Sig and the City

I wander the city of Tel Aviv, eat vegetarian food and photograph street art.

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Abu Hassan

Yes, it’s a long-argued debate. But, and this is a big but, Abu Hassan in Jaffa IS THE BEST HUMMUS IN TOWN. Besides the creamy, warm and fresh delightful serving of hummus with various versions such as massabaha (with chunky chickpeas), or ful (fava beans), Abu Hassan is a huge melting pot with friendly and authentic staff. At any time from mid morning to mid afternoon, when the hummus usually runs out, you can find older Arabs men, families, Israeli soldiers, tourists, hipster Tel Avivians, and anyone else who appreciates goodness in a bowl with a pita.

The hefty bowl can seem intimidating to a first timer, but for a regular, it’s the perfect size.

The ‘niguv’ motion, literally means ‘wiping,’ with a pita, is something that need practicing. However, the hummus at Abu Hassan can also easily be enjoyed by the forkful. 

For those who one bowl isn’t enough, the takeout line is usually long, but moves quickly. 

Eating and Abu Hassan is an experience everyone should indulge in :) 

 On a scale of 1-7: I give it a 6.9 (for near-perfection, hummus creaminess and warmth and of course freshness).

Hummus Abu Hassan -  Ha-Dolfin St 1, Tel Aviv-Yafo

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HaShomer 1

Another wander through the Carmel Market and I decided to give HaShomer 1 a try. They have wonderful fresh sandwiches and veggie starters that come straight from the market. 

The friendly staff make this a truly authentic market experience, offering some pickled veggies to start off with and a drink while you’re waiting for your food. And what I love about sitting at the bar is getting to see them in action, making my sandwich right in front of me.

The veggie option is the fried veggie fritter (Iraqi-Jewish specialty), fried eggplant, onion, tomato, lettuce, hard boiled egg, tehini, spicy relish, mango chutney. All this goodness is served on a lightly-toasted challah bread. This sandwich had all the flavors. 

As hungry as I was when I arrived, mid-way through the first half I wasn’t sure I could conquer it all. I did. I won.

On a scale of 1-7: I give it a 6.4 (for fresh, fun and a good market experience).

HaShomer 1 - HaShomer St 1, Tel Aviv-Yafo

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Savta

I’ve already confessed my sandwich obsession. Here’s another good one, a real good one. This time, I stopped by Savta (Grandma in Hebrew) where they use nostalgia and simplicity to properly hand craft yummy fresh sandwiches.

The menu is fun and includes old favorites such as an omelette sandwich, egg salad sandwich and a smoked salmon sandwich, as well as some meaty options like turkey, steak & eggs, and roast beef. 

The flavored soda adds an even extra old school feel to the lovely decor.

The crafty sandwich maker took her time to make each sandwich to perfection with fresh ingredients and lots of condiments. Condiments are my favorite! 

My friend enjoyed the La Vache Qui Rit sandwich with a hard boiled egg on white ciabatta bread. Creamy cheese delight. 

I opted for the Vegan: roasted mushrooms, caramelized onions, nutty pesto, tomato, arugula, avocado spread and tehini on rye. Delicious combo!

On a scale of 1-7: I give it a 6.4 (for great topping combinations, good ingredients and old school ambiance).

Savta - Ibn Gabirol St 65, Tel Aviv-Yafo, 03-573-7479

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Mexican Taqueria

I love exploring street food in Shuk HaCarmel (Carmel Market) and checking out the new spots that pop up. This lovely Mexican man opened his very own authentic casual quesadilla stand and I love it.

It’s all vegetarian which is awesome! The quesadillas are filled with onion, pepper, corn, eggplants and of course cheese. Then, they are deep-fried, just the right amount. Perfection!

He even makes his own salsa (various spiciness), and guacamole to add even more flavor. 

On a scale of 1-7: I give it a 6.4 (for authenticity, he got me to try my Spanish skills, and for fresh flavors).

Mexican Taqueria - Rambam 2, Tel Aviv

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Bretonne

I’ve been wanting to try this new French creperie for a while and finally got my chance. Though I’ve heard mixed reviews about the quality and tastiness of the food, I was pleasantly surprised. Sometimes you just need to know what to order... (pro tip: ask for a recommendation but go with your gut.)

