One of Mapplr’s readers alerted me to what many consider to be the best place for hummus in Tel Aviv — a restaurant called Abu Hassan, located in Jaffa. The first Abu Hassan opened in Jaffa on 1 Dolphin Street, but there are two other locations on Shivtai Israel Street. Abu Hassan is also known for very good masabacha and foul.

Abu Hassan
1 Dolphin Street
Jaffa, Israel
+972 03 682 0387
Sun-Fri 7:45-14:45 (or until the hummus is finished)

To find other good restaurants in Tel Aviv, go to:
http://www.mapplr.com/tag/tel-aviv/

After posting my review of Old Jerusalem (a Middle Eastern restaurant in the Mission that serves the best hummus in the city), I decided to post one of Good Frikin Chicken, a restaurant close to Old Jerusalem, that serves, in my opinion, the best kenafeh in San Francisco. Kenafeh is a Middle Eastern dessert that is made out of goat cheese, topped with honey.

They also have excellent falafel, hummus, dolmas, baba ghannoush, and as their name says, very good chicken dishes such as mosakhan (chunks of grilled chicken smothered in onions, olive oil, summak and pine nuts) and chicken shwarma. Although the name of the restaurant makes it seem like a chicken fast food joint, it’s not that at all. Definitely worth a visit.

• Vibe: ethnic dive in the Mission
• Pros: best kenafeh (Middle Eastern dessert) in SF, very good falafel; good alternative to Old Jerusalem; they cater for large parties so if you need lots of hummus, baba ghannous and Middle Eastern dishes, this is a good place to get them
• Cons: street parking not easy

Good Frikin Chicken
10 29th St
San Francisco, CA 94110
+1 415 970 2428
http://www.gfcsf.com/

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Click here to see a map of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco.

If you are looking for the best hummus, musabacha (hummus with chick peas, cilantro-parsley-olive oil sauce, paprika) and baba ghannoush in San Francisco, stop by Old Jerusalem in the Mission. I’ve been to Old Jerusalem many times and it is always very good: the falafel is delicious (not greasy at all) and the shish kabob is excellent. Best of all, they serve you side dishes of olives, pickled turnips, Turkish salad (onions in a cumin-tomato sauce that is very spicy), and bakdounsia dip (creamy tahini-cilantro sauce) that goes well with falafel. Prices are very reasonable: a large plate of hummus for $6.50, shish kebab with rice ($11.95). Old Jerusalem is the perfect place to order large quantities of hummus, baba ghannoush and knafeh (a dessert made out of goat cheese, topped with honey) if you are having a party.

• Vibe: ethnic dive in the Mission, hole in the wall restaurant with simple decor
• Pros: best hummus and baba ghannoush in the city, inexpensive, good service, very good Turkish coffee
• Cons: street parking, dark interiors, uninspiring decor

Old Jerusalem
2976 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
+1 415 642 5958
www.oldjerusalemsf.com

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Click here to see a map of our favorite restaurants in San Francisco.

Open Table Stimulus plan

$35 dinners, $24 lunches between November 17-21, 2008 plus 200 OpenTable Dining Rewards Points at participating restaurants in San Francisco.

All You can Eat Pizza at Local for $12.95

One of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco, Local Kitchen and Wine Merchant, on 1st Street between Folsom and Harrison, has an all you can eat pizza extravaganza for $12.95 every Sunday night. My favorite pizza is the vegetarian, which has huge chunks of artichokes. The pizzas are thin-crust and crispy, the wine selection is excellent. Read my review of Local.

Vancouver is well-known for the variety of ethnic restaurants and the quality of its seafood. In the last decade, immigrants from Asia and young innovative chefs have raised the standard of cooking in the city. There are enough restaurants to choose from, but here are my favorites.

Vij’s Restaurant
1480 11th Avenue West
Vancouver, BC
Canada
+1 604 736 6664
www.vijs.ca
Exquisite Indian food

Bin 941
941 Davie Street
Vancouver, BC
Canada
+1 604 683 1246
www.bin941.com
Funky large tapas

West Restaurant
2881 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC
Canada
+1 604 738 8938
www.westrestaurant.com
High-end French cuisine

Kintaro Ramen
788 Denman Street
Vancouver, BC
Canada
+1 604 682 7568
Awesome ramen noodle house

Gyoza King
1508 Robson Street
Vancouver, BC
Canada
+1 604 669 8278
www.jpcanada.com

Guu
838 Thurlow Street
Vancouver, BC
Canada
+1 604 685 8817
www.guu-izakaya.com

Hapa Izakaya
1479 Robson Street
Vancouver, BC
Canada
+1 604 689 4272
www.hapaizakaya.com

Sushi Bar Wabi Sabi
4422 West 10th Avenue
Vancouver, BC
Canada
+1 604 222 8188‎

Chambar Restaurant
562 Beatty Street
Vancouver, BC
Canada
+1 604 879 7119
www.chambar.com
Belgian food and beers; great cocktails

Boneta
1 Cordova Street West
Vancouver, BC
Canada
+1 604 684 1844
www.boneta.ca
Phenomenal cocktails; ambiance: young and hip

Steamworks Brewing Co
375 Water Street
Vancouver, BC
Canada
+1 604 689 2739
www.steamworks.com
Great beer, skip the food

Rodney’s Oyster House
405-1228 Hamilton Street
Vancouver, BC
Canada
+1 604 609 0080
www.rodneysoysterhouse.com
Fabulous oysters

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Here is a Google map of Mapplr’s favorite bars and restaurants in Vancouver:

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