Palestinian Chicken From 'Curb Your Enthusiasm': Is It For Real?

Today in LA Weekly's "Ask Mr. Gold" column, beloved food critic Jonathan Gold responds to this question: "My colleagues and I are interested to know if Palestinian chicken, as featured in last week's Curb Your Enthusiasm, is really a dish. If so, is it something you have sampled or seen a recipe for?"

The reader is, of course, referring to a recent July 24 episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" in which Larry and Jeff plotz over some outrageously delicious Palestinian chicken from an LA restaurant called "Al-Abbas."

Some choice quotes from the episode, via Eater LA:

• Larry and Jeff say that if the chicken was sent to Israel, "they'd take down all the settlements immediately."
• Marty Funkhouser resovles, "If Rabin can break bread with Arafat, I can have chicken at this anti-Semitic shithole."

Larry and Jeff also note that the restaurant is the perfect place for a Jewish couple to conduct an affair, since no one else from the community would be caught dead patronizing the place. For those who are still catching up on their TiVo, we won't spoil the ending.

Of course, any LA native worth their salt recognized immediately that the restaurant's food and employee uniforms were modeled loosely on Lebanese-Armenian chain Zankou Chicken.

Gold is quick to point this out, but being the helpful guy he is, also notes that the restaurant scenes were probably filmed at Sunnin in Westwood, a Lebanese joint. Of Zankou and Sunnin, Gold wryly says, "You will find the pro-Palestinian posters in neither restaurant."

Comments

[ctekin]

07:34 PM on 08/30/2011

The sex scene is one of the funniest things that has ever been on television! And right after, when he walks out of the bedroom and Marty is in the fawyer, Larry says, "Funk Man!". I lost it. I love this show and I am bummed that the season is almost over.

[Wake Up Call]

09:26 PM on 08/22/2011

Here's what I don't understand. A semite is an Arab OR a Jew (look it up in the dictionary) - so how is it that a Palestinian is called antisemitic? It makes no sense. To be antisemitic, you should be against both Jews and Arabs by the literal meaning of the word.

[sextonfan]

05:40 PM on 08/08/2011

The most hilarious episode of recent seasons :)

[squiems]

11:53 PM on 08/07/2011

Great episode on a great show.

[moderndaywarrior]

07:46 PM on 08/05/2011

Hilarious. Classic Curb.

[IndyVoter777]

06:14 PM on 08/05/2011

I have no idea but I do know that I am a social assassin and somehow I like it ;-)

[OneDunya]

03:01 PM on 08/04/2011

As an American of Arab descent I loved the episode. Yes Larry fell into the trap of presenting the Palestinians

[TitaniumAvatar]

01:31 PM on 08/04/2011

I've never seen this show, but I have eaten many times at Zankou Chicken.

This chicken is Real, as in Real Good!

[Teacher 15]

06:43 PM on 08/04/2011

This piece of filth shouldn't have been up here all day.

[p c r]

10:36 AM on 08/05/2011

This anti-semitic rant needs to be looked at seriously by the mods.

[tonewheel]

10:43 AM on 08/05/2011

Did you watch the entire show, or are you simply commenting on the clip which in and of itself, you're taking out of context.

[Schmomo]

12:04 PM on 08/04/2011

I stopped watching "Curb" last year but after watching this scene they might have some pretty funny stuff again. I love Larry!

[Amy Levine]

11:25 AM on 08/04/2011

um ...so is the implication that when a face covered Muslim walks into a an American restaurant, she should --out of respect, remove her vail?? ..the door swings both ways. I've seen religious ppl eating in other religions restaurants, they still retain their beliefs/behaviors.

[tonewheel]

10:40 AM on 08/05/2011

You watched only the clip, right? Didn't see the entire episode?

This is humor, dear. You know, humor?

[FTracy3]

11:42 PM on 08/05/2011

It's a joke. And it's not "out of respect" in this episode..it's so they won't draw attention to themselves as Jews eating in a Palestinian restaurant. The joke could have worked the other way with a nervous trio of Palestinians removing Muslim garb so they could less conspicuously order the corned beef sandwich at Canter's deli.

[BobSacomano]

10:44 AM on 08/04/2011

"..what is this, the raid on Entebbe?..." very funny line!

[Luuke]

10:37 AM on 08/04/2011

Oh skip the politics of it all...This is just a comedic sketch we talking about...Your family history can go in section called Politics not entertainment unless you want us to view it as such...entertainment....You seem to be bred to hate the Jews and we've got enough of both sides....Tell us what you think about Curb your enthusiasm and Larry David.....

[tonewheel]

11:10 AM on 08/04/2011

LOL Luuke, LOL!

[YLS2007]

10:41 AM on 08/04/2011

Your 0besity and lack of self-control should be lauded as a blueprint for world peace.

[shortleash]

10:06 AM on 08/04/2011

This episode was HILARIOUS!

[tonewheel]

10:06 AM on 08/04/2011

More CYE...

Larry and his guests support the chef who's inflicted with Tourette syndrome. Hilarious!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTmHS-T5dLA