Lebanese restaurant that my Israeli family had been to several times and had fond memories of. They knew the restaurant as Jasquila, and enjoyed the homey atmosphere, complete with a fireplace. It was a family operation and the matriarch of the family would make special Lebanese specialties, primarily various stuffed dishes. Stuffed grape leaves, peppers, okra, zucchini, etc…

So we all went to Jish (Gush Halav) hungry and excited for some good home style Lebanese food. Upon arrival to where Jasquila has been we discovered that the restaurant has gone through a few changes. For one, it is no longer called Jasquila, rather Ha’arezim (Cedars). It is no longer has the home feel with the fireplace, but looks like any modern restaurant. While it is unfortunate the restaurant lost its identity and is not really distinguishable in appearance from newly renovated “modern” place, the food was still great.

I ordered the Molouchiya (a green leaf actually associated more with Egyptian cuisine) soup with rice. The soup was simple in composition, but tasty. The Machluya adds a little sourness and kick to the soup. They served us the gazillions of salads one receives at a typical Arab restaurant, all of which were really good. The olives were a step above everything else, though. A little spicy, very lemony, and really tasty. My Dad had the lamb shishlik, which was, according to him, “extremely well spiced” and “very tender and juicy”.

All in all, it was a really tasty meal and I would recommend to the place to anyone in the area. Its just a shame they thought they had to lose their authentic style, name, and partial identity to appeal to the masses, whoever that is.

 

Ha’arezim (Cedars) restaurant. Formally known as Jasquila.

I never knew children came in portions of sausage, schnitzel, or chicken skewers. Hmmm, which kid will I eat?

Don’t eat me! I’m too cute…

Excellent lamb shishlik

 

Some of the best olives I’ve had in a long while

Molouchiya, a kind of spinach-ish soup with rice.

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Jasquila

Blackout

My folks are in town, and last Thursday we went to dinner at one of the most unique dining experiences in Tel Aviv and probably the world as well. We had dinner at Mercaz Na Laga’at (The Please Touch Center). Na Laga’at is a center that puts on plays by actors who are both blind and deaf, a cafe run by deaf people, and a restaurant (Blackout) in pitch darkness run by blind waiters. The combination of these different elements involving deaf, blind, and deaf and blind people make it literally the only center of its kind in the world. Located in a renovated building in the Yafo port, it is truly one of the highlights of Yafo and the country.

The Blackout Restaurant puts forward a dining experience that makes you truly blind. A darkness is created in the restaurant that prevents you from seeing your hand an inch from your face, and you don’t ever adjust to it, no matter how long you stay inside. The most amazing part of the restaurant is that the waiters are blind as well. Using their knowledge of the layout of the restaurant and their acute sense of sound, the waiters are able to manage inside with no problem. Inside Blackout the tables are turned. Those who can see on the outside are at the mercy of those who cannot. The waiters lead you inside the restaurant with you grasping their shoulders as you adjust to not being able to see a thing. They bring you to your seat and culinary experience begins.

Eating while blind is an enhanced culinary experience, in my opinion, and by no means a drawback. There is an expression that you first "eat with your eyes". While this is true, people don't realize the culinary benefits of not being able to use your eyes while eating. Flavors become bolder, textures are more pronounced, and pouring your glass of water actually requires thought. I ordered the vegetarian “surprise”, meaning I did not know beforehand what I was going to be served, and clearly I couldn't see it either. The "surprise" ended up being an excellent ravioli with artichokes, peas, and jerusalem artichoke. For those that want to know what they’re eating beforehand you can choose from a set menu. Bibs are provided for those who worry about spilling food in the dark, but my experience is that you adjust quite easily and eat normally with only a fork.

Blackout is such a unique experience that I think it is a must eat location for anyone with some spare time in their visit to Tel Aviv-Yafo. However, as the restaurant is only open three days a week be sure to plan ahead and make a reservation.

