Popular Hamburger chain Moses has opened a kosher branch in Jerusalem.
By SARAH LEVI'Moses' restaurant in Jerusalem(photo credit: SARAH LEVI)
The popular upscale burger joint Moses recently opened its first kosher branch in Jerusalem in the Cinema City complex. From an esthetic point of view, it is a very fitting location for this particular establishment, as the modern, sleek and bold design of the restaurant ideally complements the space-age atmosphere of Cinema City.The thing about Moses that I totally took for granted was how close it was to an American dining experience. The service was fast and courteous, our waitress spoke flawless English and was naturally friendly and attentive. The music was upbeat and contemporary, and the atmosphere was casual yet sophisticated. The restaurant offered booth seating, large and small tables, bar service and outdoor seating. The clientele was quite varied: young religious locals, families and a significant number of Anglos.The menu offers familiar crowd pleasers, and diners can chose from an assortment of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, main dishes and, of course, hamburgers. We had a chance to sample the goods that Moses had to offer, starting with a bevy of appetizers. The unanimous favorite was the steak skewers (NIS 46) perfectly seasoned flavorful cubes of grilled fillet steak tossed in a sweet and spicy chili glaze, served on a bed of crisp lettuce.Since Moses is famous for its burgers, we tried a variety of different burgers from the menu. The Fly Burger (NIS 69) are two featured burgers that change on a weekly basis. This week they offered the Tex-Mex burger: a beef patty served with black beans, guacamole and red onions. The Atataturk Burger is a beef, lamb and spring chicken patty served with pickled chili mayo, red onion, mint and cilantro. I really liked this part of the menu. It shows that the restaurant has the space to reinvent itself and gives regulars a chance to try something new and different.All the burgers were quite delicious, and I could taste the freshness and quality of the ingredients. The most impressive was the Art Burger (NIS 62) a 250-gram hamburger made with lamb, veal and beef, grilled to perfection and served with the restaurant’s signature pepper ketchup, homemade mayonnaise, onions and shredded lettuce. This is highly recommended for first timers.Another recommendation would be to order the Mini Me (NIS 67), a trio of 100-gram mini burgers that provide a sampling of Moses’s most popular burgers: a mini Art Burger, a mini Classic Burger and a mini version of the Fly Burger. This is a great way to enjoy a sampling of Moses’s “greatest hits.”Like any true burger joint, the burgers come with a choice of French fries or onion rings. They also offer really tasty seasoned potato wedges that go great with the homemade peppered ketchup (which tastes exactly like it sounds, with a slight hint of spicy heat and a nice sweetness from the ketchup).If you fancy something sweet after dinner, Moses has a great selection of desserts that can satisfy your sweet tooth. The crème brulee (NIS 37) was light and creamy with a sweet caramelized burnt sugar shell on top.The truffles cake (NIS 36) was a rich and decadent slice of dark chocolate cake that paired perfectly with the scoop of ice cream on the side. The Doughnut Trio (NIS 38) was an indulgent dessert comprised of three freshly fried doughnuts served with vanilla sauce, chocolate fudge and vanilla ice cream and topped with candied nuts. All were delicious and, surprisingly, parve. Definitely perfect for sharing.Overall, Moses creates a quality dining experience for its customers, especially when it comes to the burgers. This is an ideal spot for families, couples and young professionals to enjoy a quality burger before or after a movie at Cinema City.The writer was a guest of the restaurant.Moses,Kosher10 Yitzhak Rabin Cinema City, JerusalemTel: (02) 595-0190
