House of Hummus and Ful-The Hummus and the Experience

Since the establishment of the state of Israel or even before, the one question that has everyone wondering is “Where is the best hummus in Tel Aviv?” There so many options to choose from, but I have to say, House of Hummus offers one of the most underrated plates of hummus you will find in the white city.

The House of Hummus is not a new addition to the thriving hummus community in Tel Aviv. Located on the busy street of Chashmonaim, which is filled with many outdoor recreation stores and various restaurants, House of Hummus offers a tasty plate of hummus for a quick breakfast or a nice lunch break. The menu includes many non-hummus local dishes such as Malawach, chicken breast schnitzel, and a breakfast omelet. Each dish is served with a small plate of hummus – no matter the order. Equally important: the place is clean, the prices are affordable and the atmosphere is excellent.

Now for the hummus, they offer a delicious plate of Masabacha for only 16 NIS while their best dish is known as “The Triple”. This dish is both attractive and affordable, with a fresh plate of hummus and ful, a generous order of fries, and five falafel balls.  This dish is served with a small bowl of chopped salad, pickle plate, and puffy and tasty bread. The one downside might be the service, despite the waiters repeated explanation that each dish takes time, service was slower them most hummus joints around Tel Aviv. Overall if you don’t mind the slow service but you’re looking for a fresh, tasty plate of hummus which is also kosher, you have come to the right place.

KOSHER

Address: Chashmoanim 119

Hours: Sunday-Thursday 8AM-5PM

Shukshuka

When I first started this blog my intention was to highlight the many of my favorite Tel Aviv eating experiences that just happened to be located at or near the Carmel Market.  The Carmel Market has long been a culinary celebration, with a seemingly endless supply of new eateries that offer excellent quality food at great prices.  A more recent addition to the market is Shukshuka. This fun and exciting shakshuka bar offers no less than 9 variations of the Israeli well renowned breakfast.

Every time we think the Carmel Market already has everything a person needs, there seems to be room for additions to the lively market. Hashomer 1 is the local favorite,Bunny Chow surprised us with cool street food with flavors we haven’t seen before, and now the welcome addition of our local favorite breakfast .

Shukshuka opened their doors close to a year ago with much rave from the locals who were desperate to satisfy their shakshuka craving in the culinary heaven that we call the Carmel Market. The design of the shakshuka bar presents an outdoor pub ambience with seating only available at the bar. On the weekend, I recommend to make the trek early as the tourists and locals tend to flock early and in great numbers

In the exciting atmosphere at Shukshuka, you will find a wide selection of different flavors of shakshuka suitable for breakfast or lunch. Their menu is simple – it’s Shakshuka time! Their menu, which is drawn on their wall, includes: shakshuka with goat cheese and basil (37 NIS), shakshuka Moroccan tuna (47 NIS), shakshuka Spanish with hummus, beef jerky and spinach (37 NIS), shakshuka with meatballs (45 NIS), shakshuka with chicken cutlets (45 NIS) and of course the classic shakshuka (32 shekels).  Each order of shakshuka has the option of additional side appetizers such as salad, herbs and chickpeas, spicy tomato salad, or finely chopped Israeli Salad. (8-12 NIS).

KOSHER

Address: 41 Simtat HaCarmel

Hours: Sunday-Thursday 9AM-6PM and Friday 8AM- Start of Shabbat

Shenkin 50- It’s Game Night Every Night-CLOSED

When people think of Tel Aviv nightlife, the first thing that pops into their heads are the fabulous beach bars and the exciting night clubs found in the city. Over the past few years, the more relaxing bar theme has exploded throughout Tel Aviv. A few weeks ago a new and unique bar opened, a first in Israel that provides many board games of your choosing while enjoying a great drink.

Shenkin 50, the newest addition to the bar scene, has brought some life to the café filled streets of Shenkin. While during the day it is your typical café, at night it provides a bar experience like no other in the white city. Jon Abel, one of the owners, explain how this idea came along, “The idea for the bar came out of the need for a local bar in the Shenkin area, the street that used to be one of the best in Israel has become dead over time. We felt a bar on Shenkin was needed, but also one where people can relax and enjoy themselves. We wanted to provide people with a different experience than they could find anywhere else in Tel Aviv and knew offering board games would be a fitting option”.

When you first walk into the Shenkin 50, the first thing you see is the mountain of board games that are available. Among them are Cards Against Humanity, Settlers of Catan, Monopoly, Risk and Jenga. Practically any board game that you can think of is at your choosing. On the weekends, the bar tends to fill up with groups of gamers, so I recommend you reserve ahead of time for your favorite game.