 
What your dining experience looks like
 
Mercaz Na Laga’at located in the Yafo Port

The entrance to the Blackout Restaurant
 
The Blackout Restaurant from the outside
 
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Blackout

Review of Tel Aviv's Culinary Scene

Check out this very well written and glowing review of Tel Aviv's culinary scene in the Washington Post my friend Liz sent me. One part, in particular, I very much connected with. The author mentions that even in your downtime from eating out you can watch cooking shows Friday evenings in your hotel room. I have family that I have dinner with on Friday nights a few times a month, and we often watch cookings shows before dinner. Whether it be Aharoni (named after Chef Aharoni), Te'amim (Flavors), or Shum, Pilpel, v'Shemen Zayit (Garlic, Pepper, and Olive Oil) watching parts of these shows is something I very much associate with Friday evenings and I was happy to see the article mention the programs as well.

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Review of Tel Aviv's Culinary Scene

NY Times and Russian Culture (food) in Israel

First, I want to wish the US Hockey team luck tonight against Canada.

Second, there was a very interesting article published in the New York Times the other day about Russian culture in Israel. It was written by the Times' Moscow bureau chief, and it was published in the travel section. The author writes about the impact, with his primary focus being culinary, of the 1.5 million immigrants from countries that comprised the former Soviet Union to Israel in the last 20 years.

The article is definitely worth a read, and he even mentions a restaurant, Nanushka, that I've reviewed on this blog in the past. My only concern is that people will flock to Ashdod expecting a more grandiose place than the reality...at least from my experience.

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NY Times and Russian Culture (food) in Israel

Want Reliable? Try Etnachta

Everybody should have a failsafe restaurant/bar/café where you know the food is always good, the service is friendly, and you don’t have to worry about whether you'll have a good time or not. My failsafe in Tel Aviv is Etnachta.

Located on bustling Dizengoff street, Etnachta, is part café, part restaurant, part bar. The outside seating area is ideal for those who want to enjoy a cup of coffee and watch the world go by, the bar inside is well…a bar, and they serve great focaccias and a variety of tasty "Israeli" dishes.

If you don't want search for someplace new or just want to guarantee yourself a good meal and good time, you can't go wrong with Etnachta. A lot of people have figured this out too, so if you are trying going at a popular hour be prepared for a small wait. Where is your failsafe place in Tel Aviv?

(www.rest.co.il)

Want Reliable? Try Etnachta

NBC's The Office and the Tel Aviv restaurant scene

I'm in the middle of watching the latest episode of The Office, but had to take a break to write this post because of the following lines of dialogue.

Michael Scott to potential buyer of Dunder Mifflin: "I got us reservations at Cooper's Seafood. You like lobster? You have had lobster before, right? They make the best Maine Lobster in the world. You'll love it."

Dwight Schrute (in a computerized robot voice): "Mul Yam in Tel Aviv is better"

Wow! A Tel Aviv restaurant made it into US pop culture! I'm guessing one of the writers had a memorable meal there.

The Mul Yam Chef and a lobster (www.ynet.co.il)

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NBC's The Office and the Tel Aviv restaurant scene

Miriam’s Kitchen – Jewish-Indian Cuisine

Some of the starters (http://miriamskitchen.beer-sheva.gonegev.co.il/)

A few weeks ago I had the chance to experience one of the more unique dining options in Israel. In a moshav (small town) called Nevatim, halfway between Beer Sheva and Dimona, there is a restaurant called Miriam's Kitchen. Nevatim is known for its large Indian-Jewish community, and Miriam's Kitchen serves Indian food typical of the Southern Indian city of Cochin. Most of Cochin's 3000 person Jewish community moved to Israel in the 1950's bringing its rich culinary history to the country. Influenced by Iraq, Yemen, and a variety of Indian influences Cochin's food is one of most interesting and diverse the country has to offer.

Miriam's Kitchen is what the name implies. Miriam cooks you food made in her kitchen and you eat in her living room. Tasty chapattis, garbanzo bean dishes, fragrant rice, roasted eggplant and more greet you as the first course to the meal. This is followed by Kube, Dosa and spicy chicken cooked in coconut milk, amongst others. For someone unfamiliar with Indian food the new flavors, textures and smells will be an eye opening experience. Even those that know Indian food well will appreciate the authenticity and flavor.

While the food is most definitely the highlight of the meal, a close second is Miriam's husband Nehemia's stories about the history of the Jewish community in Cochin. Extremely passionate about his community, Nehemia speaks about the historical origins of the community to their present state in Israel. Both Nehemia and Miriam are happy to talk about the techniques and ingredients used in their dishes and genuinely enjoy providing meals for the visitors that arrive.

