Haifa Launches Food Festival Featuring Chef Dishes Priced Up to 45 Shekels

Haifa is hosting its first-ever food festival from August 11 to 13 at the Sami Ofer Stadium plaza, aiming to highlight the city's diverse culinary scene and attract visitors nationwide. The event will feature dozens of restaurants, chefs, and food trucks offering dishes capped at 45 shekels each to ensure affordability.

Notable chefs returning to their hometown include Israel Aharoni, who will present popular dishes from his "Aharoni's" chain, such as crispy chicken hot honey and spicy corn ribs. Chef Moshik Roth, originally from Haifa's Hadar neighborhood, will showcase his "FRANKO" project, serving gourmet sausages, smoked meats, beef stews, and kimchi. Other prominent Israeli street food chefs like Avi Biton and Rachel Ben Alul will also participate, alongside major chains like Agadir offering Wagyu beef burgers.

The festival emphasizes local and regional culinary forces, featuring Arab and Druze cuisines with chefs Firas Khalaila from Rasif 33 and Moein Halabi from ROLA. Iconic Haifa institutions like "Falafel Hazakenim" will be present, alongside diverse offerings including dim sum, Korean dishes, Georgian khachapuri, Tibetan momo, and various Middle Eastern specialties. Dessert options include creations by pastry chef Orin Levy, Aldo's bubble waffles, knafeh, Dutch waffles, churros, malabi, baklava, crepes, and ice cream.

Haifa's municipality, which initiated the festival, views it as the first in a series of major culinary events to position the northern city as a gastronomic hub. Mayor Yona Yahav highlighted Haifa's multicultural identity and said the festival showcases the city's culinary strength to the entire country, emphasizing coexistence through food.