Abu Hassan (restaurant)

Ali Karwan – Abu Hassan (Hebrew: עלי קרוואן – אבו חסן, Arabic: علي كروان – أبو حسن) is one of Israel's oldest and most famous humus restaurants, located on the Dolphin Street in Jaffa. It has been rated best hummus restaurant in Israel in many lists. The restaurant is famous for its loyal crowd of Jews and Arabs, laborers and tourists, sitting side by side and crammed to the same tables, and the long line that lurks at its entrance every day at noon. The hummus was founded by Ali Karawan, known as Abu Hassan.

History

Karawan started out as a hummus seller off a cart in the Ajami neighborhood of Jaffa. In 1959 he opened his first restaurant on 60th Street, now Yefet Street, and did not last. In the early 1970s he opened a restaurant on Dolphin Street, corner Yehuda HaYamit. This restaurant is still active today.

After decades in which Karawan refused to open additional branches, a larger hummus restaurant was opened on Shivtei Yisrael Street, not far from the original restaurant. The success of the branch, which despite its size is also characterized by a long line of diners at the entrance, led to the opening of a third restaurant, Pearl of Jaffa - Brothers Karawan, which also offer fries, falafel and salad. In October 2007 Karawan died after years of involvement in the management of the network was small and his son Ibrahim served as its director.

Concept

The original restaurant of Abu Hassan on Dolphin Street is small, overcrowded and almost uncluttered. It is open from eight in the morning and closes when there is no more food, usually in the early afternoon.^[1] Due to the long line that is steeped in the entrance, hummus is eaten sitting together with other diners around the same table, as is customary in many working restaurants. Restaurant service is fast, efficient and sometimes even aggressive. The reservation and serving are very quick, and the waiters often urge the diners who have finished eating to make room for those waiting in line.

The restaurant's menu is very limited. The restaurant serves only four basic courses - hummus, masabacha, brown beans and labane - and dishes that combine them.^[2] The famous dish of the restaurant is the triangle (in Arabic: Mutha'alat, in Hebrew: Meshulash), a triangular dish that includes hummus, brown beans and masabacha. With the dishes, pitas, fresh onions, and saucers of hot sauce with lemon salt are served.

The restaurant does not offer the guests a written menu for viewing around the table, but presents the various dishes and their prices on the wall of the restaurant.

References