When you come to Akko in Israel, Hummus Said is THE hummus place locals go for lunch. Hummus didn’t say anything, that’s just the name of the founder, “Said” (like Saeed). You’ll taste what ‘authentic’ hummus is like here, and a serving is only 17NIS! Very cheap and affordable!

Location

The store is in the old market. Google Maps location is pretty accurate for now. And remember that you should be there before 2pm! Expect to queue for 10-15 minutes as the place is quite popular.

We came here past 1pm. And there were at least a dozen of people lining up, so we waited for 10 minutes…. most people here were locals, so you know this is the RIGHT place to go.

And voila, nothing fancy inside the shop. But the good thing is that you get a place to sit. I took this picture when the shop was closing.

I bet he is Mr.Said.

Menu?

Hummus Said sells authentic hummus, so you are here for hummus. There are 3 options

• Hummus
• Faal? (some sort of beans)
• Another type of hummus called Moshusha?

Menu is on the wall, this is the price for 1 serving. You can go for half portion (at half price)

I got half portion hummus (left) and that Moshusha thing (right).  To me there was no difference in taste, except hummus was finely mashed and moshusha included some chickpeas. But I must say this is the first time that I understood what ‘freshly prepared hummus’ is. You simply know that when the aroma of chickpea is in your mouth!

All of this cost me only 17NIS! 3 pieces of pita, and some salads. We were startving but this was enough for 2 of us. Probably because hummus is filling and plus psychologically hummus to us is not a meal. It’s like eating tofu, just tofu with some bread. (Yes I know there’s ‘tofu’ burger in western wall… but I’m not used to that idea)

What’s offered in salads? Hmmm pickles, tomatoes, super sour olives and onions. It’s hard to pretend that I like olives…. But some people like olives right?

Chili and coriander. Add them! Finally my hummus has some flavor ~

And then I wanted to order tea. When I told this to a waiter, I asked the waiter what that yellow drink is on some other table. He pointed at that yellow drink, and asked me “this?”  I said yes. And then he didn’t answer my question…. but later he came back with another glass of this yellow drink. I asked him once again “what is it?” I couldn’t tell from the smell.

Then my mom took a sip. Then 3 seconds later, another waiter who could speak English came to us and said

It’s oil.

 Why is olive oil served in a glass?  Maybe it’s beyond his imagination that there are people in this world who don’t know what this yellow “drink” is….

And they were wrapping up at 3pm. While we were still eating, they started to clean up. That’s it! From 3-4pm they are free! And I guess they would sleep at 8pm and get up at 3am for making fresh hummus. I think.

And the bill was….. 17NIS!  Was the tea complementary? The waiter said “Included”. I was stunned. No wonder this place is so popular among locals!

Final Verdict

Hummus Said is definitely a chamion in hummus world. If you can only bear to have hummus for 1 meal in Israel, then this is the place to go!

Uri Buri, the most recommended seafood restaurant in Akko. Some people even say they will go back to Akko because of Uri Buri! So why do people love Uri Buri? I came here on my mom’s birthday, just to try out the experience. Actually, it is not the most expensive restaurant in Israeli standard, because dining cost in high everywhere in Israel. But I am so glad to find out….

Yes! There is good food in Israel! This is the perfect place to go for a birthday celebration!

Location

It’s by the beach, very close to the exit of the Templar’s Tunnel. However you cannot see the sea from the inside anyways….  if you are there for dinner! Haha!

This place is quite popular, to locals and tourists alike. It’s recommended to make a reservation ahead. Just call the restaurant, tell the lady your name, your Israeli number (so she can contact you) and your reservation time.

Since it only occured to me to make a reservation at noon, my mom and I got a table that’s squeezed to the side. Almost like we were eating with some other guests. It’s a crowded place…

Menu of Uri Buri 

You can go for “half portion” or a portion. A “half portion” dish is around 60-90 NIS. ($20-30) This is Israel! The waiter told us that seafood here is not caught locally and everything is imported from abroad… so I didn’t go for Seafood soup. We each ordered 1 half-portion. I asked the waiter if it was enough? He pleasantly said, “It’s up to you. You can start with these and see what you feel like having later”.

I went for  Mix of seasonal seafood 67 NIS, and my mom went for Coquille St.Jacques 78 NIS～

And we got this lemonade for 36 NIS…  Yes I will go for tap water next time! (But I still liked the taste)

And complimentary bread was served. Handmade bread I think? It was so good that you start to believe this is really a land flowing with honey and milk.

Butter with sea salt and pepper. Wow wow wow! I have had good bread in my life, but this definitely comes top to the list! 

Here comes the scallops! It took only 15-20 minutes to service. It’s rapidly fast! I think this is a way to show how experienced and skillful the chefs in Uri Buri are. So, 5 pieces of scallops in “half portion”? For us, it is a portion! Now I start to realized the Israeli portion is not our typical Asian portion. We are in the Middle East!

My Seafood Pasta，67NIS. Well this Israeli pasta thing is somewhere in between spaghetti and rice. I liked it, my mom liked it too because it has a taste of home. Maybe it’s because they added shallot for garnishing? My mom kept eating my food, haha!

So… because Israel is expensive and we are small eaters, this was all we had. The total bill was 181 NIS for 2 half portion meals and a lemonade. Service not included.

The place lives up to its repuration! Even though eating in a restaurant like this is pricey, I think if you want to have a good dining experience once in Israel, you don’t be disappointed by Uri Buri!

Final Verdict 

Delicious. It impressed me! Make a reservation in advance. 1 Half-portion can be enough well for Asian girl. Everything was delicious.