Hanukah in Mahane Yehuda and India

December 18, 2009 - 8:49 AM by Brian Blum

Mahane Yehuda The Association of Americans and Canadians in Israel (AACI) has for many years sponsored inexpensive tours of Jerusalem during most holidays. The outings range from standards like the Old City to more exotic trips such as exploring the old 1967 borders.

For Chanukah, the group added a new tour: a shopping journey through the Mahane Yehuda market in central Jerusalem. Led by Jerusalem Post food writer Sybil Kaplan, a rag-tag group of about 20 English-speakers pushed and squeezed its way through the crowds as Kaplan pointed out her favorite establishments.

There was the renowned Bashir cheese shop – excellent selection but not as cheap as the guy four stands down, she said; a fruit and vegetable storefront in the Iraqi part of the shuk with a paltry choice but which Kaplan insisted had the lowest prices; and even a tiny hole in the wall selling baby clothes at a steal.

Mahane Yehuda has come a long way since it was just a small market saving nearby residents a schlep into the Old City for their daily shopping. These days, (nearly) all of the streets are paved with cobblestone brick, there are public restrooms, and a sprinkling of upscale restaurants pop up in-between the artichokes and avocado – from Italian and Kurdish to falafel, schwarma and even a controversial Aroma Café (an unwanted “foreign import,” old time market vendors say).

Perhaps the best of the Mahane Yehuda dining experience can be found at Ichakanda, a vegetarian Indian place on the edge of the Iraqi shuk, serving just thalis – a platter of rice with vegetables and curry dips – along with a potato-stuffed samosas.

Ichakanda only has a few tables and there’s often a line out the door. We ordered the “deluxe” Thali which, at only NIS 56 (about $15) was enough for two. For dessert we had fried cheese balls dipped in maple syrup – sounds disgusting but it was really quite good.

On our way out, we stopped to buy sufganiot – after all, it was Chanukah. At NIS 4 (less than $1.00) for a vanilla and chocolate frosted donut, it was one of the best deals in the town (and while the bakery, Ugat Chen, only ranked eighth in the Jerusalem Post’s annual sufgania countdown, it was still mighty tasty).

One trick when you’re heading to Mahane Yehuda, whether on a tour or to buy supplies at a discount: take the bus. We were foolish enough to arrive by car and sat in horrible traffic heading towards Agrippas Street. Our lunch companions chose to walk from our southern Jerusalem neighborhood and actually arrived before us.

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