Dining at Malka in Dumbo, the kosher Israeli restaurant by celebrity chef Eyal Shani, feels like a different experience depending on when you walk through the door. On most nights, it operates like any other of-the-moment restaurant, turning out a menu of Middle Eastern favorites—most notably, the now-famous golden Malka schnitzel, stuffed with mashed potatoes and served with an array of dips that demand to be dragged through.
But come Thursday, the lights dim, the DJ turns it up and the place morphs into something closer to a Tel Aviv fever dream. The menu stays put, but the energy doesn’t: prix fixe tends to rule the room—because who has time to deliberate over ordering when people are dancing on tables?
The Dumbo outpost opened about a year after the Upper West Side location debuted in 2023—Shani’s first-ever kosher venture in the U.S.—and it makes sharp use of its enviable corner perch. Beyond the weekly rhythm shift, the restaurant also hosts occasional wine pairing dinners spotlighting kosher bottles from around the world, matched with regionally inspired dishes (recent editions have highlighted Italian and Spanish pours).
The mood may swing wildly from quiet Tuesday night dinner to full-blown party, but one thing at Malka remains constant: the menu’s dedication to Middle Eastern flavors, mainly anchored by three standout—the focaccia, the branzino hraime and the above mentioned schnitzel.
The only complaint we have about the focaccia—marbled with tomatoes, onions and peppers, and served alongside tahini and green chili—is that it isn’t automatically placed on every table, the way bread baskets are at most Italian restaurants.
Then again, that might be for the best. Nearly every dish at Malka comes slicked in the sauces and spice-laced drippings that define Middle Eastern cooking, and you’ll inevitable want to swipe the focaccia through every last streak on the plate. If it arrived the second you sat down, you’d risk filling up before the real feast even begins.
Not to take anything away from the seemingly simple bag of green beans that’s become a calling card, the perfectly dressed field-of-greens salad or the lineup of red meat entries, but it’s the schnitzel that steals the spotlight. In fact, the menu itself labels it “famous,” an on-brand wink for a place that titles dishes with poetic flair (see: “short rib melting inside two slices of soft challah bread”).
The dish has inspired countless at-home cooks and professional chefs alike to try re-creating it in their own kitchens. Stuffed with just the right amount of mashed potatoes, the schnitzel is impeccably crisp, so much so that it practically crackles under your knife, giving way to a slow ooze of pillowy filling. May we suggest ordering it as a starter (with the focaccia, of course) and letting the table descend together?
If you’re skipping chicken for the night, turn your attention to the branzino hraime. Hraime is a North African—particularly Libyan and Tunisian—fish stew defined by a spicy, slow-simmered tomato sauce layered with garlic, chili, paprika and warming spices. At Malka, the branzino is served whole and drenched in that deeply spiced, scarlet sauce—once again making a compelling case for keeping the focaccia within arm’s reach to swipe up every last drop.
On the drinks side, the cocktails are certainly worthy of attention and very much on brand. The Jerusalem Negroni arrives with a grapefruit twist, the Limonarak blends arak with mint, lemon and soda, and the Sweet Luisa mixes gin, lemon, honey, verbena and brut for something bright and herbaceous. Still, it’s worth taking a careful look at the wine list, which leans heavily Israeli and features bottles you’re unlikely to encounter at just any neighborhood spot.
Ultimately, your Malka experience hinges on the mood you’re chasing. Go on a Thursday if you’re craving the full Tel Aviv fantasia or opt for a quieter night if you’d rather linger over hraime and wine without feeling compelled to break it down mid-bite. Either way, the kitchen doesn’t waver: the vibe may shift, but the food shows up every single time.
Malka Dumbo is located at 56 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201.
