Once in a while, one gets to step into a restaurant that has the ability to whisk them right back…read moreto childhood memories; a foreign place; sounds of a market; and the equivalent of a culinary trip on the spice Trail. Arais Machne Yehuda his one such place. Living up to its namesake, the Machne Yehuda market in Jerusalem, made famous, not only for its colorful stalls and sellers, but also for the outstanding food one can get at the market. But in order to pull that off, you need the perfect storm of the following ingredients: caring, sensitive, owners who treat you like a household guest. Culinary wizards who understand their ingredients and know how to make the best out of them. Appreciative crowd, who knows good food. Period. When all these come together, what you get is a touch of magic. And Arais is exactly that. A touch of magic on Ventura Boulevard. Let's talk some of the ingredients. The warm chickpeas (hummus) that came to the table, at a perfect temperature, and with just a hint of lemon, were the ABSOLUTE BEST chickpeas I had anywhere outside of Jerusalem. I don't say this lightly. Most Mediterranean, restaurants and almost all Israeli restaurants pride themselves on their chickpea preparations. There's a saying in Israel that Israel will forever argue about which chickpeas are the best, which chickpeas make the best dish, which preparation of chickpeas is better than the others. Basically Israeli's lives revolve around evaluating chickpeas. So by telling you, this was the best I've had outside of Jerusalem, what I'm really trying to say is that these weren't "good chickpeas for Tarzana", but rather some of the best anywhere in the world! And that was just the side dish! The formula is a known one. Take acidic vegetables as a side dish, mix them with rich and fatty meat dishes, where the acid of the vegetables in the pickles cuts through the richness; couple that with side dishes, where each dish adds to the overall experience; and what you get is exactly that magic that I told you about earlier on. When you mix that with knowledgeable owners and and welcoming atmosphere, what you get is a short trip to far away lands. Arais Machne Yehuda on every chord. If I have one single comment, and trust me that taking into account, the totality of the experience that was amazing, I would tell you that the pita bread that the Arais came in, was a bit salty. I let the owners know my dislike of tahini, something that has cost me relationships, and has earned me the jeers of many an Israeli; but they insisted time and time again that maybe I should try it "just this time". I explained that once every five years I do in fact, try tahini just to find out that I still don't like it, but my words fell on deaf ears. And you know what? They were right. Both the tahini and chimichurri sauces were perfect accompaniment for the rich lamb meatballs, nestled in the pitas. I was expecting a little bit more heat and the chimichurri to complement the tangy and oily taste emanating from good olive oil and chopped herbs. But alas, the heat came from the deep-fried jalapeños that I had on the side. The look on one of the owners faces when I ate six of them in a row and then proclaimed they were "mild", was priceless. Since this was my first time there, I also got fat chunks of deep fried and then roasted potatoes, a perfect accompaniment to the already rich meal. I highly recommend this Mediterranean/Israeli gem in the heart of Tarzana. If you're ever looking for Israeli food, this, my friends, is it!

Baruch Hashem, what an amazing place... If you like Israeli food and what authenticity this is the…read moreplace! This place is named after the famous market in Jerusalem, which has some of the best food in the world inside there and it's a cultural hotspot for young people at night. The friendly owner agreed to take your order and you feel like you're in Jerusalem amazing My friend and I had two very authentic Peters one with kebab and one with chicken legs no bones and I gotta say it was awesome. Plus the little appetizers were great too. If you're ever in the Valley, I want something special check this place out.

Danielle catered a dinner party for my husband's birthday. He had been CRAVING ribs and barbecue,…read morebut since we keep kosher, it had been years. Danielle worked with me to plan a menu and truly went out of her way to make it easy. Her team delivered the food to our venue ahead of time and gave us easy to follow heating instructions. Our friends and family were blown away by the quantity and quality of the food - short ribs, birria, bbq chicken, green beans, and cornbread - and Danielle threw in pickles and other fixings. She advised me to get chips and rolls and WOW, our guests were so happy. Cannot recommend enough. Not only is Danielle an amazing chef, she's a mensch too. Absolutely worth the price, every penny.

