Ein Rafa is an Arab village situated 10 kilometers west of Jerusalem in the wadi (valley) between Highway 1 and the village of Abu Gosh. Nestled between mountains and a forest, Ranam Barhom, a chef, farmer, and shepherd, carries forth a culinary legacy rooted in tradition. Descended from a family that played a foundational role in the village’s establishment in 1935, Barhom crafts traditional Arab dishes inspired by his childhood memories. His culinary canvas is painted with the vegetables cultivated in the adjacent garden, nurtured in the fields beside the restaurant, and sourced from local farmers in the village and its environs. This harmonious blend of heritage and agriculture defines Barhom’s approach, creating a culinary experience that bridges the past and present.

Kubeh Siniya. Photo by: Noam Preisman

Named after the lentil and noodle dish integral to Barhom’s upbringing, the dishes at Reshta are deeply rooted in family tradition spanning three generations. Using traditional cooking methods like baking bread on stones and in a zarb (ground pit), working with open fire, and the restaurant’s built-in tabun oven, Reshta produces dishes like musakhan, or roast chicken with onions and sumac on flatbread; kibbeh sanieh or kibbeh made in a pan; fakhara, a casserole made with lamb and freekeh; and a pastry stuffed with chard and onion called kras.

“With a vegetable garden growing many of the kitchen’s vegetables and herbs, a sprawling vine, and two generously fruitful fig trees personally planted by Barhom, Reshta embodies the realm of authentic Arabic cuisine, or ‘falahi,’ to use Barhom’s own words. A meal at Reshta is a celebration of freshly harvested vegetables and features the best musakhan I’ve ever tasted,” says Shira Tzidon