Smart Falafel ???

I spent most of last week in San Jose, California in the heart of Silicon Valley. For those of you who experienced life outside of Jordan, you know we would go great lengths in search of that perfect falafel sandwich. This usually proves to be an elusive exercise because there is often disappointment in the quality of the Falafel offered at the Falafel wannabe outlets. Perhaps enjoying Falafel is more than just consuming food, but rather an experience enhanced by the traditions at its original source.

Having said that, I had to choose from two possible venues for my Falafel quest: House of Falafel or Falafel Drive-in.


I opted for House of Falafel after seeing burgers on the Falafel Drive-in menu. So I made the short drive just before noon and arrived at a modest, but relatively well-appointed dining room. A line of 30 plus customers extended from the order counter all the way to the entrance of the store. It was complete chaos (typical of all Middle Eastern joints I have been to in the U.S.) Arabic pop music was blaring in the background as two young servers were rushing among the sea of people to deliver Falafel and kabob combo plates. Loud exchanges among the 3 young Arab workers (cashier, waiter/busboy combo, and cook) interrupted the continuous buzz of hungry customers and the Arabic music in the background.

I stood in line for more than 20 minutes before being able to place my order and then stand aside since I opted for take-out. Besides the usual chaos (read municipal election in Jordan), I was fascinated by the diversity of the mostly young clientele in this place. Given that this was Silicon Valley after all, it was amazing to see the world represented in the faces, features, colors, and accents of young smart IT workers. They dress from total slobs to total chique yet they all blended in and they all knew their Falafel.

Cashier and cook had a heated exchange that I later discovered was related to one customer’s special request. The customer wanted Kunafeh but the cook said it was too busy for him to prepare. After several exchanges the cashier began informing the customer that it wasn’t possible today. Customer replied that he has been coming for days wanting to buy the Kunafeh. Crisis averted when waiter/busboy combo volunteered to make the Kunafeh. He shouted at the cook to throw some butter in the skillet and he’s make the Kunafeh! As much as I was drooling on the prospect of eating Kunafeh, I had to go back to my meeting (sadly)…

Given all the outstanding Falafel Jordan has to offer, I wonder if it could be possible to attract a few bright minds to help create that long awaited revolution to move Jordan into the IT world? Better yet, perhaps Jordan can create a welcoming environment to keep its brilliant young generation at home where they can focus on developing their country rather than migrate to Western countries in search of that elusive Falafel look-alike?