Success!

[theyellowhobbit]

I'm at Kibbutz Lavi right now, and finally got an ice cafe,¹ which I've had a craving for since before I landed. Not only that, but I ordered in Hebrew, the waiter responded in Hebrew, I paid for it in Hebrew, and not a word of English was spoken in the transaction. So while my Hebrew has suffered for the past few years, my ability to order food in Israel in Hebrew remains intact. Actually, I sometimes have problems trying to order falafel in America since my instinct is to order it in Hebrew. Though the people running kosher falafel places in America usually are Israelis, so if I ordered in Hebrew no one would mind.

Oh ice cafe, I could sing odes to your awesomeness. How I wish you existed in the states. Perhaps I will use the blender at home to make some if I can figure out a good recipe. Maybe I can make a pitcher of it and bring it to a HRSFA event, so all of you who have never been to Israel can experience the awesomeness of it. And so I can finally cook for you guys!

¹(אייס קפה)A blended ice coffee drink that doesn't exist in America, except that apparently boroparkpyro once found it in New York, I think on Coney Island or something. ("cafe" is Hebrew for "coffee") It's like a coffee frappuchino, except that coffee frappuchinos are bitter and don't taste good, while an ice cafe is pure awesome. They are caffinated, but I'm not addicted to the caffeine, I'm addicted to the taste. I've been months without an ice cafe. I've also been months without french fries, but that's a different story.

Comments

[trempnvt.livejournal.com]

I used to work at a place in the States that was owned by an Israeli, and they had something called an "iced coffee" on the menu that was actually an icecafe. Of course, in America, an iced coffee is a coffee with ice in it, so people who ordered it were not always happy with what they got.

[sen-ichi-rei.livejournal.com]

Where is this place? I must go there when I get back to America!

[kressel.livejournal.com]

Kibbutz Lavi! I was there with my parents and sister in '94.

[trempnvt.livejournal.com]

It's in Teaneck, but it's under different ownership now, so I don't think the menu is the same.

[boroparkpyro.livejournal.com]

it was on Coney Island Avenue in Greater Jewish Flatbush, in a little Israeli hhumus place.

[brokenwndw.livejournal.com]

All of this is making me hanker for real dumplings. (Via the mental node of "personal culture relevant food".) Apparently Kathy found a place in Boston that gets 'em right, though, so this is probably a bit easier for me. Of course, not speaking Taiwanese or Chinese means that if I did have to go to Taiwan for said dumplings, it would be pretty darned tough...

[sen-ichi-rei.livejournal.com]

You could always travel to China or Taiwan with someone who speaks the language in order to get real dumplings. (And I really don't speak Hebrew. I'm just incredibly good at faking it in certain situations. Today when I ordered pizza it was in English because I didn't know the Hebrew word for "slice.") Though I guess if you didn't have someone with you who knew Chinese or Taiwanese you'd be royally screwed because not too many people in China (I can't speak for Taiwan, having never been there) speak English, whereas in Israel everyone speaks English, and most of the time even if I talk to them in Hebrew they'll answer in English.

And in America I just drink caramel frappuchinos. They're not the same, but they're better than nothing.

[sen-ichi-rei.livejournal.com]

Ok. So I was close.