Mi, Ma, Mu: An Israeli burger joint that has it all - review

Everybody loves a good burger. They are tasty, nourishing, and good for all age groups – including the seniors whose teeth aren’t always what they were and for whom rare steak is, more often than not, a distant memory.

Mi, Ma, Mu in Kiryat Ono is a burger joint that has it all: several choices of burger, original side dishes and very good sauces. It’s spotlessly clean, plays very quiet background music and boasts friendly and efficient staff.

Arriving there quite hungry after the 45-minute drive from our home, we perused the menu, made our choices and waited, looking around and enjoying the décor, with a white-tiled wall behind the counter and wooden paneling on the seating side providing a stark contrast.

The manager, Matan, explained how the meat that he turns into burgers arrives every few days from Dimona in the form of a vacuum-packed kit. He takes out as much as he thinks he will need for the day, and grinds it himself to make the burgers, which seem to be 100% meat.

Eating burgers at Mi, Ma, Mu

There are two home-made hot sauces to make what he calls “dirty burgers” – mushroom and BBQ – and the burger is dipped into these before getting to its bun.

The addition of some coconut cream makes the sauces even more special, he says.

Several different burgers arrived at our table, each on disposable cardboard containers. Each bun contained the usual ingredients – lettuce, a slice of beefsteak tomato, pickles and purple onion slices. (NIS 53).

The burgers tasted very meaty (and delicious) and I could not detect any fillers.

We were also required to try the crispy chicken, a slice of chicken breast that was very spicy yet slightly sweet. This was dubbed “Buffalo” and we both liked the sweet/sour combination. (NIS 57).

There were also plenty of packets of different sauces – chipotle, green pepper, herb, as well as ketchup and mayo. A piece of grilled burger dipped in chipotle is especially good. (NIS 2 a packet.)

Vegans can enjoy a meal here, too – the vegan option is made from mushrooms. (NIS 56).

Side dishes included the usual fries – which had the virtue of being hot and already salted – and a very interesting cabbage dish, made from thick-shredded cabbage dipped in tempura and deep fried: original and very good. (NIS 22).

There is also a dessert to be had at the restaurant – a kind of pastry stick, dipped in crumbs and deep fried with a filling of pareve soft chocolate (NIS 15). One can imagine these being very popular with children, although a tad unsophisticated for most adults.

As for the somewhat unusual name, “Mi, Ma, Mu” is a very common Hebrew expression that, roughly translated, means “everything you need to know.”

There is another branch in Rehovot and the owners, seasoned restaurateurs, eventually hope to open another six around the country.

• Mi, Ma, Mu
• Hasdera HaAcademit, 1 Kiryat Ono
• Open: Sun.–Thurs. 11 a.m.– midnight. Friday – 11 a.m.– 4 p.m. Sat. night – 9 p.m.– 1 a.m.
• Kashrut – Local Rabbinate
• Wheelchair accessible
• 1-700-077-230

The writer was a guest of the restaurant.`