Miriam (http://miriamskitchen.beer-sheva.gonegev.co.il/)

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Miriam’s Kitchen – Jewish-Indian Cuisine

Adora

I know I've claimed that Irit is possibly my favorite restaurant in the country, but there is strong competition for this title from Adora. Founded in the last 5 or 6 years by the relatively young chef Avi Biton, the restaurant has quickly risen the ranks to be one of Tel Aviv's top restaurants. Outside the food being really, really good and creative, one of my favorite things about Adora is the inspiration for the food. Chef Biton tries to blend classical French techniques and dishes with ingredients, influences and dishes from Israel and the Middle East.

Foie Gras Baklawa (http://www.rest.co.il/sites/Default.asp?txtRestID=5985)

One of the best examples of this, and possibly the restaurant's signature dish, is the Baklawa covered Foie Gras. Baklawa is a sweet desert made from layers of phyllo dough covered in honey and pistachios. Chef Biton wraps a piece of foie gras in phyllo dough, perfectly cooks it, and then drizzles the dish with honey and pistachios. I'm not a good enough writer to try to describe how good it is. Trust me, its delicious, and, in my opinion, a must have dish for non-vegetarian/vegan and against eating foie gras visitor to the restaurant.

Eggplant falafel (http://www.rest.co.il/sites/Default.asp?txtRestID=5985)

A second dish worth writing about is the eggplant falafel dish. As you can see in the picture above, the dish appears to be three beautifully fried falafel balls. Once you bite in you realize this is a unique take on the classic regional food. Instead of ground of garbanzo beans one finds roasted eggplant inside. Only the outside of the dish is the garbanzo bean mixture and it is the perfect coating to the soft roasted eggplant. The "falafel" is served with a nice yogurt sauce and tasty sprout salad.

Adora is also very reasonably priced, making the restaurant one of the best places for value in the city. I'm already thinking about my next visit.

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http://www.savorisrael.com/

Adora

Coffee...Bauhaus Style

It has been a little bit since my last post, and I apologize for the tardiness of this entry. But to make it up to you I'm writing three posts today! Getting straight into the first one...

Tel Aviv is known for its hundreds of buildings built in the modernist architecture style known as Bauhaus. Brought to Tel Aviv in the 1920s and 30s by its European immigrants, the architectural style is one of the city's defining characteristics and much of the city is a UNESCO world heritage site because of these buildings. I had coffee the other day with a professor of mine from Emory at Sucar (sugar) because it was 1) close to where we both live and 2) apparently the last coffee shop (so he says) that truly adheres to the Bauhaus style. What does he mean by that?

The building the coffee shop is located in is of Bauhaus style, but so are many coffee shops in the city. The difference, my former professor explained, is the windows. The windows at Sucar are curved with the building, and apparently no other coffee shop has windows that truly conform and meld to the Bauhaus style of their building. As for the coffee shop itself..the coffee was strong and the variety of cookies we had were very good. There is probably better coffee and cookies at other coffee shops in the city, but if you want the true Bauhaus coffee shop experience you have to go to Sucar.

Cafe Sucar

(www. telaviv4fun.com)

Coffee...Bauhaus Style

Everything Sabich

Sabich is one of the more popular streetfoods you can find in Israel, and it can be argued it's more "Israeli" than falafel or schwarma because its more unique to Israel than the latter. Sabich consists of fried eggplant, hardboiled egg, tomato, cucumber, hummus, tehina, and various spicy sauces. One of the spicy sauces (amba) is made from mango, cumin, turmeric, and a variety of other ingredients. While it may be used in other dishes, I have only seen it offered alongside Sabich. One thing I appreciate about sabich is that while the dish is vegetarian it is extremely filling, one of the strong points of falafel as well. You can order a sabich and have no remorse that you didn't opt for a schwarma instead.

Iraqi Jews are those credited with bringing sabich to the mainstream, as they would traditionally eat fried eggplant on Saturday morning. The etymological roots of sabich may come from this practice, as "sabah" means morning in Arabic. Others will argue that the name is actually an acronym of the foods that make up Sabich, and I'm sure there are multiple other explanations as well.

