THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 16 Friday, April 9, 1982 Many Good Restaurants in Jerusalem Are Well-Hidden THE BLUE BUBBY memorable experience for people from abroad. However, the city has never been particularly famous for its restaurants. Therefore, good eating places in Jerusalem deserve to be noted — especially for the sake of relatively low- budget travellers who want something more than a felafel and less than an ex- pensive repast in an opulent setting. Of course pilgrims to Jerusalem with well- padded pocket-books, or un- adventurous souls who never take chances, can al- ways fall back on the standard hotel and "guide- book recommended" eating establishments, many of which are high-priced. There is the Gondola, where the late Golda Meir enjoyed Italian food, the Georgian, an ethnic eatery of substantial Merit, or Chez Simon, a French res- taurant of excellent repute. By JAMES LEWIN Returns May 25th & 26th World Zionist Press Service JERUSALEM — A visit to Jerusalem is invariably a ■■ 1 ■ 1•111111‘410, , MAIL BOX POSTS "EXPERTLY INSTALLED" 355-4445 • ATTRACTIVE • VANDAL RESISTANT • SOLID CEDAR POST • CEMENTED 24" BELOW GROUND • MEETS U.S. POSTAL SPECIFICATIONS • ONE YR. WORKMANSHIP GUARANTEE REFERENCES. AVAILABLE $65 share double box with a neighbor $80 other styles available priced accordingly * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * TO THE GREATEST SON, BROTHER and UNCLE In the World!! "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" RONALD BARRY RADER On This Momentous Day "April 6th" WE LOVE YOU Mom & Dad Lynne, Donna, Allen, Robbie, Kevin, Heather, Kerry * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ir * * * * * * * * * * * Hotels like the King David, Plaza and Hilton, offer good food though at high prices. Another excellent, but ex- pensive meal can be found at the prestigious Mis- hkenot Hashaananin res- taurant. For Orthodox religious visitors to Jerusalem, who wish for a solid kosher dinner, the best bets would be The Cen- tral Restaurant near the black-coated Me a Shearim enclave, and Europa in Zion Square, a veteran master of tradi- tional Hungarian cuisine. Some of the better Jerusalem restaurants spe- cialize in fish dishes only. One may choose among The Dolphin, an Israeli owned restaurant in the Arab neighborhood of East Jerusalem, Beni's near the center of the city or Savion's across the road from Terra Sancta. Also recommended are the vegetarian menus at the Bavli, on the Street of the Prophets, the Alpin on King George Street or the very central Soya restaurant on Histadrut Street. All are reasonably priced. One of the best-kept "open secrets" of gourmets in Jerusalem is Cohen's, a very inconspicuous restau- rant with an anonymous almost shabby exterior and hidden genius concealed within. Located on a side- street across from the Edi- son movie theater, you could easily pass by Cohen's tiny place without realizing that it's the kind of restau- rant favored by celebrities and connoisseurs for whom good food is more important than spacious facilities or attentive service. The most economical, yet satisfying, way of enjoying Mr. Cohen's original gastronomical creations is to request a $21 Set of 4 $13.50 $28 Giftware at a special price . . $58 T11. r a n Steel forged one piece handles $31 Cross, Anne Klein, Val St. Lambert, St. Thomas, Lenox, Orrefors, Avitra ... all 25% to 50% off. NEVER less than 25% discount in 36 years! 31313 Northwestern • Farmington Hills 851-7333 Inc. Hours: Mon.-Sat. 9:30-5:00 VISA • Jeelr'\,, Designers & Manufacturers of Original and Unusual Creations • Authorized Appraisers • Estate Liquidators --- •11- 111111111111MMIIIIMMINba..