Yossi Zweig
Google
Last night, I got to experience a taste of Israel right here in Lakewood of all places. Chef Yussi Weisz opened Agripas Street a few weeks ago, or Rachov Agripas, if you prefer. As we entered, we were surrounded by the smells and spices of the Holy Land. We all want to go to Israel and be amongst the experiences there. Now, you can get a little taste here in New Jersey. After taking our seats, we were presented with some hot tableside tea to help us warm up from the cold weather. After browsing the menu, we decided to try as many dishes as we could. Naturally, we started off with the Salatim, which means dips. It was presented beautifully on a wooden board with a side of fresh pita bread. Included was Matbucha, Eggplant, Spicy Olives, Sumac Onions, Beets, Israel Salad, Carrot Salad, Schug, Cabbage Salad, Sautéed Jalapeno Salad and of course pickles on the side. I was really wowed by the flavor profile that they were able to infuse into each dip. Some had smoky flavors, while others definitely had the heat. We also tried both soups. There was Marak Of, savta’s chicken soup, golden in color and delicious, and Marak Marokai, which was heartier and had some nice flavors and heat to it. So far so good. Next we went with the Chatzilim Al HaEsh- grilled eggplant. The eggplant was nice and thin not too thick, it also had a great crust on the bottom, while being soft and flavorful in the middle. The pomegranate seeds and pumpkin seeds really gave it a different flavor profile. Now I was ready to try one of the dishes I was looking forward to. The pulled lamb chummus with falafel. The lamb was so soft and tender, the chummus fresh and flavorful and the falafel balls crisp and crunchy and green on the inside. I can go on and on about this dish. It was definitely one of my favorites. Now we needed something to cleanse our pallets, something fresh and vibrant. We got the Salek Carpaccio , which is a beet carpaccio topped with pecans. This dish really surprised me. It was bright and vibrant. My mouth really appreciated it after all the food we ate thus far. It kind of gave us our second wind to keep going. Our amazing waiter, Jeff, brought us the Shakshuka in a hot skillet with the perfectly poached egg. Even while sitting on our table for a few minutes, the egg was perfect and it was still steaming when we got to it. Now most restaurants have cigars and they are long and thin, very narrow. The Cigar Kubani was nice and fat with deliciously spiced ground meat. Crunchy on the outside, while soft and smoky on the inside. For our last few dishes we got the Pargoit with root vegetables, which had amazingly earthy flavors. I also ordered a 16 oz steak aged for 30 days complete with broccolini and roasted tomato. The steak was topped with a chimichurri and get this, a little grated horseradish. It was packed with flavor. I was getting grilled and smoky and a perfect melt in your mouth cook. Lastly we had to order the Burger Habayit, which is their number one requested dish as well as being hailed as the best burger in Lakewood. I did have them cut it into quarters to make it easier to eat. The burger didn’t come with lots of veggies and lettuce etc. It was a massive beef patty in a bun and it was juicy and flavorful. No toppings needed. To sum it all up, a great authentic Israeli experience, warm with great flavors and tunes right in Lakewood, NJ.
