Haret Jdoudna Madaba

Written By: Gail Clifford | Published By: Weekend Notes | October 09, 2022

https://www.weekendnotes.com/haret-jdoudna-madaba/

Opened in the last century, Zaid Goussous joined Ibrahim and Waddah Jumean in a vision to transform a historical property into a “magical village of restaurants, coffee shops, and a traditional Jordanian Souk and Crafts Market” creating Haret Jdoudna. Entering, you feel their mission of creating a space where time ceases to exist, you could be in the 1950s, the 1990s, or today, as the time you spend over your meal with friends is uninterrupted by the technology of the era (as long as you set your mobile phone to vibrate).

Our guide tells us the Haret Jdoudna restaurant is one of the most popular restaurants in the entire country. Near the Greek Orthodox Church that houses the Mosaic Map, you can enter from the front along King Tala Street or park in the back. We arrive on the first day of the Muslim work week, Sunday, so the roads are busy and school is in session. It’s safest to exit our bus from the parking lot.

Enter a peaceful, restful, garden-like area with sofa cushions with rich fabrics surrounded by lush vegetation, through wood doors with surprising touches, like a golden Grumpy Gourmet award in a transparent box at the entrance, wedding photos, and letters of thanks from a variety of mayors, including one from Richard Daley, then mayor of Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Seated at a table for eight, it was a tight fit for eight of us to have our drinks, individual plates, and then the succession of delivered dishes. Prior to arriving, our guide had confirmed we’d like to try all of the customary dishes as well as barbecued meat and a dessert, if available.

The first server brought bottled water and the Jordanian version of a Caprese salad, fresh, delicate, and artfully arranged in a single file across white china with light grey flowers. Next, a spinach salad with thin slices of mushroom and two slices of deep red tomatoes doused in olive oil arrived. Tabbouleh, fine chopped parsley with tomatoes, mint and onion, seasoned with olive oil, salt, lemon juice, and sweet pepper was delivered with a happy sigh from the nearest diner. This has become one of the favorite appetizers of the trip.