This is the BEST BBQ out there! No one compares to Holy Smokes!! Even my kids love it!read more

Exactly as anticipated. People with sad reviews wanna look for a way to complain about a Glatt…read moreKosher restaurant in a culture that is NOT about gratitude for obsequiousness for the customer. DUH. They serve solid food on fresh pita. Fresh vegetables really good eggplant and fries. The Merguez sausage is fantastic in the laffa wrap. A really nice low burn in the mouth. Eat good food. Get on w your life

Last evening we invited our relatives from London to a meal at Tel Aviv Grill…read more We have been clients of the restaurant for a long time and were always happy with the food Last night was a total disaster I ordered chicken chicken thighs with extra thighs We were first in line and 3 of us got their orders I didn't because the 2nd guy in line ordered thighs as well and the second server took my order from the gill and gave it to him When I told him it was mine he shrugged his shoulders like too bad I had to wait 15 minutes to get my order after my guests got theirs My wife ordered falafel in a pita Awful it was overcooked The chips we got were totally cold and the sweet cleaning lady felt sorry and brought us a small dish with warm ones The eggplants were also cold and burnt I spent 116 dollars on a worthless meal Keep going like that and you will lose many clients Sincerely Ami Artzi amiartzi@gmail.com

No hummus or falafel although it says it has it on yelp…read more Service was ok Ambiance is only take out

Hatikva offers locals an important service, home cooked style food they can take home for the…read moreSabbath and claim as their own. The cooking is very typically "Israeli cooking". Consisting mostly of homemade dishes, ready to put in the oven this place offers a variety of cook dishes to go. There is no seating inside, however, you have you are welcome to sit at one of the outdoor tables. The Cholent was mediocre. It was missing many of the ingredients typically found in Cholent. On top of that it was both very heavy on the turmeric, but lacking basics such as salt. This may be explained way by the fact that this Cholent appeals to the Ashkenazi crowd who prefer things to be relatively on the bland side. The vegetables were tasty, but what seemed to be warmed vegetables, turned out to be cold vegetables with one exception; the warm okra was mixed in with the cold vegetables. A mistake that can cause problems down the line. The Israeli pitas that were bought to take home and freeze were perfectly good. Of note was the staffs, great attitude, big smiles, and willingness to help and guide. This reviewer however, gets the feeling that if you are not Israeli (that is to say, Hebrew speaker) or Jewish, you'd be lost at the menu and offerings. So some homework and preparation are essential.

I came here because it was close to where I was already at. This is kosher * ada friendly. With a…read morewashing station pre meal. It's a little loud because it was a popular meal time. I got the kosher bread thing and the person I was with got the smash cheeseburger the double cheeseburger didn't have cheese. They make kosher nut cheeses. Was told because it's kosher there was none. also got yam fries. The food was soooo good. The short ribs basically melt in your mouth ( it's shredded) the price was okay for what we got because the food was soooo good.

Unfortunately, this was not a pleasant experience. The food itself was underwhelming, with most…read moremenu items seeming to be deep-fried. We paid $68 for two salads and an order of fries, which felt overpriced for the quality and portions. What really stood out, however, was the customer service. I visited with my mother and my toddler son. Since my son wasn't going to eat fried food, I bought him a fruit smoothie from a neighboring business. While we were already in line paying for our order, the owner or manager approached us and informed us that outside food and drinks were not allowed because the restaurant is kosher. Although he said he would make an exception this one time, he approached us again while we were waiting outside for our food. We had chosen to sit outside because the restaurant was crowded, loud, and stuffy inside. Despite us not causing any issues, he again insisted that the smoothie could not be on the premises and began explaining that his license could be suspended due to association rules. We politely told him it wasn't a problem and decided to take our food to go. I understand businesses have policies, but the way the situation was handled felt unnecessarily confrontational, especially considering the drink was for a toddler and we had already spent nearly $70 at the restaurant. Between the mediocre food, high prices, and rude customer service, I would not return. There are plenty of better dining options in the area.

We ate there for the first time yesterday. I can highly recommend this restaurant. First, the…read morepeople are super warm, welcoming and going out of their way to give you a pleasant experience. And the food is amazing, probably one of the best Middle Eastern food I've have ever had. My husband had steak pita, I had falafel taco. Everything was super fresh, delicious and made to our liking. Also, chef surprised us with order of fresh fries on the house. Portions are very generous, probably enough for two people. Will definitely be back.

