It was a perfect mix, in a perfect size, in a perfect atmosphere and at a perfect price

The Tel Aviv deficit, of more than a decade, in mixed Jerusalem, was already filled with the first bite in "Habibi"

David Rosenthal

26/04/2022

Tuesday, 26 April 2022, 08:20

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From all next door.

Habibi (Photo: Walla !, David Rosenthal)

"Sorry, not involved."

I may not be going around in the right places, and surely many of you will disagree with me and tell me about the secret strongholds they go to, but the meat mixture known as "Jerusalem mixed" has long since spread its wings and left the central region.

I mean, in theory it exists and even excels in the signage of quite a few places, only that for almost every eatery I went in and ordered I was told there was none, whether "today" or "at all".

I think I have not eaten Jerusalem mixed for more than a decade in the central region.

This concept has become so virtual to me that at one point I just stopped asking.

As in failed romantic situations, I decided it was “no” even before I accepted the refusal.

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Bright and inviting sign.

Habibi (Photo: David Rosenthal)

For this reason, while walking on the pedestrian precinct of Jerusalem, I approached the small boutique of "Habibi" at the beginning of Ben Yehuda Street with apprehension on the Sunday after Pesach.

Maybe it was the logo of the place and the color of the tables outside - bright yellow-black (is there a Jerusalemite of this, especially after the last derby?) That attracted me.

"Got involved?"

I asked while the sign above me indicated "Habibi - mixed asali".

Now, let's learn a lesson on perspective and tact.

For me it was a legitimate question, after all I am so learning disappointments, that I am asked to grope the ground.

But the girl behind the counter was almost offended by the question.

Who the hell asks in a Jerusalemite place, proudly declaring that he serves mixed, if there is mixed?

"Yes," she replied firmly.

Well, come on, not really firmly, she was nice, but in my head I got a ringing slap that also came to me.

'Shame on you, tactless like you,' I thought to myself, 'why next time you do not go into a Japanese restaurant and ask if they have sushi,

In short, I ordered a plate mixed with rice and chips.

The respectable dish comes with pita on the side, but I decided to go wild, added four shekels and got a soft and endearing baguette.

Although your father was there on the Sunday after Pesach, it is still pleasant to sit in the middle of the sidewalk and enjoy a real piece of Jerusalem.

The mountain air is far from clear as wine, but fuck it - it looks delicious here.

perfect.

Habibi (Photo: David Rosenthal)

And delicious it really was, the closest to perfect.

A deficit of over a decade was already filled in the first bite, when I combined the mixed with the excellent baguette.

The seasoning was great, the chips were great, the rice came well, it did not feel too oily - just one big happiness.

It was fun, fun, fun.

As Mo the bartender from The Simpsons said: "I feel like there's a party in my mouth and everyone is invited."

Everything was in place and just shouted "more".

I may be overly enthusiastic, but two other factors made this meal a welcome event.

One is quantity.

The baguette turned out to be a great choice to close any possibility that I would leave the place hungry, but apparently even without it I would have reached satiety.

The second factor, which envelops everything in the taste of more, is the price.

This dish cost me 49 shekels and because of the upgrade to the baguette I paid 53 shekels.

53 shekels (just like children's pasta with nothing).

Are you kidding me?

In those moments I remembered how my wife had only sent me a photo a few days before from one of the well-known chains, which offered a NIS 50 baguette with a small portion of meat, one that only a few months ago cost NIS 35.

Remember, this is a sumptuous dish on a plate, one that in Tel Aviv reaches a minimum of NIS 70 and I am still delicate.

The world has long gone crazy, only in Jerusalem are they left behind, in a good way.

I had never heard of "Habibi" before, but my intuition, which more than once gets a painful slap in the face, did not go wrong this time.

It was a perfect mix, in a perfect size, in a perfect atmosphere and at a perfect price.

The 53 shekels I spent this week, and it just started.

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Tags

• Jerusalem mixed grill

• Food review

• Street food

• Jerusalem