Sunday, June 17, 2012

The Joy of Eating...in the Occupied West Bank

There are ingredients that are added and mixed to create a tasty dish, and then there are ingredients that go into making the whole of a meal-going experience desirable in itself.


The environment of where you eat your meal can leave a lasting impression. Sometimes the adventure is the meal, sometimes it’s the journey to the meal. I had the good fortune of attending a number of restaurants  in Palestine in the summer of 2010 during my nearly five week stay. I can't stress how much of a joy it was to discover all the new, charming eateries in Palestine.


A meal at Zamn


It became kind of a fun challenge of constantly trying to discover a location that had a combination of what we deemed were a restaurant’s best qualities. We took into account all the things that catered to our group’s needs at that particular time. These qualities were: overall environment, availability of TVs to watch World Cup matches, food (taste, quality and creativity), hookah availability (for the water pipe addicts), service (fascinating in a culture that doesn’t take or rely on tips), and location.


Keep in mind that these restaurants were mostly on the higher priced side of the things. If you're looking for cheap eats, most of these places are not the way to go. But if you've got extra spending money, support these places!


Also, it's been two since years since I've been to Palestine. There are probably plenty of cool, new places you can try out for yourself that I've never even heard of. Let me know how they are. The availability of televisions might not be important to you unless you're there watching the European Cup with everyone else. But the TV viewing experience was an atmosphere unto itself as Palestinian society usually drops everything else its doing to watch the soccer, er football, matches.


 I’ll attempt to review these establishments to the best of my ability and memory, using the aforementioned qualities as a guideline. Hopefully I can take you back to these places and meals with my stories. But my biggest hope is that one day you’ll go to Palestine, personally discover these gems, and write your own restaurant adventures.



"SANGRIA’S"
The first restaurant that I visited with a few cousins, Sangria holds a special place in my heart. It is here where the "Sesame-less Sesame Chicken Tender" story took place. Long story short, don't order "Sesame Chicken Tenders" unless you're really looking forward to the sesame. Because if you do order it, realize the sesame is non-existent, ask the waiter where the sesame is and why it's called "SESAME Chicken Tenders", he will go to the Cook, ask him and come back with a "I Don't Know." Isn't that great?


Part of the outdoor appeal at Sangria
Environment: Quaint outdoor setting with small path leading to tables surrounded by torches and trees. It has a backdoor garden feel to it. A lot of foreigners seemed to flock here.
TVs: Available. We watched Spain lose to Chile, I believe. It was a long time ago. I'll have to ask the people I was with to refresh my memory.
Food: The Sesame Chicken Tenders were sesame-less. Call it The Great Sangria Mystery.
Hookah: Available.
Service: The service was OK when they could answer questions about items on their menu.
Location: 22 Jaffar Street. Easily accessible from mid-town Ramallah. Parking was easy to find.
Telephone011 972 2-295-6808
Bottom Line: Worth a visit, especially if you'd like to attempt to solve the mystery of sesame-less sesame chicken fingers.

"ZEN"
Zen is where our first big group outing took place. We went to Zen late one night, after a relative's Henna party. We probably arrived there after 11 pm. It was relatively empty because it was late, but I got a good vibe from the place. It seemed modern and sophisticated. Our memorable experience here was winning a stereo/CD Player. The staff wrote down our guesses on the final score for the World Cup match we were watching. The correct guesses earned a chance to draw their name from a raffle. Two people at our table (both of my brothers, in fact) correctly guessed the final score and, because the competition lacked in quantity, one of my brothers won the stereo/CD player. A few of us took turns taking pictures with the brand new stereo/CD Player...the trophy.
Celebrating at Zen


Environment: Modern, low key vibe. To be honest we got there late. It might have been insanely busy earlier in the night for all we knew. But when we got there, it was the perfect post-party (or Henna party) atmosphere.
TVs: Available. My brother won a stereo/CD Player because of the game we watched.
Food: The fries weren't quite crispy enough---the eternal problem we faced in Palestine. The chicken tenders (Yes, I was on a chicken tender mission) were alright, but the plate mostly consisted of garnish, so don't order it if you're hungry.
Hookah: Order "kayf", whatever that is.
Service: The service was good and swift. No problems, but we were most of their customers at the time because it was late.
Location: I wouldn't remember how to get there on my own. It's above a movie theater. Even though it was late and we still couldn't park right beneath the building.
Bottom Line: Worth a visit, but bring a male companion/cousin if it's late at night.


"ORIJUWAN"
This restaurant, above all others, paid attention to detail. Everything was painstakingly planned out, including the menu, and you could easily tell. The waiters were professional, the food was great and it rivaled many food establishment I've attend in America. This was probably the most upscale restaurant that we attended, but it was still laid back enough to have a good time. 


