Arabesca in Petah Tikva surprises with the quality of its menu.
By ASI GALarabesca(photo credit: Courtesy)
In every group of arsim (Israeli juvenile delinquents) there is always one kid that looks intelligent - usually because he has glasses. Just the same, in every industrial area in Israel there is one Mizrahi restaurant. And, just as I would never think to question glasses boy as to the legitimacy of his smarts, I would never intend to stop in to eat at such a restaurants. It's not because I'm a vegetarian. These restaurants always have tons of salads on offer. Rather, it's because such eateries are all-to-often uninteresting establishments serving up little more than sub-par food.
Unless it came recommended. This was the case with Arabesca in the Petah Tikva industrial zone. Verdict, it was well worth it.
Our dining party consisted of me and E, two vegetarians, along with two carnivores - God bless their troubled souls. The occasion was the Mansaf, a new lamb dish with rice (NIS 85). Ironically, this dish was the least praised from all that we sampled.
We started with salads, of course. Eleven different salads were served; all were amazing (NIS 15-25). The potato salad, the humous and the green salad with pomegranate were the best and the hyssop sambusac and green herbs pita were so wonderful that I started to question my stereotype-based judgments regarding those kids with glasses. Perhaps they are smarter than I give them credit for. I suppose it's possible that there may even be one or two smarter than me.
But I digress.
In the meat department opinions, as I mentioned, were inconclusive regarding the Mansaf (NIS 85). One liked it and the other very much did not. Both loved the humous Bolognese.
The dessert, a sort of pancake covered in maple syrup and filled with halva, was great for four bites. After that it was too much and became unbearable. We also we received a wheat dish cooked with M&M's and anise candy. It was as tasty as it sounds but would have faired better sans the wheat and anise.
So, they don't do dessert well. No matter. I took another bite from the sambusac and was happy again.
Leaving the restaurant we were once again faced with the supermarkets and garages that comprise the cookie-cutter industrial zones here. The disparity in atmosphere was a bit much and shocked my system. But again, I reflected on that sambusac and fondly recalled my experience at Arabesca - a Lebanese restaurant in an industrial area.
Who would have thought it could be that good.
4 Ben Zion Galis St. Petach Tikva. Opening hours are Sunday to Saturday 12 p.m. to midnight. For more information call (03) 904-4242. Not kosher; but only cause they're open on the Sabbath.
if(catID != 151){
var cont = `Take Israel home with the new Jerusalem Post Store
