Mazaj restaurant: the Druze you don't know in the north, and it's a shame

A combination of Druze, Syrian and Arab cuisine and a special and delicious vegan menu - alongside all the well-known restaurants in Kfar Rama, there's a chance you missed Mazaj.

Here are all the reasons to come visit here

have a root

08/23/2022

Tuesday, August 23, 2022, 08:00

• Share on Facebook

• Share on WhatsApp

• Share on Twitter

• Share by email

• Share in general

• Comments

  Comments

Opening salads is relatively familiar.

Mazaj Restaurant (Photo: Gilad Har Shelag)

The village of Rama, in the Beit HaKerem valley, in the heart of the Galilee, has long since become a pilgrimage center for those looking for authentic and unusual restaurants on their way to the north.

Among the best known are Sharabich which was recently closed (unfortunately), the beloved Ezba restaurant, El Arish, Hummus Abu Rami and much more.

But there is one restaurant, which serves mixed Druze cuisine, that you are probably less familiar with, and it seems to us that the time has come.

Mazaj (mood in Arabic) restaurant in Kfar Rama opened four years ago (in 2018), but since then, like all of us, it has gone through the corona virus and many changes.

The dishes in the restaurant, as well as the food in every house in the village where Druze, Muslims and Christians live, is based on the high quality olive oil of the village, the raw materials are fresh, and many dishes are based on raw materials and local seasonal herbs.

Cylindrical view.

Mazaj Restaurant (Photo: Gilad Har Shelag)

The restaurant that overlooks vineyards and the Galilee landscape was opened by Paddy Kiesel, after he finished working as a bank teller.

Paddy, who studied cooking at Rimonim College, built the menu based on long-cooking dishes, some of which are also worked on by his confectioner wife, who is also responsible for the desserts.

Along with Paddy who cooks in the kitchen, the chef, Priel Kiyal, also cooks.

Druze cuisine differs from village to village, and most of it is based on Syrian cuisine.

Here they chose to combine it with the Arab cuisine that is typical of the village and the region, but also put a great emphasis on the vegan diners who get a wide and special menu here based on fresh raw materials, without substitutes, and without processed materials.

In the vegan menu you will find, besides the well-known ones - majdera, friki and many salads, also dishes such as vegan shishbarak in cashew yogurt, vegetarian koba cooked in vegan yogurt, sholabato - a bulgur stew with zucchini, tomatoes and pepper, siniya lentils and more.

And if that's not enough for dessert, they prepare impressive and delicious vegan beer nights here.

More in Walla!

Food

A hidden hamburger, a European cafe and a corrupt bakery: 7 food (and hotel) recommendations in the north

To the full article

There is vegan barak! (Photo: Gilad Har Shelag)

Beer nights in the vegan version (photo: Gilad Har Shelag)

There is also a lamb market for the worried (photo: Gilad Har Shelag)

The menu is of course not intended only for vegans and along with the well-known salads you will find here dishes with seasonal wild leaves, hummus with lentils, long-cooked lamb shank with cheshwa, quail roasted on the fire, served with friki, Kadaif kebab - veal kebab with the house seasoning, topped with Kadaif herds, served with Tahini and salad, asado casserole on a periki bed and more.

Our recommendation, don't miss a visit here the next time you come to the area.

• Food

• The food news

Tags

• restaurants

• Arabic food

• Druze food

• naturalism

• Rama village