The decor was simple, clean and modern. I LOVED IT HERE. After visiting this place the first time, it was our first choice for the World Cup Championship match, but of course it was booked. You might need to call ahead of time to secure a table.

The bathroom was one of the cleanest and most impressive I'd ever been to, here or in America, and that's saying something. 


One of the delightful concoctions at Orijuwan
Environment: We sat outside and it would have been just as nice sitting inside. It fell within the Palestinian tradition of having an almost casual, garden-like setting. Decor was zen, minimalist, modern and artfully put together. There was a family there, but I'd leave the kids at home.
TVs: Available. My brother took it upon himself to loudly do impressions of the soccer play by play guy. We're convinced the family at the table next to us moved because of that.
Food: The best part about this place. It was a self described Palestinian-Italian infusion. We ordered a fried mashed potato appetizer and they brought us these crispy, za'tar pieces...I don't even know what they were. It wasn't bread. It was just crispy. And delicious. And free. I ordered a pasta dish that was good, but the sauce was a little on the sour side. I think I just craved a fettuccine sauce and was bound for disappointment regardless of what dish I had. Other items on the menu included creative twists on traditional Palestinian dishes and meats. I was excited about trying other menu items in the future.
Hookah: I don't think I ordered a hookah, but everyone else did and seemed to enjoy theirs.
Service: Great service. The staff was accommodating and at one point added another table when others joined our party with no problem. They were very professional.
Location: Khalil Al-Sakakini St. Al-Maysoun, Ramallah.
Telephone+972.2.297 6870
Bottom Line: Must visit. Go! Now!


"ANGELOS"
This classic Italian restaurant has existed in Ramallah for as long as I can remember. It's still thriving.
Brick oven pizza at Angelos


Environment: Nothing fancy, but is a comfort to those of us looking for reliably good food in a decent spot.
TVs: Available, but not in an ideal spot to watch for everyone.
Food: Reliable and not too expensive if you share something like a pizza with a friend. The pizza is baked in a beautiful brick oven. There are many tasty Italian options on the menu to try.
Hookah: No one goes to Angelos for the hookah.
Service: okay.
Location: Off of Rukab's street in Ramallah. Easy to reach.
Telephone+972 (2) 2956408, +972 (2) 2981455
Bottom Line: Worth a visit.


"CHINESE RESTAURANT"
Yes, it's called (or was called) "Chinese Restaurant" and you're not wrong in assuming they sell Chinese food.
Asian flair at the Chinese Restaurant


Environment: Looks Asian. That's always a plus for a Chinese restaurant in Palestine. Not very busy. Apparently Palestinians aren't obsessed with Chinese food.
TVs: Nope
Food: Surprisingly good. If you're craving Chinese, it does the trick.
Hookah: Nope
Service: It wasn't very busy, so you don't have to worry about getting your food too late.
Location: You need to ask someone about this one. It's on the second or third floor of a semi-high rise. That's all I could tell you. The name may have changed since 2010.
Bottom Line: Worth a visit.


"CRISPY"
This opened in 2010. The owner is a friendly Palestinian woman who lived in America before she decided to return to Palestine to try opening her own restaurant. Her kids still live in America. This place is for the American craving some good ol' fashioned fried chicken and an American vibe.


American friendly Crispy's menu board
Environment: Super laid back, clean, fast food place.. Should be comfortable and familiar to Palestinian-Americans.
TVs: Nope.
Food: Nothing fancy, but it's nice to know you can order fast food. The only thing missing is the drive-thru.
Hookah: Nope.
Service: Pretty good. It was new, but the employees seemed well trained.
Location: Located on the lower part of the gorgeous Al-Teerah Street. Beautiful location, brand new spot, and with a great view.
Telephone +972 (2) 2956661
Bottom Line: Worth a visit.


"DIWAN"
A lot of hype for a so-so place (IF this is the place I think it is).


Environment: Mediterranean look and family friendly. I wasn't in love, but I'd give it another go.
TVs: Definitely plenty of TVs. Very World Cup friendly.
Food: Didn't really try out food on the menu. To be honest, there was nothing on the menu that I would've gone out of my way to try. It seemed like it had the generic list of things you could order.
Hookah: Definitely.
Service: I know it was a super busy night, but the waiter was mostly a no-show.
Location: It was near the water company in Ramallah.
Telephone:  +972 (2) 2966483
Bottom Line: Not a necessary visit, but doesn't hurt to try.


