Izz Cafe

The 22 Best Restaurants in Cork, Ireland | Eater

"A couple of years ago, Palestinian couple Izz and Eman Alkerajah and their children were entangled in Ireland’s asylum-seeker system when they began selling Eman’s traditional recipes from a tiny farmer’s market stall. Success was immediate and — asylum status now granted and full Irish citizenship in the pipeline — a year later they established a brick-and-mortar presence in Cork city, centered around their menu of manaeesh, or Palestinian flatbreads. Try the version with chicken, sweet braised red onions, and pine nuts, with sumac and olive oil for seasoning. The mixed plate of dips, pickles, and tabbouleh is highly recommended, in particular for the makdous, a baby aubergine that’s steamed, then stuffed with walnuts, garlic, and chile and left to “pickle” in olive oil for up to two weeks. Eman’s exquisite desserts range from traditional warbat — syrup-drenched phyllo filled with custard — to the utterly nontraditional cinnamon roll. [$]" - Joe McNamee