Boosting the Israeli flavors, Balaboosta is back!

As steam rises from multiple dishes that are being prepped to go out to their waiting diners, it’s apparent that the real-life Balaboosta, Chef Einat Admony, is the embodiment of the name she chose for her recently reopened restaurant. In what just might be the city’s fastest comeback, Balaboosta is now located in the West Village right between Chef Einat’s first restaurant, Taim Falafel, and her latest, Kish-Kash.

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Taim Falafel opened in the Village in 2005 and has since become a chain of four locations in the city that is now expanding out of state with the assistance of new management formerly from mexican fast-food chain Chipotle.

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“We are extremely excited and ready for our new chapter in TAIM, working on our fifth location in NYC and a new one that is outside of NY. My husband Stéfan and our director of operations Bethany Strong are running the show like wizards.” Admony said.

Most recently, Chef Einat reopened Balaboosta, her take on modern Israeli cuisine. The new menu features all-time favorite dishes such as the cauliflower with lemon, currants, pine nuts, parsley and crushed Bamba (the famous Israeli peanut snack), and Fried Olives with labne cheese and harissa oil.

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But new creations like the Short Rib Zabzi with hand-rolled couscous, herbs, and almonds, and a Red Snapper dish with pickled okra tempura and sour Fresno chili in chraime sauce.

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And of course you can’t miss their scrumptious desserts of Malabi and Halva Creme Brulee.

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It’s been well over a decade that Chef Einat has been a major part of introducing Israeli, Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern cuisine to New York. For many years now it’s been her dream to create a place that serves homemade, authentic couscous, and she made that dream come true in Kish-Kash, New York’s first ever couscous bar.

Named after the sieve traditionally used to make couscous, the casual dining eatery specializes in hand-rolled, hand-sieved Moroccan couscous and authentic North African Jewish cuisine. You’re invited to the dinner table to enjoy slow cooked dishes such as Mafrum, a Libyan dish of spiced ground meat in a tomato sauce, Chef Einat’s Tbecha B’salk, a short rib, Swiss chard and white bean stew, and there are chicken tagine, lamb, fish and vegetarian options to choose from as well.

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Of the Balaboosta reopening process, Chef Einat said, “It’s been fun to explore fresh ideas too – riffing on homespun Israeli and Middle-Eastern classics while continuing to innovate and play with the ingredients, flavors, and techniques that make my beloved Israeli cuisine among the most exciting in the world. I can’t wait to introduce a few new, interesting and delicious dishes such as Lamb Neck with preserved lemon, dates and sun-choke and more.”

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Chef Einat and partner (and husband) Stéfan Nafziger worked with designer Silvia Zofio of SZProjects to design the new Balaboosta in the space that was formerly Bar Bolonat.

“The interior design of the new Balaboosta location is bright, airy, and the Mediterranean feeling is evoked through the color scheme, banquette fabric pattern and Middle Eastern inspired glass pendants.” Zofio said. “The centerpiece of the room is a nostalgic black and white mural designed in a playful way with its narrow blue stripes being repeated as a pattern on the concrete floor.”

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The new Balaboosta is definitely a cosy, hip and delicious option for those long and cold NYC nights. They are open for dinner form 5:30-10:30pm and will soon be open for brunch and lunch as well. And don’t worry, we got a personal promise from Chef Einat that she will be reintroducing the infamous Balaboosta shakshuka to the brunch menu.

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