A taste of paradise(2)

Ha Ya's Mediterranean

In comparison to the rustic, back-to-basics style of A Thousand and One Nights Restaurant, Ha Ya's Mediterranean on Dagu Road is a far more contemporary take on Middle Eastern cuisine. The Israel-style eatery features walls lined with abstract oil paintings giving the place an avant-garde feel.

A waitress, surnamed Gui told the Global Times that all of the paintings were created by a good friend of the Israeli owner of the restaurant.

Gui told us that the most popular item on the menu is an appetizer called combo four, which combines hummus, tabbouleh, baba ghanouj and marinated eggplant. Another big seller is the main course, falafel, which is balls of crushed chickpeas flavored with special seasonings and deep fried in vegetable oil. Customers also can't get enough of the chicken shawarma that comes with pita bread and an Israeli salad.

The kitchen makes both Israeli and Greek salads, and "because we have our own bakery, we can provide fresh pita bread, bagels, laffa and other varieties of breads," Gui said.

Ha Ya's sells various set dishes at reasonable prices for lunch and on weekends.

Add: 415 Dagu Road 大沽路415号

Price: 100 to 200 yuan per person

Tel: 6295-9511