Mealtime: Yemenite Soup in Kerem HaTeimanim

Next to Shuk HaCarmel is the cool neighborhood of Kerem HaTeimanim. Translated as Vineyard of Yemenites, it was founded and inhabited by mostly Yemenite Jews. The neighborhood is made of small streets and small cafes. It is a great place to wander around if you get lost while visiting Shuk HaCarmel. What is even been than wandering around the neighborhood is to stop into one of the many small cafes and have a great lunch. On the corner of Yishkon St and Nahliel St there is a small Yemenite restaurant that I highly suggest. The best thing to try at the restaurant is their homemade soups. I tried their Yemenite meat soup, while my friend tried their vegetable soup.The Yemenite meat soup tasted like a very rich tomato soup with spices, chunks of slow cooked beef, and potatoes. The Vegetable soup was lighter than the meat soup and was filled with aromatic vegetables and herbs. We ordered a special Yemenite bread called Lahoh, which is a spongy flatbread which soaks up sauce very effectively. It also came with spicy cabbage salad, tomato sauce, and zhug. Zhug is a Yemenite condiment made from garlic, cilantro, chilies, salt, and pepper. It is fantastic on almost everything. At many falafel and shawarma stands, you will find zhug as the spicy condiment. You will find it either in green or red versions. The soups were amazing and a must try. Having Yemenite Soup is a great alternative to having hummus, falafel, or shawarma at the shuk. Go off the beaten path and try the restaurants in Kerem Hateimanim. I assure you will have a fantastic meal in a fantastic setting. Enjoy!