In the next elections, I will vote for the party that engraves a new law on its banner: Dishes must not be served in threes. When a couple sits down at a table and is served a plate with three units, the third always causes a small argument or a hint of self-sacrifice: “No, you take it”; “No, you, I’ll eat at home later.” That is exactly how we felt when we received the excellent trio of pani puri at the Japon restaurant.
Why can’t dishes be served in pairs? Pani puri is not a dish meant to be shared. You take a bite and you’re off. Fortunately, the Jewish mind invents solutions. We found ours by ordering an additional trio.
Japon, the restaurant of the Setai Hotel in Jaffa, is not an Asian restaurant that panders to the local palate. It is a restaurant that understands luxury - not through noise and spectacle, but through precision. The kitchen builds sushi as a work of art: Layers, textures, temperature play - everything wrapped in restrained aesthetics.
The opening dish, as mentioned, is pani puri ceviche (NIS 119 for three units, a peak price). In Hindi, pani means water and puri means dough. Here, the hollow dough spheres are filled with delicately seasoned salmon with avocado, a touch of toasted sesame, and yuzu aioli. It is a dish small in size and big in concept: An initial crackle, immediate softness, and acidity that cleanses the palate for what follows.
From there we moved on to the Dragon Roll (NIS 109 for ten units), which looks like a royal dish: Inside, salmon and red tuna, joined like good friends who swam in the same sea (not really), outside avocado, and on top red tobiko - flying fish roe. And indeed, we flew with this dish: Rich, impressive, every bite precisely timed. The fish fat, the creaminess of the avocado, and the restrained spiciness work together without overpowering one another. Alongside it, the waiter recommended sushi with baked salmon, and so the Chef Roll was chosen (at the same price) - sweet grilled salmon with avocado and sweet potato, wrapped with seared salmon and teriyaki, a dish that is fun to share.
Japon is a place of quiet nods. Those who understand sushi will feel that their knowledge is respected here. The prices place it in the upper league. But hey, there are more expensive places.
Japon, 22 David Raziel Street, Jaffa, 054-5760452 (Kosher)
Cultural Fusion
When Jordanian cuisine meets an American diner, the result could be a head-on collision, but with chef Fadi Yaish at S’90 Diner in Jaffa, it is a cross-border love story. Yaish, who became a Jaffa icon with Hatzer Goldman, took his skill in handling local ingredients and threw it into a blazing grill of 1990s nostalgia.
The diner in Jaffa feels like a piece of New York that landed on Yefet Street, with an Amman soul. We opened with Anter Shawarma (NIS 45). The name may sound like a typical street dish, but the execution is an homage to meticulous Jordanian technique. The chicken breast is sliced just right, maintaining inner juiciness, while the gentle Mediterranean seasoning does not overpower the meat. Unlike generic local shawarma, here there is a depth of spices that recalls the markets of Amman inside a Druze pita.
The second dish, Impossible Asado (NIS 58), is the peak of this cultural fusion. It is an American hamburger bun filled with shredded, smoked asado that manages to be thoroughly American in its long cooking method, yet the seasoning and toppings give it a completely different character. The Roquette and red onion provide a fresh kick, but it is the pepper sauce and mustard aioli that tie everything together. The meat simply melts in the mouth, and the connection between the smokiness of the asado and the pickle creates a bite that is familiar yet surprising at the same time.
A small bonus: The fact that on Fridays (until the end of February) you receive free wings with the order of a main dish, with sauces like honey aioli or cayenne pepper, only reinforces the feeling that Fadi Yaish knows exactly what the Israeli audience loves - abundance, quality, and a good story. This is not just another burger joint, but proof that when a chef with deep roots decides to play with street food, the result is a celebration of flavors in two languages.
90’S Diner, 9 Yefet Street, Jaffa (Not kosher)