I hadn’t eaten lunch on the day I was invited to try the Slow Food Festival at the Inbal, and I worried that the “slow” part might apply to the pace that the food was served. When I walked in with my handsome 23-year-old companion, Netanel, who has just finished reserve duty in Gaza (yes, he is single, if you’re wondering), I was really hungry.
I needn’t have worried. Although the restaurant was almost full, manager Assaf came over and suggested several appetizers, which quickly appeared. We started with a cocktail – Netanel had an old-fashioned, and I had a gin and pineapple juice concoction that was delicious.
From previous visits to 02 (named after the area code of Jerusalem when people still had telephone land lines), I already knew that the service is excellent. Good service is often what makes the difference between a good and a great evening.
Enjoying food at the Inbal's 02
For appetizers we enjoyed a warm, freshly baked challah (NIS 45) served with several dips, including egg salad, hummus msabbaha and matbuha. It’s hard to go wrong with freshly baked bread, and I had to hold myself back from devouring the whole loaf and not having room for anything else.
Assaf suggested we try the Lamb Neck Shwarma (NIS 74) with chickpeas and pine nuts. It had a cute little pot next to it on the menu, meaning it’s part of the Slow Food.
My foodie son Netanel loves tartare, so he asked for the beef tartare with egg yolk sauce and potato crisps (NIS 72), and he said it was perfectly seasoned and a large portion.
For the main course we chose the Braised Lamb Shank (NIS 196), which came with Persian “sabzi” stew, meaning a lot of fresh green vegetables and matzo balls. It is a large portion that would have been enough for both of us, but chef Nimrod also wanted me to try the Beef Shoulder Blade (NIS 188), which came with mushroom freekeh and apricots. The slow cooking made the flavors fuse together, and it was comforting and delicious.
For the nonmeat eaters, there is a steamed wild grouper fillet (NIS 196) with chickpea stew, saffron, and potato; or a vegan dish of freekeh lentils, caramelized onions, eggplant, and nuts (NIS 88).
The table next to us told the manager they were vegetarians. He carefully explained the menu, and the chef came out to consult with them as well.
Assaf said the special menu, the brainchild of the chef, is not directly related to the war, but there is a connection.
“February is always a slow month, except for Valentine’s Day,” he said. “So we are always trying to come up with something that gets people to come out. But I think the war also makes people want comfort food.”
He says it also offers a break from the war. Here’s a suggestion. Put your phone away for the duration of the meal and focus on your companion and on the food.
The Slow Food Festival continues until the end of February.
- 02 Restaurant
- Inbal Hotel
- 3 Jabotinsky Street
- Phone for reservations: (02) 675-6649
- Kashrut: Jerusalem Rabbinate
The writer was a guest of the restaurant.