Throughout the country you can find many excellent sabich establishments, but in the Tel Aviv area there are four that I frequent. The most famous sabich in the city, and probably the country is Oved, actually located just east of Tel Aviv on Sirkin st. in Givatayim. Famous for its colorful creation of words specific to the process of ordering sabich, there are long lines pretty much any hour the place is open. For example, if you want to have a spicy red sauce all you have to do is say Hapoel, the name of one of the Tel Aviv's soccer team whose color is red. If you want the spicy mango sauce (amba) say Macabbi, the other Tel Aviv team whose color is yellow. Oved is a required experience for any Sabich lover or anyone interested in Israeli food in general, but its not the only option.

In the center of Tel Aviv there are three excellent places to get Sabich. Long lines are also prevalent at Sabich Frishman, at the corner of Frishman and Dizengoff St. Located in about a small of a location as possible, they always serve an excellent portion of Sabich. Right next door is Falafel Frishman, and while they offer good falafel, the much longer lines for sabich tell you which one people think is better. Just a few minutes away is Falafel Gabai on Bograshov street. The staff is extremely friendly and their variety of salads is very appealing and fairly unique. Gabai offers excellent falafel, soups, shakshouka, and other dishes, but I always go for their sabich. Finally, Hakosem, on the corner of Shlomo Hamelech and King George street offers another excellent sabich. Their staff is also very friendly, and when lines are long they are sure to pass you a ball of falafel to keep you satisfied while waiting. The food is great, and their very brightly colored chairs will cheer up anyone's day.

So next time your in line for falafel or schwarma, think about ordering a Sabich instead.

Everything Sabich

Georgia and Yemen in a Tel Aviv Weekend

I ate pretty well this weekend I must admit. Friday, for lunch, I went with my friend Jodie to a hole in the wall Yemenite restaurant near Shuk HaCarmel. Jodie calls the place Irit, because 1) there is no name or signs to the place to give it a proper name and 2) Irit is the warm, friendly owner who runs the place and makes the great food. Irit serves traditional Yemenite dishes such as Lahooch, Jahnoun, Malawach, as well as a great Shakshouka, a variety of soups, amongst others. The hot sauce, hummus, tahina, is all homemade and everything tastes delicious.

My favorite dish is the Lahooch, which is a doughy pancake that Irit folds in half over an egg that appears omelette-ey in its texture and consistency. She then lightly fries it until the outside of the Lahooch is slightly crispy. The Lahooch comes out moist, airy and when topped with her homemade tahina, spicy sauce, and grated tomato puree is really, really tasty. All of her dishes are accompanied by a nice Israeli salad. Irit also treats everyone to spicy Yemenite coffee to finish their meal.

(Lahooch)

Irit's is the kind of place where you always end up speaking with the other patrons (the entire place seats no more than 10-12 people) about how good the food is. Irit, never more than a few feet away engages everybody in conversation, and I feel that for taste and value, Irit's is one of the best places to eat in all of Israel.

Saturday evening I joined some friends for a farewell party at the classic Georgian establishment Nanushka. Nanushka is located on Lilenblum street in the heart of one of Tel Aviv's best restaurant and bar neighborhoods that centers around Rothschild, Lilenblum, Ahad Ha'am and the connecting streets. Georgian food is not well known worldwide, but it is a varied and flavorful cuisine. With a variety of different climates, all sorts of fruits and vegetables grow in Georgia, and the you'll find pomegranates, lamb, stews, dumplings, great beers, a variety of spices throughout traditional Georgian food. At Nanushka up-scale Georgian cuisine is served with dishes like: chicken marinated in tamarind and pomegranate sauces, dumplings, marinated lamb shank, stuffed vegetables, caviar, a variety of eggplant dishes, and much more.

I ordered Chaliya, which is chicken cooked with carmelized onions, tamarind and pomegranate syrups. It was pretty good, but slightly overcooked and a just a little too dry. The spicy, marinated lamb shank that a few of my friends ordered was amazing and the meat was as tender as could be. The starters plate full of different eggplant, beet, stuffed grape leaves was excellent. I could have eaten a variety of salads all night and have left very happy.

