By Billa
Being a sabra (a native-born Israeli), I naturally have an affinity for Israeli food. So, when a cousin invited us (me and Martin, my husband) to meet for brunch at Miriam Restaurant on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, I was eager to go.
For drinks, Martin ordered the raspberry lemonade, whereas I ordered a sparkling mint lemonade. We agreed that both were delicious. My lemonade was made with seltzer and was refreshingly zingy and not overly sweet, just the way I like it.
For his main course, Martin ordered a Falafel Platter. The falafel balls were accompanied by hummus, Israeli salad, and pita, as expected, but there was also an unusual green tahini (crushed sesame seed paste made green by the addition of parsley and cilantro) and amba (a sweet and tangy mango sauce that is very popular in Israel). As for the taste, the falafel balls were well-seasoned with Middle-Eastern spices, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
As for my main course, I ordered Norwegian Eggs. That’s a misnomer. They really should be called Norwegian eggs Israeli style. Although there were two poached eggs covered with smoked salmon with hollandaise sauce, they were sitting atop wonderfully crisp potato latkes. And instead of sour cream, there was thick, luscious, slightly sour labneh (kind of like Greek yogurt but thicker). There was also an Israeli salad which seemed to be included alongside many of the brunch dishes.
For dessert, Martin ordered kanafeh - a Syrian concoction made with shredded filo dough, ricotta cheese, rosewater and orange water. He liked the exotic fruity flavor and the unique textures.
I had a halvah mousse. The mousse was a bit too sweet for my taste, but I guess that’s the nature of halvah. My cousin, who ordered the same dish, said it was "perfection". The mousse was topped with shredded halvah, silan (a date syrup), and pistachio nuts.
All-in-all, a very satisfying Israeli brunch.
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