The place is rather simple with comfortable and casual tables on the sidewalk. They have lots of savory and sweet options to choose from and you order at the counter.

I ordered the goat cheese and greens, which included spinach, green beans (gave a good crunch) potato, pesto, arugula and some other goodness. The cheese was crumbled all over so I was able to enjoy it in every bite. 

The crepe was cooked just right, crunchy as needed, warm but not overly melted. It was also easy to eat, didn’t fall a part and wasn’t messy at all. Just how I like it :)

I can’t wait to go back and try some other combination crepes.

On a scale of 1-7: I give it a 6.1 (for a great effort and offering something else on the Tel Aviv culinary scene).

Bretonne - Ibn Gvirol 52, Tel Aviv,  03-635-8221

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Sabich Frishman

If you’ve been to Israel, you should know that sabich (an Iraqi-Jew pita sandwich) is one of our favorite street food items along with falafel and shawarma. As a vegetarian, sabich is by far my favorite, consisting of fried eggplant, hard-boiled egg, hummus, tahini, salad, sometimes potato, green herbs such as parsley, and the best part, hot sauce and amba, spicy mango chutney/sauce. Combined in a fresh pita, eating sabich is like eating a dream. As Sabich Frishman offers that dream so close to home it makes it so hard to resist when passing by the corner of Dizingof and Frishman.

The sign reads: Warning: The Ministry of Health States that Sabich Frishman is Addictive!)

On a scale of 1-7: I give it a 6 (for deliciousness, freshness and amazing smell that encompasses the whole Frishman-Dizingof junction).

Sabich Frishman - Frishman St 44, Tel Aviv-Yafo, 03-527-2645

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Boazu

A vegetarian/vegan Japanese spot on Ben Yehuda? You got it!

Boazu is exactly what you need if you’re looking for fresh and healthy Japanese where the entire menu is vegetarian and the tofu is made in-house.

The casual, Japanese-style design gives the place a street food vibe, and the short yet interesting menu makes Boazu a refreshing stop on my Ben Yehuda route.

It was a hot day, so I struggled with ordering any of the soups and instead went with the daily special of a rice bowl with vegetables and tofu. It was a bit dry and flavorless. Then I realized, there was no tofu. After a few bites in, when I asked the waitress about it, she was apologetic and brought some in another bowl. Adding the tofu definitely enhanced the dish but I still had to add soy for flavor. I wish they had served it with some matching sauce. Presentation was top. I love a colorful meal.

I will give it to the chef for staying true to real Japanese cooking and offering an authentic experience that isn’t adjusted to the Israeli palate. It was reasonably priced and (almost) accurately executed. Now I need to go back and try the ramen. 

On a scale of 1-7: I give it a 5.8 (for a great effort and being a vegetarian only place using fresh and high quality ingredients). 

Boazu - Ben Yehuda St 188, Tel Aviv-Yafo, 03-6243708

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HaButke

I love sandwiches. You will learn more about this as I go along, but I’m basically in constant search of the perfect vegetarian sandwich. This is rather an easy endeavor here in Israel as we have such great combination varieties when it comes to vegetarian sandwich options, but that actually makes my task ever more difficult. 

So how convenient is it that one of my current top five favorites happens to be in my neighborhood. Just a few minutes walk from my place is the wonderful HaBtuke (Hebrew for the hut). It started out as a tiny hole in the wall. Literally, you had to order through a little window over the sandwich making station. Nowadays, HaButke moved across the street and offers a large selection of pastries, cold or hot sandwiches, salads, and even stews and soup in the winter.

So what’s my favorite sandwich you might be wondering... Well, meet the Avocado-Tuna-Sweet Potato combo. Sounds amazing, right?

Always fresh veggies with crispy bread, this sandwich has all the flaves. 

In the middle of Tchernikhovski St. (between Dizingof and Allenby), this place is always packed with locals and the happy staff make every visit enjoyable. The barista already knows that I always go for an Americano, which makes me appreciate this perfect little spot any time of the day.

On a scale of 1-7: I give it a 6.6 (for great coffee and the best freshly, made-to-order sandwiches).

HaButke - Tchernikhovski St 22, Tel Aviv-Yafo, 03-532-8749

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Taqueria

Nachos are a must. There, I said it.

