Already famous for the excellent Palestinian fare that they had been selling at the Douglas and Mahon Point Farmers’ markets for the previous year or so, Izz Alkarajeh and his wife Eman had a loyal following in tow when Darina Allen did the honours and opened Izz Cafe on Georges Quay early in 2019.
Having come to Ireland as refugees, they spent some time in Direct Provision (where no cooking is allowed) which makes this venture based all the more remarkable, and then got their mentor, Darina Allen, to cut the ribbon.
The aim of Izz Cafe is to bring “Palestinian traditional savoury pastries and desserts to modern cafés” and the Alkarajehs' promise "to convey the original quality of our mothers and grandmothers”.
Just a very short walk from the busy South Mall, you will be transported to the Middle East by authentic dishes including a special Tasting Plate offering appetisers like Aubergine stuffed with walnuts, or - from a range - a salad such as Fatoush or Tabbouleh, or a mixture of Hummus and Babaganoush.
Manooshet Zataar is a mixture of Palestinian zaatar with sesame and olive oil, spread on traditional dough and baked together.There are seven mains on offer, including Manooshet Musakhan (chicken based), Manooshet Beef, Manooshet Cheese or Manooshet Spinach - they are all served as Manaeesh which is a popular Levantine food consisting of dough topped with thyme, cheese, or ground meat.
And when it comes to dessert, their Cinnamon rolls have been a huge hit at local markets, but you'll also find plenty of others iincluding Coffee Cake, Saffron Cake and the popular Bounty Cake (layers of coconut and chocolate).
If you’re in just for a coffee (maybe their trademark personalised ‘picture coffee’) and a piece of cake, or you could try their Maamoul, a traditional Palestinian bite-sized dessert stuffed with walnut or date.
All round this friendly and authentic café is a great addition to the cultural options in Cork city - no wonder it has received such a warm welcome.
