Jacko's son: The Tel Aviv experience in the comfort of Jerusalem

Jacko’s Son, a spin-off of the next door Jacko’s Street is a great place for a cocktail and a meal. The vibe is laid back and fun – the bartenders dance a little as they make outstanding cocktails

By LINDA GRADSTEIN
Jacko’s Son: Tel Aviv in Jerusalem (photo credit: Courtesy)
Jacko’s Son: Tel Aviv in Jerusalem
(photo credit: Courtesy)
When I walked into the cocktail bar Jacko’s Son in Mahaneh Yehuda on a recent Thursday night, I raised the average age by about 30 years. My 18-year-old foodie son was the youngest patron there. But after our first cocktail and a chat with the bartender, Richard, our ages didn’t seem to matter.
“I feel like the coolest person in the world here,” enthused my son. “It’s like being in Tel Aviv without leaving Jerusalem.”
Jacko’s Son, a spin-off of the next door Jacko’s Street is a great place for a cocktail and a meal. The vibe is laid back and fun – the bartenders dance a little as they make outstanding cocktails – and often join the patrons in a chaser or two. The place is long and narrow, with almost all of the seats along the bar. The lighting is dim, and there is a kind of speakeasy feel. The music is modern and hip and a little loud, but that’s the kind of place it is.
It’s a great date place, and we saw quite a few men trying to impress their dates. There was also a group of women out for a girl’s night. The cocktails are creative, and use top-notch alcohol. I started with a modern take on a pina colada (NIS 50) made with gin mare that included a piece of dried pineapple and a cinnamon stick set on fire. It was delicious and fun.
My son, who has worked as a bartender, had a long conversation with the bartender about bitters. He loved his cocktail, an old fashioned (NIS 50) as well. I couldn’t hear anything they were saying so I just sipped my drink and swayed to the music. I watched the bartenders making other cocktails including one in a mug shaped like an animal, topped with both blue and pink cotton candy.  Then the food started coming. The menu here is small, but each dish was unique. We started with the Salanova salad (NIS 52) that had crunchy spicy nuts and asparagus. Served in a large bowl, it was plenty for two and had crunch and a nice amount of spice.
The sushi here is excellent, and from the amount the tiny kitchen was churning out, it is very popular. The sushi rolls are served in eight pieces, and have some unique combinations. I especially enjoyed the red tuna tartare and shiitake (NIS 60) which had the red tuna in the center of the roll, topped with amba sauce and caramelized salmon.
For the main courses we first had asado tacos (NIS 66), small tacos served with avocado cream, purple onion and a ponzo sauce. I usually find asado too fatty, but these tacos were delicious.
The one dish I found less successful was chicken breast and rice balls in tempura (NIS 64). Served in a sweet and sour sauce, the chicken was fine, but the rice ball had a strange consistency. My son, however, loved the rice balls.
The most expensive dish on the menu is medallions of beef fillet (NIS 115), which is one of my favorite cuts of meat. It was served with a sauce of truffle teriyaki, asparagus, and a poached egg. My only regret was that I was so full I could only eat a few bites.
An amazing dessert tray appeared from Jacko’s next door with a Napoleon filled with malabi cream surrounded by various sorbets and cookies.
My son and I kept saying to each other, “This is so much fun.” And even though I felt old, I can’t wait to go back to Jacko’s Son.
Jacko’s Son
76 Agripas St., Jerusalem, Phone: 02-581-7178
Sun-Thu: 8 p.m.-midnight, Saturday night after Shabbat
Kashrut: Rabbanut Jerusalem’
The writer was a guest of the restaurant.