Nanushka serves excellent food, and while not cheap, their prices are reasonable. If I have to choose between Irit and Nanushka, though, Irit wins hands down. Irit serves excellent food, has a very unique warm, inviting atmosphere, and is the best value for money in the city. All in all, it was a great weekend for food, and ultimately, I have nothing but praise for the places I ate at.

Next weekend, Alon and I are heading to the Negev to check out some vineyards, goat cheese farms, and restaurants. I'll have a full report on the places we visited in a weeks time.

Georgia and Yemen in a Tel Aviv Weekend

Mojito - Israeli Style

In the previous post I described a recent (last night) experience at Mezcal, an authentic Mexican restaurant and Tequila/Mezcal bar in Tel Aviv. At the end of the meal I was speaking with the chef and asking him where he buys ingredients that are characteristic of Mexican cuisinse yet hard to find in Israel, such as limes. The chef went back into his kitchen and came back with a bag full of limes, something special to get in Israel where limes seem to be in season for a week a year.

In honor of this gift of limes I thought I'd post a recipe for one of my favorite drinks, the Mojito, with an Israeli twist to it. A Mojito is Cuban in origin and traditionally consists of rum, lime, sugar, mint, and ice. After arriving in the US it became popular to add club soda, and most mojitos today are now made this way. I also prefer using club soda, and since moving to Israel I've made my own variations based on some local ingredients. Here's one such recipe.

Pomegranate Mojito

With pomegrantes just coming into season this seems like a good recipe to post

Ingredients
1-1.5 shots clear rum (high quality preferred)
2 spoons sugar or simple syrup (add more as you like)
Juice of 1 lime
Lots of mint - 2-3 sprigs
Pomegranate jewels and juice

Club Soda

Ice

Steps
1) Find a big glass (I like to have room for lots of ice in the drink)
2) Add the rum, lime juice, sugar, and mix well. Taste, and add more sugar or lime juice if needed. Add some of the crushed lime peel if you like.
3) Crush mint leaves from one sprig, add to drink and mix

4) Add a one second pour of pomegranate juice from either a crushed pomegrante or store bought juice. If you have an actual pomegranate add a handful of pomegrante jewels.

5) Pour a one second to second and a half count of club soda and top glass with ice
6) Crush the remaining mint leaves, add and mix well. Enjoy!

Mojito - Israeli Style

Mezcal

Mexican Food Cravings

One of the more "difficult" things about living in Israel, at least for someone who grew up in the US, is the almost complete lack of Mexican food, let alone good Mexican food. Only after you move to a country with no Mexican food do you realize how much you appreciate great salsa, tacos, guacamole, tostadas, etc...available everywhere.

For several years, after moving to Israel, I did not eat Mexican food even once until I was introduced to the great intimate and authentic Mexican restaurant Mezcal. Located in the trendy Southern Tel Aviv neighborhood of Florentin Mezcal has the best (and only?) selection of high quality Mezcal and Tequila in the city and probably the country. I enjoy a good shot of tequila or its spirit cousin Mezcal, but for me the food is what makes Mezcal special.

Mezcal doesn't offer tex-mex cuisine, what most "Mexican" restaurants in the US serve, rather authentic Mexican cuisine. They serve corn tortillas, enchilades verdes (or rojos if you ask the chef nicely), tostadas, a great chile con carne (possibly Texan and not Mexcian), and my favorite dish Chicken in Mole.

Mole is a type of Mexican sauce that can involve upwards of twenty ingredients, and there are dozens of different kinds. The Mole used on on this incredibly tender chicken dish is a Mole Poblano, from the Mexican city of Puebla. This mole is fairly well known for its use of chocolate as a primary ingredient. The chocolate adds a very special dimension and creates an amazing complex flavor I'm not going to even try to describe. You just have to go to your nearest authentic Mexican restaurant, hope they have it on the menu, and taste it for yourself.

At the end of the night I was speaking with the chef about how he prepares some of his dishes and I asked where he gets limes from. For that don't know, you can't get limes in Israel. Once a year, magically, they'll show up in the market for a few days, and then they're gone...Keyser Soze style. After asking the question the chef went back into his kitchen and brought me back a bag full of limes, a truly special present for me. It's nice to know that when I get my Mexican food cravings I have a place to go.

Address:
Mezcal

Vital 2, Florentin Neighborhood
Tel Aviv

Mezcal