Good Things in the Oven
Mushroom truffle focaccia
Place: Café Gan Sipur, Jerusalem
When: Monday, midday
Environment: Very busy; despite being crowded, no one was sitting on top of each other. There’s space so you don’t feel crammed. It was a beautiful January day, so both outside and inside were in high demand. The noise from the other diners and servers was absorbed by the plants hanging from the ceiling and the wood floors such that it wasn’t echoey or overwhelming. Plus, the music playing intermingled with the chatter, so other patrons’ conversations weren’t easily discernable. The space is divided into a true interior with some tables and a big bar, a glass-enclosed area on a wood deck, and an outside area with plants, sun and shade, overlooking Sacher Park. The tables are wood: some natural, and some painted teal, white and dark orange. There were a lot of couples, pairs of ladies, and some slightly larger groups of women. The place is popular with the ultra-orthodox crowd, due to the strict rabbinic kosher supervision.
My order: Mushroom focaccia (NIS 74), which comes with a salad and hot sauce on the side; small cappuccino (NIS 13).
The low-down: Although I didn’t have a reservation, I got a table quickly. The waitstaff was very friendly. My food came fairly promptly and was hot from the oven. The crust of the focaccia had a nice crunch on the outside, and wasn’t too greasy. The inside of the dough was airy. Throughout was a notable truffle flavor. The focaccia was drizzled with a balsamic reduction, which would have been too sweet if not contrasted by bitter arugula. For my taste, the focaccia could have used an additional kick – either from the hot sauce they provided on the side, or some coarse ground pepper in the dish itself. Meanwhile, the cappuccino had a velvety foam, and the dominant flavor is actually a bitter, coffee flavor rather than milk. While the food and service were generally good, it was challenging to get them to take my money so that I could leave. It took a few tries to be able to pay.
Who else was there: A young, religious couple sat down at a table near me. She had a fashionable, angular bobbed wig, adorned with a red headband, and she wore a black below-the knee skirt, patent leather boots, and a black jacket. He had on a black suit with a long jacket, long sidelocks (payos), and velvet kipa. They smiled at each other a lot. They only ordered drinks - he a big coffee and she a tall shake.
They got married a few months ago. He usually spends his day in yeshiva, so they don’t go out in the middle of the day – or much, at all. They don’t have a lot of money set aside for discretionary spending, especially now. She works in the administration of a small accounting office, answering phones, filing, mailing invoices. But today, they had an appointment with the obstetrician, who confirmed the results of their at-home pregnancy test. The young wife was officially expecting their first child. She was not showing yet, but she had started glowing. They went out for modest celebrations, before he had to go back to yeshiva and she had to go back to work.
