Zarifa opened his Diamond District restaurant late last fall, joining a strip of kosher restaurants that cater to the many religious Jews working in the area. Just a block south of 46th Street's Little Brazil, Mega-Bite fits perfectly into the city's hodgepodge of ethnic eateries. With conservatively dressed women and men in wide-brimmed hats huddled around demonstration terminals, the restaurant's feel is decidedly different from the hip, downtown atmosphere that characterizes most of the city's cybercafes. Most male diners wear yarmulkes or broad black hats, and the occasional fur tophat signals the truly serious believer. On Fridays, the restaurant closes extra-early so staff can rush home to prepare for the Sabbath.
People love it.
So every time a new one comes in, people want to try it. Kosher sushi, Zarifa explains, is the latest rage among Orthodox Jews. Pure Jewish grandmother. One customer, smiling as he sees the bank of computers, jokingly asks if they're for sale. But I think you'll have enough with the soup.