Chai masala, pineapple, saffron, arabica coffee, white cheese and berries, and almond and rosewater are just some of the flavors that the Mousseline ice-cream store offers to cool off from the heat.
By YAEL BRYGELMousseline’s new branch on Hanassi Street, near the corner of Ha’ari.(photo credit: YAEL BRYGEL)
Across from the President’s Residence, heat-fatigued individuals stumbled into the cool embrace of the Mousseline ice-cream store. One by one they took their order from Gaya Wajsman, a weary high-school student with a penchant for caramel- flavored ice cream.Chai masala, pineapple, saffron, arabica coffee, white cheese and berries, and almond and rosewater were just some of the flavors, along with more conventional offerings such as Belgian chocolate and rum raisin. Regular basil was also available, for those not quite ready to traverse the risky terrain of basil and grapefruit.First-time customer Carmelle ordered two scoops, arabica coffee and caramel, before making her way to sit on one of the store’s two wall benches. There on the recommendation of a friend, the graphic designer wasn’t disappointed.Lior is a dedicated customer who is able to rattle off the store’s flavors without batting an eyelash. “This really is the best ice cream in the city,” she explained excitedly.Customers came in and out of the store; some picked up kilo or halfkilo containers, and others sat or stood in a haphazard fashion just outside the store’s entrance.Mousseline opened at this location just four months ago as a local offshoot of the famed parlor in Mahaneh Yehuda. The store’s clientele consists primarily of residents of Talbiyeh and the surrounding Katamon and Rehavia neighborhoods, though owner Orit Vardi notes that President Reuven Rivlin has yet to make an appearance.She set up Mousseline more than seven years ago close to her home in the Katamonim, where she still lives and works out of a small factory.In 2008, the store relocated to its shuk location, where it has become a hotspot for locals and tourists; on Fridays, tour groups come in droves.Vardi lists some differences between the stores. While coconut is a crowd-pleaser in the market, it remains almost untouched in the Talbiyeh location. Rum raisin is popular in the Talbiyeh branch.Vardi’s story is every bit as unexpected as the flavors she chooses to create – which include wasabi. Originally from Herzliya, the now- 46-year-old mother of five moved to Jerusalem 20 years ago, where she studied and then worked as a hi-tech employee before making a dramatic career change and enrolling in the Paris-based Ecole Lenôtre, a leading French culinary school. Her decision to open a store stemmed from her love of all things sugary.“I wanted to have access to free ice cream for the rest of my life,” she says, “and I thought that everyone else may as well enjoy it, too.”Ironically, Vardi hasn’t eaten ice cream in two years – claiming she has lost interest – although her five-year-old son more than makes up for this slump by ingesting four or five scoops a day. “And they’re not even child portions!” In addition to making ice cream for the two stores and a handful of restaurants, including three Tel Aviv establishments run by acclaimed chef Meir Adoni, Vardi spends time learning languages, including Korean and Arabic. She is learning classical guitar and also paints.She has no immediate plans to expand the venture – whose kashrut certificate for the new branch has been applied for – and seems satisfied with her setup, not regretting her life choices for a moment: “Even if at times I didn’t earn much, there is nothing like being self-employed.” •
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