Other than the board games, they have a very interesting alcohol and bar food selection. On draft they offer two different beers – Jems 8.8 and Taybeh. The owners explained why they chose these beers, “Jems is a great company, offer great beers and the 8.8 appeals to the type of crowd were aiming for. Taybeh was a more obscure choice but on taste alone, it’s one of the best brewed golden ales. Taybeh is unpasteurized so the consumer is not getting any of the chemicals and preservatives that your typical beers will have while remaining very smooth and tasty”. Both beers on tap are offered in 1/3 of a liter and ½ liter. They also offer different offerings of Jems beer by the bottle.

For those looking for stronger drinks, I recommend you try their espresso martini. It’s made with fresh coffee, grounded on location. Other delicious cocktails are a cosmopolitan and, the local favorite, Jerusalem Arak and grapefruit Juice.

They provide different interesting bar food as well. My favorite is their nachos, unlike most bars which offer Israel nachos (typically Doritos tortilla chips and salsa) they put their heart and soul in each plate of nachos. Shenkin 50’s nachos are made with fresh corn tortilla chips with melted cheese, jalapenos, sour cream, black beans, onion and avocado. One of the more unique food items that they offer is a Herring sandwich; I recommend you drink a glass of Singleton whisky along with the herring sandwich.

Overall, if you are looking for a nice relaxing night out with your friends or looking for something different, Shenkin 50 is the newest and the place to go to.

Address: Shenkin 50

Hours: Thursday-Saturday 7PM- 1AM

Café Xoho- Not Your Average Tel Avivi Brunch

 

In vibrant Tel Aviv on the weekends, the toughest decision to make is “Where are we going to grab brunch?” When choosing, there are so many deciding factors that needs to be taken into consideration. What makes this café different than the one down the street? With Café Xoho’s unique menu, which is not found anywhere else in Tel Aviv, it’s a very easy choice where to grab your beloved weekend brunch.

Café Xoho, located on Gordon Street, is conveniently located a block from the beach. They opened their doors 7 years ago, opened by  a new immigrant from Hong Kong with Canadian parents.  Before, we dig into their tasty and unique menu, what’s unique about Xoho? First, their staff is all female and super friendly. To makes things easier for the non-Hebrew speakers, they all speak fluent English. They provide top notch service that most customers coming from abroad are accustomed to. For those who grew up on the west coast, the atmosphere reminds you of a very hip and relaxed café. On Fridays they shut down the Wi-Fi, but every other day of the week it is a great place to work from.

Unlike most Tel Aviv cafés, their menu is filled with breakfast dishes that you grew up on and/or dishes not available in Israel.  First thing first, they offer fresh grounded coffee which they make fresh and it will start your day right no matter what the rest of the day offers. When looking at their vegetarian and vegan-friendly menu, the first thing that grabbed my attention was the Mexican breakfast dishes. As a Mexican food enthusiast, this got me excited.   My Mexican dish of choice was the breakfast burrito, which is filled with an omelet, chipotle cream sauce, pico de gallo, labneh and black beans (40 NIS).  Other Mexican options are a tasty Mexican salad and Quesadillas.

Despite my love for Mexican food, what keep bringing locals back is their delicious bagels. Some will say they offer the best bagels in the Middle East.  For those Americans who miss their Sunday bagels with some shmear, you have come to the right place. They offer three different delicious dishes on a bagel.  The classic salmon is a favorite, served on a fresh, warmly toasted bagel with the perfect amount of cream cheese, tomato, onion, capers and fresh salmon (42Nis). Two other bagel dishes I recommend are their Tuna Melt and Pizza bagel, for those looking for their American bagel nostalgic breakfast memories.

For those who are looking for vegan dishes, Xoho has you covered. I recommend you try the Xoho Veggie Burger, even if you aren’t a vegan you will enjoy this dish. If you still have room, you must try their homemade cookies and cake. Ask any of the many friendly waiters or have a look for yourself which daily desserts they are offering as they change their desserts daily.

Café Xoho presents brunch goers with a unique and tasty food experience. Just don’t forget that you can’t make reservations, so on the weekend try to get there before midday to avoid waiting in line.

Not Kosher (Open on Saturday)

Address: Gordon 17

Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 7:30AM-6PM, Friday 7:30AM-6PM, Saturday 10AM-^PM and Sunday 7:30AM-6PM