Cornered Market
Helena cake and cappuccino
Place: Café Malke, Jerusalem
When: Tuesday afternoon
Environment: The casual Café Malke is located street-side in a residential neighborhood, near the Islamic Art Museum, the President’s Residence, the Bar Association and the Jerusalem Theater. It’s a pretty respectable corner, and Malke’s place there is justified. Some tables sit on the sidewalk out front, with a large umbrella or two for shade where the trees don’t cut it; some tables are sunny anyway. Inside is a courtyard with similar shade options – foliage, umbrella, and corrugated aluminum. There’s an indoor area as well, with just a handful of seats, a refrigerator with take-home options, and a counter to order at. There’s no full menu, but rather, separate menus hung around the relevant spots (a coffee menu near the coffee machine, a sandwich menu near the display case with sandwiches, etc.). Ordering is done at the counter, with self-service to the table. At times, the place is very crowded. Mid-afternoon, it was not too full (but also not empty). It’s more or less the epitome of a neighborhood café.
My Order: Large cappuccino (NIS 16); Helena cake (NIS 34).
The low-down: The cake came from a box – it’s not like they made it at the café. It appeared to be like a regular tricolade, but the description claimed the white layer to be some kind of crème brulee rather than white chocolate, and one of the layers was also meant to include caramel. Despite the description, it pretty much tasted like a chocolate mousse cake. While there’s nothing wrong with a chocolate mousse cake, it just wasn’t as fabulous as advertised. Where Malke shines is the coffee. The texture of the foam is firm but light, the milk isn’t overpowering, and the coffee flavor is actually present. I will add that from previous visits, I can attest to their very special cup of iced coffee. They have some nice savory pastries and sandwiches on offer, too.
Who else was there: A mother sat with 2 babies in a double stroller. She seemed relaxed in a light blue, button-down shirt and denim shorts, with sensible sneakers on her feet. The babies were in a stroller with pink umbrellas, and they wore varying shades of pink onesies.
She sat on her own with a cup of coffee, a snack, and her cell phone. With two babies at home and no partner to help, she can go crazy sometimes. So it’s nice for her to get out when the kids are calm and enjoy a cup of coffee in the relative quiet and fresh air. She really wanted a child, and she wasn’t going to wait until she found a partner, since her biological clock was ticking. So she decided on a bold move to go it alone, and ended up with two for the price of one.
This day was one of the last warm ones of the season, so she chose to take full advantage. And the kids were on board with the plan, to her relief.