One of the first to open when the Mexican craze began to take over Tel Aviv, Taqueria still remains up there for me as the best casual Mexican eatery in town. This is a great place to grab a casual lunch or dinner with some friends, (even though the area is under light rail construction), and it offers a fun break from busy Rothschild Boulevard nearby. 

The friendly and relaxed atmosphere (no option for booking so you may have to wait 15-20 minutes for a table) and delicious food make every visit worthwhile. The food isn’t very sophisticated, I mean, it doesn’t feel like they are trying too hard, it is simple and tasty! 

Usually coupled with a lime margarita, the nachos are a strong favorite and a must on every visit, yes I repeat this message for your benefit. This time, for a sunny, Friday afternoon visit, I went for the lime-strawberry mix and a plated burrito (no tortilla wrap).

(Photo taken mid-meal as I couldn’t contain my excitement for proper Mexican food.)

They have various options for the tacos and burritos, vegetarian, classic, fish, beef, chicken and even vegan. They aren’t huge, but if you share nachos (or don’t share them, I’m not judging!), or some other starter, along with a few drinks, you will be completely satisfied. I’ve never been disappointed.

Don’t forget to ask and taste their selection of hot sauces, Also available for sale.

On a scale of 1-7: I give it a 6.2 (for maintaining their quality and offering the best nachos in town.)

Taqueria -  28 Levontin, Tel Aviv, Israel 03-6005280

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Chipstar

Anything fried goes. Am I right? At least in my book. I mean, I try to avoid it as much as possible, but truth is, I love fries. So when I heard that Chipstar, the Dutch-style fries chain from Italy that is spreading quickly, finally reached Tel Aviv, I had to give it a go.

I went on opening day, perhaps my bad, but I couldn’t resist some free fries. Yup, I love free stuff. The line was long but it moved quickly enough for me not to mind, with various passersby wondering what they were giving out for free. Well, fries! They were giving out fries for free and that was reason enough to wait for the fries. Because they were free!

When I reached the front of the line, I was finally able to see my sauce options. I contemplated between Mexicana and Hot Chili as all the others seemed meh. They have about 16 options, ketchup (duh), mustard and mayo which are too common in my book, all the way to barbecue, greek and citrus (?). I opted for Mexicana. The spicyness didn’t disappoint, but the way the Chipstar lady didn’t bother mixing or spreading it within the cone, meant only the top fries, and my first few bites were enjoyable. The rest of the cone, well, sans sauce, was ok, average. Yes, it was fresh and tasted good, but I think given that it was opening day, they may have rushed the frying time and didn’t allow the fries to cook as much as needed. 

Yes, it’s the first place in Tel Aviv’s abundance of gimmicky and themed food spots to focus on fries. And actually, the name sits rather well with us here as a more appropriate way to refer to fries in Israel is chips. If nothing else, Chipstar is a great place for some late night fried munchies. 

On a scale of 1-7: I give it a 4.8 (for bringing something new though it didn’t leave a strong mark in my book.)

Chipstar -  Ibn Gabirol 90, Tel Aviv 03-560-0031

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Beer Bazaar - Shuk HaCarmel

For a casual and refreshing break from market shopping, Beer Bazaar is the place where you get to taste Israeli Craft Beer at its finest with ultra friendly staff. On a sunny Friday afternoon, service might be poor, but spirits are definitely high. Seating might be in issue, but the gracious host/owner will help you pull up a seat and makeshift table anywhere in the alley as more and more guests fill up the small and crowded Kerem HaTeymanim streets.

The selection of beers on tap changes, and with a huge range of bottled ales, pilsners, IPAs and more, you are sure to leave with a kosher grin on your face.

The food is an upscale take on some favorite market delicatessens. They have a fish platter, roasted eggplant dish and a vegan sandwich. All delicious. The food is prepared on the spot at the bar by highly spirited staff who enjoy the loud Israeli music as well as singing along. Feel free to cheer them on.

They do, upon request, offer a 'beer flight,' that is, four tasting size beers (approx. 250ml) which is a great deal if you are wondering about the variety of Israeli beers. I had Bazelet Wheat, Malka Pale Ale, Alexander Green (IPA), and their signature, home-brewed, Fat Cat Ale. And I enjoyed every last drop.

 On a scale of 1-7: I give it a 6.5 (for atmosphere and patriotic Israeli beer)

Beer Bazaar - 36 Yishkon St., Tel Aviv, Israel 03-612-5029