Not far from my hotel is the Shuk Wadi Nisnas or the Wadi Nisnas Market. Wadi Nisnas, is a largely Christian Arab neighborhood of Haifa. Nisnas is the Arabic word for mongoose, which must have been prevalent in the area at some time, however, I saw no urban mongooses (mongeese?).
The neighborhood is a maze of alleyways and twisting streets filled with stalls, stores, bakeries and restaurants. Many of the stalls featured home cooked foods enclosed within Dutch ovens or crocks atop tables at the front of the stall. There was a good representation of the usual produce: onions, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, plums, and more. But knowing that I would be in Haifa for a little more than 24 hours longer, I didn’t spend a lot of time focused on fresh produce. I also had Orli with me. Where I like to wander and see what I might find, Orli likes to have a clear objective and travel from point A to point B.
I decided as a result of both of those factors to take greater interest in some of the restaurants and shops in the shuk. Three falafel shops, Falafel George, Hazkenim Falafel, and Michelle Falafel all had consistently high reviews and were described by customers as the best in Haifa. Two were across the street from each other, the third was about half a block away. I decided to try Falafel George.
I’m glad I did. I can see why so many rate it as the best in Haifa and some as the best in the country. The pita was filled with falafel. I lost count of how many. The falafel were crispy, well-fried, but not over-fried. And they were well seasoned on their own. I had mine with hummus, techina, Israeli salad, spicy salad, cabbage and onion. To that, I added in sections on top, garlic sauce, lemon sauce, harissa (North African spicy sauce), and zhoug (Yemenite spicy sauce). The falafel was amazing. All the ingredients were fresh and tasty. The pita didn’t get soggy and fall apart. And with each of the little sections I topped with one of the additional sauces, none of the sauces overwhelmed the taste of the falafel, but complemented it. It was truly one of the best falafel that I had ever eaten.
From Falafel George I went up the street, past Hazkenim Falafel and Michelle Falafel, to an alley that appeared unmarked. In the middle of it was a tiny shop, Café Haifa, in which the owner, Mustafa, roasted, ground, and served coffee, as well as selling spices, and sweets. It was a tiny cup, but it was without a doubt, the best coffee I had ever had. It was strong without being bitter, sweet, but not cloying, and the cardoman added flavor and aroma without being too perfume-like.
I had wanted to try the hummus at Hummus Elsham, but had absolutely no room left for more food, so we wandered around the neighborhood for a few minutes more and headed back toward our hotel to tour the Bahai Gardens.
When we reached the gate, we learned that the gardens were closed to the public as a Covid precaution. We snapped a few pictures, and then Orli wanted ice cream. Most ice cream shops aren’t open before 11, so she headed back to the hotel and I continued to explore.
My Journey to Israel: Connections and Disruptions 