Soup and pajamas are on my top 10 list of simple pleasures. And the only way my dining experience at Rak Marak (Only Soup) could possibly have been better would have been if I’d been wearing pajamas.
My husband and I spotted this unassuming eatery, a couple of blocks from the Bialik Street light rail stop, while traveling on a bus to visit my cousin in Ramat Gan. Given my soup obsession, it was a no-brainer to check it out.
Rak Marak not only serves seven sublime varieties of fresh soup but also offers plant-based proteins, legumes, and carbs to accompany your cup of soup – and, unexpectedly, two fabulous desserts.
The place is humble and friendly, with just five tables indoors and three outdoors; much of its business is delivery and takeout. You don’t get the fancy ambiance of the Inbal and Ramada hotel soup festivals in Jerusalem, but the soups are superior in terms of taste.
Rak Marak checks my boxes for healthfulness (pure ingredients, clearly and cheerfully disclosed in Hebrew and English) and environmental responsibility (the cups and spoons, though not the lids, are biodegradable).
For me, as a kosher-keeping vegan, the cherry on top is that Rak Marak is certified mehadrin. This level of kashrut is rare for a restaurant that doesn’t serve meat or dairy.
Sampling every soup on the menu
Manager David Khakhviashvili insisted that we sample all the soups on offer the night of our visit: corn, pea, tomato, orange vegetable, lentil, “chicken,” and harira. The latter three are the biggest sellers. A large portion (780 ml.) is NIS 56; medium (500 ml.) is NIS 38; and small (350 ml.) is NIS 31. Each comes with croutons or soup nuts on the side.
Every variety had excellent flavor and consistency. The tomato soup was addictive. The corn soup was as good as (maybe even better than) our favorite version cooked up at Pagoda in Tiberias.
The standout for me was the satisfyingly thick pureed lentil soup, made with orange lentils, onion, carrot, leek, garlic, and tomatoes.
My husband, who is not a vegan, swore that the ersatz chicken broth – made with celery root, parsley root, fennel, carrot, celery, tomatoes, onion, parsley, and dill – perfectly mimicked Grandma Leichman’s authentic chicken soup that he’s been raving about since we met 44 years ago. The delicious egg-free matzah balls (NIS 10 for three), made with aquafaba, sealed the deal: We went back for dinner again the next night.
Sides and add-ins range in price from NIS 5 to NIS 16: mujadara, buckwheat, quinoa, stir-fried tofu, couscous, rice, whole-wheat bread, frena (Moroccan bread), vegetable cubes, noodles, crunchy onions. And there were four kinds of croquettes (three for NIS 19) that were outstanding: broccoli-cauliflower, quinoa-cranberry, chickpea-vegetable, and beetroot.
Just when I thought I might burst, Khakhviashvili brought out the two house desserts: Creamino Triangle – scrumptious salted chocolate and crème brûlée-like concoction (NIS 38); and Lotus Layer Cake – reminiscent of a Napoleon (NIS 35). It was hard to believe they contained neither eggs nor dairy.
Rak Marak started as a pop-up in Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Mall five years ago. Founder Dor Hayut, who joined us at the table along with Khakhviashvili, had never worked in the food-service industry, but he figured that the corona pandemic was a good time to introduce a comforting and nourishing form of fast food. The recipes are from his brother-in-law Shlomi.
Hayut’s success led to two permanent eateries. One is at 14 Berl Katznelson Street in Kfar Saba, and the other is in his native Ramat Gan, a space that was formerly the neighborhood grocery he frequented as a kid. Hayut said he’d be delighted if Rak Marak became a nationwide chain.
Here’s hoping the next branch will be in my hometown, Ma’aleh Adumim, so I can go and eat soup in my pajamas.
Rak Marak76 Bialik Street, Ramat Gan (Bialik Mall)Sunday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Saturday, one hour after Shabbat until 11 p.m.Kashrut: Mehadrin
The writer was a guest of the restaurant.
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