Amazing food. Amazing owner…read more Always smiling and generous with the food. Fresh and tasty. Highly recommended Fred

Wow wow wow the challah shnitzellll was made out of love…read more The new owner Johnny showed me love like no other and made my plate like I was a sultan Clean , amazing staff , yummy food !! They got a new menu that's wild as well Very friendly and family style spot to fill up your tummy with greatness!!

I will never give this place my business again. My husband simply asked if they had rice and the…read moreSalateam owner responded by yelling at him in front of our two small children. Regardless of the situation, there is absolutely no reason to speak to a customer that way, especially in front of young children. The interaction was so upsetting that both of my kids ended up crying. Unfortunately, this was a very disappointing and unprofessional experience. As a business owner, how you treat customers matter and yelling at someone in front of their children is simply unacceptable. We will not be returning.

My family and I were first-time visitors to this restaurant, which we discovered while visiting…read moreSherman Oaks and searching Yelp for restaurants in the area. The restaurant isn't large, but the many outdoor tables make it feel bigger than it is. In Southern California, outdoor seating is available almost year-round, as we always have sunshine :) Customer service at this restaurant is AMAZING!! From the host and servers to the owner, who personally delivered our food, everyone was extremely friendly, hardworking, and appreciative that we chose this restaurant for lunch. The menu is extensive and offers many delicious-sounding choices. I had a perfectly prepared veggie omelet that was DELICIOUS, fresh, and flavorful. It came with a salad, which was amazing! My daughter had some soooo good pasta, and I kept picking at her plate each time she turned away. My wife had a breakfast plate which was appealing and delicious in her own words. We sat outside on the patio facing busy Ventura Blvd, which gave us a relaxed atmosphere despite all the traffic within feet of our table. The restaurant itself was very clean, well maintained, and fully stocked We will definitely return to this restaurant as we had a very positive dining experience.

This place was such a gem in my book! It's a small, cozy café with both indoor seating and a…read morecovered outdoor area. We didn't know exactly what to expect when we arrived or even realize it was a kosher café until we looked over the menu. The service was excellent--the staff was friendly, accommodating, and happy to help us navigate the menu. I ordered the salmon sandwich on a pretzel bun with chipotle sauce and spinach, and it was absolutely delicious! The hubby ordered the green pizza topped with pesto, mushrooms, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes. The crust was thin and perfectly crispy, and the pizza tasted just as delightful as it looked. We also ordered lattes--one hazelnut and one sugar-free vanilla--and they were the perfect addition to our meal. You can tell this café truly pays attention to flavor and quality ingredients. Such a wonderful find, and we'll definitely be back!

Amazing food ! Im ordering the double southern non stop…read more Sooo good And they sauces are crazy delicious Highly recommended

This is a Jewish "kosher" burger place, although I don't know how it qualifies as kosher if they…read moreserve bacon. Aside from that bit of mystery, this place is essentially a hangout for of the neighbor's teenagers. The employee behind the counter was not very nice or welcoming. When I walked in and nobody else was in line to order or anything, she didn't say hi or make eye-contact until I said "hello" after she said nothing. I paid $18.50 for one burger, with a single patty, and no fries or drink. That's a lot of money, and the burger was a basic burger with bacon. I went to In/Out the other night and paid 14 for a double-patty burger and a single patty burger and fries. The prices are the highest, the service is at the lowest. I live across the street but I don't plan on returning.

Delicious food. Great service and verity options to choose…read morefrom. Gluten free pizza is great for those who can't have the regular

I've eaten at this place a few times, and I do enjoy coming back. The food is tasty, and you can…read moretell it's made with good-quality ingredients. It's not anything special or out of the ordinary, but it definitely does the job. The place itself is small, simple, and nice--clean and well organized. The atmosphere is calm and pleasant, and it's a good spot if you're looking for something casual and not too fancy. The service was good, and the woman working there was kind and patient, which added to the overall experience. The only reason I didn't give five stars is the wait time, which was a bit longer than expected. Other than that, it's a nice, solid place, and I would come back again