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

Market- A Tasty and Healthy Option In The Heart Of Tel Aviv

Recently, healthy eating has taken over Tel Aviv.  The vast majority of cafes in and around Tel Aviv have started to offer more and more vegetarian and vegan options on their menu. One of the newest vegan restaurants in the center of Tel Aviv is called Market.

Market opened their doors around a year ago and is located on King George Street. This friendly vegan restaurant offers delicious hot soups and a variety of stews. Each dish is made fresh and is geared to the vegetarian and vegan communities of Tel Aviv. It will bring you back memories of your mothers cooking when you were child.

Their menu is seasonal and with every new visit you will find a few new dishes on their menu according to the time of year. The staff is very friendly and helpful – particularly for those customers who aren’t used to the vegan selections.

We recommend ordering the Indian dish with rice (27 NIS ) – lentils and vegan curried sweet potato served on a plate of rice. This dish is absolutely delicious and will satisfy. Whether it’s the sauce, which tends to be spicy from the curry, or perhaps the rich coconut milk, with soft lentils and rice, we know the final product is amazing.

At Market you can’t go wrong with any dish – it’s both affordable and very tasty. For those visiting Market in the winter months, Market offers very tasty stews. In particular, I recommend the Moroccan Stew. This stew is served with tomato sauce and green beans. Their homemade couscous with vegetable soup is outstanding as well. Overall, Market has tasty, delicious, and healthy options at great prices.

Price:20-40NIS

Address: 31 King George Street

Hours: Sunday-Thursday:10AM-Midnight, Friday:10AM-4:30AM and Saturday 5:30PM-Midnight

Hakosem- The Best Falafel in Tel Aviv But Don’t Skip their Hummus

Four of Israel’s best known streets foods are hummus, shawarma, falafel and sabich (fried eggplant). Scattered throughout Tel Aviv are many places that offer you each of these. Hakosem offers some of best Israeli street food you can find in the center of Tel Aviv

Hakosem is located on Shlomo Hamelech Street, only a half block away from Dizengoff Center. People recommend their famous falafel, but actually they offer many other tasty dishes as well. Besides always having a long line, there are always plenty of places sit down to enjoy their excellent dishes. Whether you are eating  a dish served in a pita or sitting down for relaxing meal, the large helpful staff provides excellent service that  will remind you that this is not just another of the falafel stand, but a significant stopping point for the hungry.

One of their best dishes that they  offer is their homemade hummus, costing 29NIS. While people in the past have written about their “Best in Tel Aviv Falafel Balls” I recommend paying more attention to their homemade hummus. For those looking for a fresh plate of delicious of hummus, you came to the right place. The hummus is made fresh throughout the day, so it is always hot and fresh. Each plate of hummus is served with a fresh pita (whole wheat option as well), onions and pickles, spicy hot pepper, garlic, and enough lemon sauce to complete the perfect plate of hummus.

Their newest dish that has been the talk of the local food aficionados is their creation that they call Haborik. Hakosem offers two versions of the dish, sabich (20 NIS) and meat (25 NIS). While their sabich version is a re-engineering of the dish we have all come to love, their meat version is excellent with amazing texture and flavor. The thin dough is served with an egg, potato and parsley, and fresh ground beef with a perfect amount of garlic.

For those looking for different kinds of dishes, I recommend ordering their famous falafel or their lesser known dish called “haraime”. This chicken dish combines a spicy tomato sauce with chunks of grilled chicken just enough to question how have I not seen this anywhere else?

KOSHER

Price: 15-40NIS

Address: Shlomo Hamelch 1

Hours: Sunday-Thursday 9:30AM-11PM, Friday 9:30AM-4:30PM

Mifgash Osher- Happiness in a Pita

In Israel, when people think of street food, the first things that come in mind are falafel, shawarma and hummus. One of the more affordable and tastier dishes you are forgetting about is sabich. Throughout Tel Aviv there are many places that offer sabich.  Sabich is fried eggplant which is served with different vegetables with tehina as a dressing while served in a pita bread. One of the more underrated and better sabich dishes in Tel Aviv can be found at Mifgash Osher.