- fresh salad as an ap- petizer and several or- ders of the variety of stuf- fed vegetables — eggplants, artichokes, tomatoes, onions and squash. These dishes, cooked with mouth- watering delicacy, using the best quality kosher ground meat, walnuts and tantalizing sauce, are considered by connois- seurs as among the most exquisite culinary de- lights available in Israel today. Two or three help- ings, complete with cof- fee and most extraordi- nary stuffed plums for (Wsert, constitutes a meal to remember at a quite reasonable price. A dinner at Cohen's in- cluding kebab or shishlik is also excellent, though less special and also more costly. Menaggen's, possibly Jerusalem's greatest at- traction for economical epicureans, combines a common exterior with a working-man's ambience. Located off the open-air market in Mehane Yehuda, Menaggen's specializes in ordinary oriental-style Jewish cooking. The humous here, accord- ing to many experts, is the best in the city. The soup is savory and the meat-balls are the type of food to build muscles on. A great place for a low-cost lunch. Much less known is Kadosh's oriental restau- rant in the gas station opposite Gan Sacher. This can't compare with Menaggen for a really cheap meal but neither can it be easily beaten in terms of value for money. The favorite spot of many Jerusalemites seeking a quick lunch is Taami in the center of town. Here, how- ever, while the soup, the su- perb humous and the shishlik are all beyond criticism, and prices cheaper than cheap, the emphasis is on speed rather than style. Patrons who'd rather not gobble down their food in fast gulps run the risk of a brusque rebuke from the owner, who has been known to ask them ag- gressively whether they came to eat or to chat. However, right next door to the Taami, on Sha-mmai Street, another small res- - taurant has as relaxed a tempo as anyone could ask for. The Downtown of- fer's a full selection of salads and sandwiches, a variety of soups, crepes and desserts, at a reasonable price. An excellent standard steak meal is served by l'Entre- cote on nearby Hillel Street, a civilized restaurant which is also reasonably priced. An originally adventur- ous, but now accepted part of Jerusalem's culinary landscape, is to be found in a new spate of authentic Chinese restaurants mostly run by Vietnamese refu- gees. That these boat people have found new homes in Is- rael is an unmitigated boon to the country, for some people are simply unable to live without Chinese food. However, one word of warn- ing: if kashrut is a key criteria, most Chinese res- taurants don't even try to qualify. Perhaps one could stick to the purely vegeta- rian dishes and get by with- out transgression, though a rabbi might disagree. Two strictly kosher Chinese eateries have opened up in Jerusalem, including the well ap- pointed Marina in th President Hotel. It is nc to be confused with the Chung Hwa, located be- side a gas-station in Kiryat HaYovel, which features some of the most delicate and delectable Cantonese cooking this side of Hong Kong. The chicken with walnuts is scrumptious. The pepper-beef beats all. And the duckling is a palatable delight. One popular new restau- rant tucked snugly below the Russian Compound, is called The Tsrif, which is Hebrew for "hut" or "shack," indicating an un- pretentious place, perhaps off the beaten track. The outstanding quality of the Tsrif is its atmosphere of bright friendliness, with fresh flowers on every table and picture windows look- ing into a green Jerusalem lane. The food is impeccably prepared and served by people who actually seem to enjoy their work. This, in contrast to --the all-too- typical sloppy, resentful service sometimes encountered in Israeli eateries. The concept of the menu at The Tsrif (which is not kosher) is, basically, any- thing and everything baked in a light pie-crust. Among the variety of cheese pies with vegetables, the leeks offer an especially delicate flavor, combining thick melted- cheese with the suc- culent tang of green onions. Also highly recommended is the spicy fresh mushroom pie. As an appetizer, one may choose from several excellent soups and salads, and for dessert, enjoy the apple-pie filled with custard and topped with whipped cream, provided you don't mind the calories. One ques- tion mark hanging over the Tsrif is whether it ca survive its own success There is sometimes a line waiting for tables for half an hour or more. A res- taurant with high standards must maintain them if it wishes to preserve its good name. Another good restaurant, so successful that it has moved to larger premises, is Mamma Mia's, which, under a different name, first opened as a pizza parlor and now serves a whole range of Italian delicacies. It's kosher because ingredients are limited to cheese, pasta and vegetables. The meatless lasagna melts in your mouth and is (Continued on Page 17)