New Menu and Old Recipes at Kulushkat

Sometimes we all need a dose of Mom’s home cooking, but what Mom is cooking depends on your hometown.

If you’re in the mood for a mother’s take on falafel, shawarma, and tabouleh, try owner Yagil Kadosh’s mother’s recipes at , prepared by the woman herself.

Kulushkat, located on the short block of Dean Street between Flatbush Avenue and 5th Avenue, is nothing if not a family affair. Yagil and his mother Yafa get the restaurant ready together every morning (Kadosh opened the restaurant with partner but now runs it himself with his mother’s help). Yafa’s recipes make up much of the menu, which is inspired by the Israeli and Moroccan dishes she cooked for Yagil when he was growing up.

Kadosh hadn’t planned on having his mother in the kitchen, but one thing led to another.

“The day before opening she was like, ‘Do you want me to come in tomorrow and just make sure everything is alright?’ We were like ‘No, it’s fine,’ and at the last minute there was so much to do, and we’re like, ‘You know what, just come, just in case.’ It’s five months later and she comes in every single day, six days a week,” Kadosh said.

Yafa supervises every dish that comes out of Kulushkat’s small kitchen, which includes original recipes like Gilly Falafel (a falafel made with mushrooms and spinach, $6) and Eggplant a la Yafa (served in a pita with hummus, Israeli salad, and tahini, $5.50). Their fries ($3.00) are served with tahini rather than ketchup, and if you don’t mind a bit of spice, get the seasoned version for a side dish that is positively addiction-worthy. Hot tea and organic juices are available to drink, and you can grab one of the 13 stools and eat at the counter, take your dinner to go, or have it delivered.

Since opening five months ago, Kulushkat has been trying out some new ideas, and this week they debut their new menu with a few big additions: Chicken Shawarma ($8.50) made with fresh all-natural Kosher chicken, and Shawafel ($7.50), a shawarma/falafel combo for those who can’t choose one or the other. They’re also introducing some specials, such as the Soup of the Day, a half Classic Falafel sandwich, and a Red Cabbage salad, served together for $7.50.

Kulushkat means, literally, “Shut up and eat!” but it also means that food comes first. Kadosh said that Kulushkat serves “falafel on the next level,” and to him, that means fresh, quality ingredients.

“We make hummus usually about three or four times a day, so if you walk in and eat hummus, it’s usually about an hour old, as opposed to most places that, I hate to say, even save hummus overnight. Our falafel we make twice a day, a batch for the morning and a batch for the night. We cook every food to order,” said Kadosh.

As for the pita, it’s delivered fresh baked every day, and the wheat is just as fresh as the white.

“People have some hesitation about whole wheat pita, because I think in a lot of neighborhoods in the city they don’t really sell as much, so sometimes whole wheat pita will be older. But in Park Slope it’s safe to say that whole wheat pita sells. We order twice, sometimes three times as much whole wheat to white pita,” said Kadosh.

Known to some as the lead vocalist and guitarist of his Mediterranean jazz folk band (also called Yagil), Kadosh started his journey toward restaurant ownership in Crown Heights, where he lives.

“One day I asked some guys in a bodega, ‘Where can I get a falafel or a shawarma around here?’ And they were like, ‘If you go all the way to Fulton ...’ It was, like, 15 blocks from where I was standing. I was like, there’s nothing in this neighborhood? Maybe we’ll open something,” said Kadosh.

With a degree in graphic design, restaurant ownership wasn’t an obvious path, but Kadosh’s business experience and the set of great recipes from his mother have kept Kulushkat going strong since their opening in the middle of June. They’ve had positive write-ups in both the New York Times and Serious Eats, both of which have helped increase their business.

Kadosh is happy to be located where three thriving neighborhoods (Park Slope, Fort Greene, and Prospect Heights) come together. He’s less sure of exactly how the opening of the across the street will affect business. Kulushkat is already getting business from some of the site’s construction workers thanks to their “Hard Hat Special” (free spicy fries with purchase of a pita sandwich and drink), and Kadosh is optimistic for the future of the neighborhood.

“A lot of people correlate the opening date of the stadium to when we’re going to get a lot of business. And I think it’s more so just indicative of this neighborhood and how it’s transforming. A lot of new businesses are opening on these blocks,” said Kadosh.

“I don’t know if there’s any direct correlation between basketball and falafel, but I think overall this neighborhood is going to just boom, so it should be good.”

Kulushkat, 446C Dean Street between 5th Ave. and Flatbush Ave. (347) 799-1972. Open Tuesday through Sunday, generally 11am-11pm