Greek food usually brings to my mind the token moussaka-and-kebab items found on the menus of the “Greek diners” back in my native New York, where I used to grab late-night grub, or else the type of seafood I gave up eating when I turned kosher after moving to Israel.
I was thus intrigued when invited to take a dinner at Jerusalem’s Happy Fish restaurant on its newly inaugurated “Greek Tuesday” night, promising “the magic and energy of Greece... with a live Greek performance, a special menu alongside colorful cocktails and a Jerusalem breeze that feels like a vacation in the Mediterranean.”
Happy Fish itself is a popular kosher dairy restaurant that’s been around a number of years at the Mamilla Hotel, though this would be my first visit there despite having eaten several times on the boutique hotel’s rooftop bar-restaurant, which offers a priceless view of the Old City’s Jaffa Gate and Tower of David. Happy Fish offers different, but no less intriguing views. It’s located on a terrace off the lobby’s mezzanine, that on one side backs over the Mamilla shopping mall promenade, and on the other is fronted by the St. Vincent de Paul Chapel and adjacent buildings.
What's on the menu at Happy Fish?
The traditional menu of Mediterranean-style seafood at Happy Fish, under the direction of hotel chef Ran Nehemia and restaurant chef Shachar Aspir, is supplemented on ‘Greek Tuesday’ by items that more directly evoke Aegean cuisine.
Our server recommends I start with an Ouzo-and-Lemonade cocktail, to get in the proper mood. Now, I’m not normally a fan of ouzo or any of the anise-flavored drinks popular in Greece and Cyprus, such as Arak, which is also available. But mixing the ouzo with lemonade lends it a pleasing sweetness that made this a refreshing start to the meal.
We began our meal with a selection of starters, some of them familiar offerings in many Israeli seafood restaurants, others new and pleasing to my palate.
Among the standouts was a Greek Ceviche (NIS 49), chopped sea bream with onions served over cucumber-mint tzatziki – the yogurt and cucumber dip made of strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and herbs, that is a mainstay of the Aegean menu. The sea bream was tart and tasty, a more-than-acceptable substitute for the calamari (squid) often used in this kind of cold Greek seafood starter.
Another exceptional starter was the Bourek (NIS 69), a phyllo pastry filled with spinach, feta, soft-boiled egg, and labaneh tzatziki, the menu’s upgraded Greek-style variation on Middle-Eastern burekas.
Also recommended are the Leek and Zucchini Latkes, served with labaneh tzatziki, charred tomato vinaigrette, and a cucumber herb salad (NIS 65).
For me, though, the real standout among the appetizers was a Greek dish I’ve not encountered before: Skordelia (NIS 68), a creamy dip made in some parts of Greece with potato as its base, and in others using an almond puree. Happy Fish uses the latter variation, and, seasoned with fresh herbs and garlic, this was a tangy delight.
For the main course, we were presented with a selection of three of the fish entrées: Red Drum Tabouleh, served with freekeh tabbouleh, green tehina, preserved lemon salsa, and harissa (NIS 158); Sea Bream Polenta, served with fresh corn polenta, roasted leeks, and cherry raisins (NIS 90); and Fish Kebab, which is grilled red drum kebab, served on eggplant, cherry raisins, and herbs.
The Sea Bream and Red Drum were fresh and expertly prepared, but the real surprise here was the fish kebab, served as oblong pieces with a crispy coating, almost reminiscent of falafel balls, but full of taste and a pleasing mix of textures; my companion, not usually a big fan of seafood, was left very happy by this fish!
For dessert, we were presented with a selection of cakes and mousses, all delicious, but the star of this course was one of the Greek night specials, which is actually more of an Israeli creation, Watermelon & Feta (NIS 49).
While the ingredients were familiar, the presentation was not; this was thin, alternating slices of melon and cheese pressed together to make a cube, and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It’s a chef’s lesson on how to make even the simplest dish into something novel and certainly Instagrammable food!
Greek and Israeli music
Along with the food, there is indeed live music, provided by Yuval Meiri on the bouzouki, which is a sort of Grecian mandolin. Along with traditional Greek melodies, he, of course, also had to play Arik Einstein’s “She’keshenavo” (That When We Arrive’’), an Israeli version of a classic tune by composer Argyris Kounadis.
No, nobody got up to do the “Zorba” dance or throw plates on the ground. But on a Tuesday evening, with a brisk Jerusalem wind blowing in place of a “Mediterranean breeze,” eating Greek-style dishes while gazing up at the facade of the St. Vincent de Paul Chapel, one might indeed imagine oneself feeling like spending the evening in Athens or Thessaloniki, rather than in the heart of Jerusalem. And given the complications of flying abroad these days for a “vacation in the Mediterranean,” a meal at Happy Fish may be the better alternative to just that.
- Happy Fish
- Mamilla Mall, Jerusalem
- Open Sunday-Thursday, 12 -9 p.m.
- Kosher l’mehadrin
- Tel: (02) 548-2230
The writer was a guest of the restaurant.