Food review

My first surprise was how many haredim live in the city – a fact that likely influenced the restaurant’s decision to turn kosher. The second surprise was how good the food was.

It has been a few years since we ventured into Tel Aviv to sample the food at Nini Hachi, one of the veteran Japanese eateries, which has been around for about 12 years.

If you want to buy cooked food or are having a party, head over to Goldy’s, where hostess trays are available.

Chef Amit Cohen does an excellent job of reproducing the authentic flavors of Italy in the heart of Israel.

In all my years of restaurant reviews, this is the first time the meal started with a dvar Torah from the waiter.

The only true downside of eating such great food at these insane prices was that my need for a post-meal nap was simply too much to handle, and I missed the light show.

The name of the restaurant, Oshpalao, is also the name of the classic Bukharan dish, consisting of rice, meat, and chickpeas.

The Terrace is open in the summers and takes advantage of the cool Jerusalem evenings. I even suggest taking a sweater to put on once the sun goes down.

If you haven’t been there lately, not much has changed, except that “Ima,” Miriam Binyamin, has retired and her son, Yaron, now runs the place.

We left Goldy’s, but not before Yitshak had thrust a huge bag of takeaway food into our hands, which meant I had a wonderful Friday not spent in the kitchen for a change. 

It was a lovely evening. And if the proprietors can solve the personnel problem – we were told they find it very difficult to get staff – they will be doing themselves a great favor.