Monka, the longtime Bulgarian restaurant in Jaffa, will close at the end of the month after 78 years in business. The decision was not driven by war, protests, or the lack of tourists, but by neglect of the venue, according to Michael Halfon, the third-generation family member behind the announcement. The restaurant opened in 1948 and became a beloved fixture for Bulgarians, Jaffa residents, and fans of Bulgarian cuisine.
In a post in the Facebook group "We Are All Bulgarians," Halfon said he decided to take the place back into the family after years of seeing it fall into disrepair. He said he would work from his late grandfather’s recipe book so that people who remember the original flavors could get them back. "My goal is one, to restore dignity to Bulgarian cuisine," he wrote.
Holfon said the restaurant will undergo renovations starting at the end of the month and then reopen as a more pleasant and welcoming place, while keeping the food traditional. "I have no intention of changing flavors, only refining them to the family taste since 1948," he said. According to people close to the owners, the restaurant’s legendary cook Shadi will remain in his role after the reopening, alongside the house signature dishes.
Monka, at Yehuda Hayamit 15, serves authentic Bulgarian food from different regions of Bulgaria, including kafiolo, lamb soup, moussaka, stuffed dishes, and lung in sauce, along with its main classics, such as shkembi chorba and the springy Bulgarian kebabs known as kebabcheta. Food writer and cook David Carmi, who has long ties to the restaurant through his family, wrote that it was more than a place to eat, calling it a memory, a smell, a taste, and a period that will not return. He said he ate there one last time to say goodbye. The current version of the restaurant will stay open until the end of the month.
