“Vegetarian food can be the opposite of tasteless and boring,” shares Barry
Sibul, owner of the famous
Village Green Restaurant on Jaffa Street in downtown
Jerusalem. ”And it offers the added bonus of good health.”
Village Green
is somewhat of a Jerusalem institution with 30 years of history. In addition to
hundreds of regulars, the restaurant continues to draw both tourists and
Israelis alike with its wholesome hot dishes, fresh salads and scrumptious
desserts.
“I originally became a vegetarian for ideological reasons. I wasn’t
happy eating animals, and was convinced that I could be well fed and healthy
without having to eat meat or fish. It grew from there when the physical and
mental benefits became obvious.”
“I left South Africa in 1975 at the age
of 24 after studying law. When I arrived in Israel, I studied Hebrew at the Arad
institute and soon after met my wife, Nadine, who was born in Morocco and grew
up in France. She too is a vegetarian and we share a passion for tasty
vegetarian cuisine.”
“I began working in special needs education, but when our
second child born was born; we realized we needed more income. Since there was
nothing like Village Green in Jerusalem at the time (around 1980), we thought
we’d try to fill the niche. We went to Tel Aviv and bought an oven, a few chairs
and the basics and opened up shop on Shlomzion Road.”
“The restaurant was
a regular a la carte vegetarian restaurant. I did the cooking and my wife
handled the baking. In 1985, we decided to sell the business in order to move to
England where I studied herbal medicine and naturopathy. We returned to Israel
in 1990 and re-opened the restaurant under the name Village Green, this time
resembling its current self-service model. My wife and I both prefer the concept
of being able to see, choose and be in control of what’s on your plate and what
goes into your mouth.”
“When we started out, we were inspired by
Moosewood restaurant in America, and Cranks in London, both of which offer
imaginative vegetarian food. Over the years we’ve learned what our customers
like and we make sure to offer the same staple dishes like baked tofu, baked
chips and brown rice. From time to time, we try new recipes and add something
innovative and fresh.”
“The best part of my job is being in the kitchen.
I love it and look forward to giving both the cook and the baker a break once a
week. At home, I like to experiment and enjoy making Indian food, risottos, and
banana bread. However, I also enjoy simple food, like brown rice, vegetables and
lentils. The best meal I’ve ever had? It was in a tiny vegetarian restaurant in
Forest Row in Kent, England. The chef was a woman who prepared a different meal
each day. It was outrageously good.”
“The restaurant has a strong family
feel. My wife, Nadine, is the bookkeeper and buyer and helps out behind the
counter from time to time, and my one son, Omri, is a partner in the business.
We also try to create a sense of home and community for our employees and it’s a
tremendous feeling to watch them evolve and return as successful doctors and
lawyers. We see our customers like family too, and enjoy sharing in their good
times. Many couples have got together in these four walls.”
“Operating in
central Jerusalem is a rollercoaster ride – one doesn’t know what the next day
will bring. We’ve been through intifadas with bombs exploding outside the
restaurant, ten years of light rail construction and also many good times. It’s
a microcosm of working and operating in the volatile Middle East
region.”
“To balance the intensity of working in the center of the city,
I unwind on the tranquil moshav where we live by cooking, bicycle riding, and
gardening. One day when I retire, I’d like to grow my own herbs and make
tinctures.”
“Expanding to the
German Colony and downsizing the Jaffa Road
branch were good business moves. Where to next? For now, continuing to get the
message out there to the broader public that vegetarian food can be exciting and
satisfying.”
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