"PESTO CAFE AND RESTAURANT"
If you want good food and a good environment, this place is reliable.
This photo doesn't do Pesto's loveliness justice


Environment: It's a cafe and acted the part.
TVs: I don't remember if this place was TV friendly, but honestly, you come here for breakfast and not for the TV.
Food: Very good. It's safe to say you'll find something you'll like here.
Hookah: Nope.
Service: Good
Location: Al Maysoun, Michelangelo Street, 00970 Ramallah
Telephone: +972 (2) 2970705, +972 (2) 2970706
 Bottom Line: Must visit.


"JDOUDNA"
Great Arab dishes.I had the "msakhan" (Fresh baked bread smothered in caramelized onions, pine nuts, tenderly cooked chicken and sumac. I also had something else, but the msakhan is what I remember best. It was delicious. This place is a bit pricey, but definitely tasty.
Plenty of tasty menu options at Jdoudna


Environment: Beautiful, old Palestine decor. Nice nostalgic feeling.
TVs: I don't remember if this place was TV friendly, but honestly, you come here for the food and not for the TV.
Food: Very good. It's safe to say you'll find something you'll like here.
Hookah: Possibly.
Service: Good
Location: Jaffar Street, Ramallah
Bottom Line: Must visit if you're in the mood for Arabic food that isn't only falafel or shawerma, but pricey.


"RUKAB"
Legendary ice cream joint. If you haven't been here, you haven't really been to Ramallah. There's a reason why they also call the main street it is located on "Rukab Street".
As if you need to be tempted by a photo


Environment:Family friendly, always busy.
TVs: Nope
Food: If I'm feeling fancy, I get a chocolate mud. But if I'm thirsty, the lemon slushy does the trick.
Hookah: Nope.
Service: Always busy, always good.
Location: Main street. AKA Rukab's Street. <-Duh.
Telephone:  +972 (2)295-3467
Bottom Line: Don't miss.


"SKY BAR (Ankars Suites and Hotel)"
Look for this building and you'll find Sky Bar
One of the highlights of our restaurant trips. Located at the top of the Ankars Suites and Hotel, this is a swanky place. It feels like a place white collar workers would stop by after a long day at work. The blue lighting helps set the posh vibe.


Environment: Top notch atmosphere. Not kid friendly.
TVs: No.
Food: Decent. There's plenty to choose from, but this is mostly a hang out type place.
Hookah: Definitely more of a hookah place than a food spot.
Service: Good
Location: Al-Maysoun St., Ramallah. On top of Ankars Suites and Hotel!
Telephone: +972 (2) 2952602
Bottom Line: Must visit. Probably better if you have a male companion/cousin/brother, ladies.


"TAL EL-QAMAR"
Not exactly a new spot, but still looked like it was taken care of 10 years after I first visited this spot. A good enough reason to give it a try.


"Fresh" hookah with fruit
Environment: Oddly, I've seen parents bring their kids. But this is meant to be grown ups only.
TVs: I can't remember. Yes?
Food: Pretty good. Their sesame chicken tenders have sesame in them, at least. Always something to choose from.
Hookah: Definitely a hookah place. Try the "fresh" version of their hookah. The hookah is placed in fruit, rather than the regular head.
Service: Good
Location: At the top of the Naser Building on Rukab's Street.
Telephone:  +972 (2)298-7905/6
Bottom Line: Worth a try. Might help to have a male companion/cousin/brother later at night.


"TROPICANA"
We had a bad experience here. Service was terrible! We heard so much about this place and how great it was. It seemed like a pretty backdoor garden-type place, but the service was so bad, we wouldn't have gone back. It was a World Cup final match, but that gave no excuse to never hear from our waiter after first walking in. Waiting more than half an hour to get more than one cup of coffee between the four of us was enough to make us walk out.
The happy children aren't enough to make me go back


Environment: If we didn't hate it so much, we'd admit it reminded us of a semi-decent garden party.
TVs: There was a big projector, but it wasn't cool that we got there to watch the World Cup final early and we were placed somewhere in the back. When others walked in later, the waiter seated them closer to the projector.
Food: I wouldn't know. We ordered a few cups of coffee and only one came. And we waited until half time to get it.
Hookah: Available, but we never got it.
Service: Absolutely terrible.
Location: Forgot.
Telephone: +972 (2) 2975661
Bottom Line: Visit at your own risk.


 "ZAMN"
Wi-Fi friendly at Zamn
Great place. Great Cafe. I mean, look at their website. It's obvious they care. It's a trendy coffee place where you'll see posh customers bringing their toy dogs with them. Seriously. Another plus is it seems that all the employees speak English there.
Open daily from 7 am-11 pm.
The waffles will leave you smiling



Environment: Played the part of posh coffee house well. I do believe it was WI-FI friendly!
TVs: No. But that's not why you go.
Food: Great cold coffees and compares to American cafes. The waffles were a stand out, but there is bound to be something to please anyone visiting. Air conditioned and sleek designs.
Hookah: Nope.
Service: Great.
Location: Al-Tirah Street, Ramallah
Telephone 02-2950600
Bottom Line: Must visit.