Mifgash Osher is located on King George Street not far from Dizengoff Center. They opened their doors in 1991 and, like their menu when they opened, has not changed since. Their menu is very simple; you can choose from three dishes – falafel, sabich and salad. Their sabich (6-18 NIS), falafel (5-16 NIS) or “friends” dish (6-18 NIS) includes salad, chickpeas, eggplant, pickles and white cheese. Each dish can be ordered in a quarter pita, half pita or full pita bread. I recommend ordering a sabilafel, which is a mix of falafel and sabich. It is literally happiness in a pita. What makes this place different from the other falafel and sabich stands? It’s their unique technique in the making of their falafel. They gather all the ingredients (falafel balls, salad, tahina and amba) and pour it in a small bowl, mix it together, and then pour it in a fresh pita bread. The staff is very friendly and each customer gets extra attention and love, as if it was their mother making each dish for them. The architecture of the restaurant is very simple but if you take a close look at the walls, it is a manifest of happiness and full of passport photos of satisfied customers.

They also offer their own style of salads which range from 29-35 NIS. Their most interesting salad is their sabich salad, a great option for those looking for this delicious dish without eating bread. Their famous salad, which costs 29NIS, consists of bulgur, tehina, falafel, white cheese, eggplant, egg and coriander, and is topped off with pineapple and mint juice. The ending result will bring you happiness; which is the translation of the name of their business in English, “Meeting of Happiness”.

Order: Sabilafel, It’s a mix of sabich and falafel all in a pita.

NOT KOSHER

Address: King George Street 105

Hours: Saturday-Thursday 10:30AM-8PM, Friday 10:30AM-3:30PM

Oliver- a great salad at a great price.

While walking on busy Carlebach Street, one might experience overload with the many different food options available. For those seeking a healthier alternative, there is Oliver –  one of the fresh salad options located in the center of Tel Aviv.

Oliver, located in the heart of Carlebach street (a few minute walk from Habima), offer fresh and tasty healthy salads and sandwiches. Vanessa, the owner of Oliver, opened the thriving salad bar over 8 years ago. Vanessa is originally from South Africa,  so ordering in English is not an issue.

Upon arrival at Oliver, from the hours of 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. there is be a constant line. Don’t be concerned, as  the line moves rather  quickly. The staff is very friendly and works at a very quick pace. Even during their busier times, the staff makes each customer’s as it’s their very own. All the vegetables are delivered every morning and are very fresh. Almost every vegetable imaginable is available at Oliver. In addition, they offer various cheeses, nuts, tuna, quinoa and many different dressings. I recommend adding quinoa to your salad as it goes perfectly with tehina dressing. Oliver also offers fresh sandwiches – tuna, hardboiled egg, omelet and many of the types of cheeses that they offer

The best times to arrive at Oliver to order your salad without waiting  is before 12p.m. and after 2pm. You have the option of faxing your order – which takes around 30 minutes from order to completion. They recommend calling 10 minutes before arrival to confirm that the order is ready.

Owner’s sandwich recommendation: The tuna sandwich.

Breakfast deal: Until 12p.m. they offer any sandwich for only 18NIS

Price:  Different sizes of salads from 26 NIS to 35 NIS. Sandwiches prices start from 18NIS(before 12 p.m.) to 24 NIS

Address: Carlebach 18

Hours: Sunday-Friday 7AM-3PM

Phone: 03-6098160

Kosher

Hashdera 34

Great food with a great atmosphere at a good price…

While walking on Dizengoff street you might wonder where can I go out to eat without spending too much money. Hashdera 34 which is located right off the corner of Dizengoff and Ben Gurion street. Hashdera presents a menu with almost every kind of food you could ask for at great prices. Their menu is set by price range. If its Appetizers which vary from the great price of 15NIS to main dishes that are priced between 30NIS to 70NIS. For those who are looking for a steak Hashdera 34 offers it for only 89 NIS. The portions of all the main dishes tend to be very large.

The atmosphere of Hashedra 34 is great.  I advise  come early or you will be stuck in line. Peak dinner hours you might have to wait in line for 15 minutes at most.The staff are very friendly and very talkative. The Staff will offer you free shots of alcohol various times throughout the meal.  Their bar is fully stocked with any drink you would want and the prices of their alcohol are less than other Tel Aviv restaurants.

Recommendation: Order the Scallopini. This dish is boneless  grilled chicken  served on mashed potatoes or rice. I advise to order it with mashed potatoes. Personally I would say this is their best dish. If you are less than four people i recommend to sit on the bar, this will come with many free shots from the bartender.

Address: Ben Gurion 34

Hours: 7 days a week 12:00 PM-1:00 Am

Not Kosher