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| Our meal at Azura. |
One of the more popular spots in the Mahane Yehuda market (Shuk) in Jerusalem is an Iraqi restaurant called, Azura. A new chum invited Mr. Sazy Rock and I for lunch at Azura - a place that has been around for over 25 years - while we explored the Shuk. It just so happened that as we met for lunch, the skies opened. So, it was perfect timing to be sheltered inside the restaurant smelling all sorts of food and eating tasty treats.
The Scene
Prior to visiting Israel, Mr. Sazy Rock and I have asked friends, who have recently and/or frequently visited Jerusalem, to give recommendations for a "must-try" restaurant in the city. An overwhelming amount of them recommended Machneyuda, a restaurant near the famous Mahane Yehuda market (or simply called, "the Shuk"). Online research also revealed positive reviews of Machneyuda.
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| Machneyuda's kitchen. |
We double checked Machneyuda's provenance because, in addition to trying out one of Israel's famous restaurants, we wanted to take out our new friend, Noga, who had been so kind about giving us excellent recommendations in Jerusalem and elsewhere, introducing us to fascinatingly smart people at the Volcani Institute (a premier agricultural research facility in the country), inviting us to fun parties, and generally just being a wonderful person. The word-of-mouth recommendations and our double work by researching online proved helpful because when we informed Noga that we would like to take her to Machneyuda, she was thrilled.
So, off we went.