"VATCHE" (pronounced va-chay)
 Really busy, which was a good sign. We came here after we bounced from Tropicana. We left for a different location because there wasn't really anywhere to sit. It was World Cup Finals night, by the way. It's open from noon until midnight.
Need to eat


Environment: Trendy and fancy place. Definitely would give it another go, but would dress up the second time around.
TVs: Yes.
Food: Didn't try it, but it looked eclectic and good.
Hookah: Yes.
Service: We weren't there long enough to test the staff, but it seemed pretty busy and the waiters looked busy on World Cup Finals night, which is a good sign. They weren't just sitting around.
Location: Grand Park St., Al-Maysoun, Ramallah
Telephone: 02-296 5966
Bottom Line: Must visit.


"GRAND PARK HOTEL"
We watched the second half of the World Cup championship soccer match between the Netherlands and Spain here. It was an outdoor setting, around a pool with a large projector. It honestly felt like we should have gotten in with a cover charge or something, but we just walked in. I think we got away with something.
Just a glimpse of the Grand Park Hotel


Environment: In terms of environment, this was one of my favorite. Classy feel, laid back vibe.
TVs: Large projector.
Food: I just had the fries and they were good. I'd go back to try more, though. The group I was with raved about the mint-lemonade.
Hookah: Yes.
Service: Great. You wouldn't have known it was a World Cup Finals match based on the service. We had the attention we wanted.
Location: Al Maysoun Heights, Ramallah
Telephone: +972 (2) 298-6194
Bottom Line: Must visit.


"SNOWBAR"
Named after the pine nut trees that surround this restaurant/hangout (hence the name being pronounced "Snobar" in Arabic, which translates in pine nut), this location had an excellent atmosphere and wonderfully secluded feel. There are outdoor couches and chairs, as well as cushioned seats on rocky tiers.  It also has a swimming pool that's apparently popular during the day and is open from 9 am-5 pm. The restaurant remains open until late at night.
Doesn't do the secluded beauty of Snowbar justice


Environment: It's hard to explain unless you visit, but it was an atmosphere like no other.It has a bar, so some of the people can be rowdy there. It's smart to have at least one male companion in your group. Also, the visit to the bathroom seems sketchy, so try to travel in pairs. There was a bonfire and a summer-party vibe. Looks like it's frequented by internationals. They also played a lot of popular American songs. It's really a cool place.
TVs: Large projector.
Food: I don't remember ordering much. Someone I was with ordered a hamburger. Looks like there's a few things to try, but nothing spectacular.
Hookah: Definitely a hookah spot. Perfect hookah spot.
Service: Good
Location: Near Ramallah city center, but call for directions.
Telephone: 059-926-4663, 02-296-5571
Bottom Line: Must visit. Probably better to have a male companion/cousin/brother with you, ladies.


"DARNA"
Come see and be seen here
I didn't visit this restaurant in the summer of 2010. I did visit it in 2006, however. But it's memorable enough to include. It's an upscale, posh place where you're likely to run into Palestinian or foreign authority figures. Be prepared for a large bill. This is a see and be seen place.


Environment: Upscale, but family friendly.
TVs: Don't remember.
Food: The menu had plenty of options. Anything from fish, to fries, to fettuccine Alfredo. It really had an array of options that were pricey, but looked good.
Hookah: Yes.
Service: Great. To be expected at a fancy shmancy-type place.
Location: Off of Al-Sahel Street, near Ramallah Municipality.
Telephone02-295-0590
Bottom Line: Must visit.


Honorable Mentions:


"STAR PIZZA"
Not the best pizza I’ve ever eaten, but certainly better than plenty of the greasy delivery pizzas here in the states. A reliable place for those late night munchies, no delivery fee, free drinks with your order and oregano provided. It also gave me a new found respect for a thin crust pizza. Thin crust can be nice if it doesn’t remind you of a cracker. Well done, Star Pizza. And their advertising (spray painted "Star Pizza" with their phone number all around our village) worked.


Service: Great. But it helped that we ordered so much, they knew who we were.
Location: The village of Ein Yabrood.




Mouth watering kenafa
"UMARA"
This Kenafa spot is my personal favorite. I couldn't even tell you how to get there, I just know I always end up there.


One of the many treats at the European bakery
"EUROPEAN COFFEE SHOP"
Located on Main st. (aka Rukab St.) in Ramallah, you can always rely on this bakery fulfilling your sweet tooth. I have a personal aversion to Black Forest cake, but everything else is good.
Telephone: +972 (2) 29517031, +972 (2) 2966505

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