Here are the 3 best Israeli restaurants and 5 other famous Levantine / Mediterranean / Middle Eastern restaurants in Tokyo, Japan. A complete map of all the restaurants is at the end of the article.
After living 3 years in Israel, seeking Israeli food in my home country Japan became my awkward obsession. This improbable quest took me to realize how tricky it is to demystify Israeli food.
The explanation starts with “what’s Israel.” And it leads to what’s Middle Eastern cuisine, Mediterranean cuisine, Levantine cuisine, kosher foods, halal, and on and on.
Some restaurants in Tokyo offer the aforementioned cuisines interchangeably. But some identify themselves as “Israeli restaurants” clarifying their boundaries between the others.
The three restaurants in this article are all Israeli restaurants that are well-known among Israeli food (or perhaps Middle Eastern food) lovers in Tokyo. “The 3 most famous Israeli restaurants in Japan” might not be an exaggeration.
Ta-im / タイーム
Falafel Plate (ファラフェルプレート). 1680 yen / $12.
Ta-im (טעים) means “tasty” in Hebrew. And so is the food at Ta-im. It is by far the most famous Israeli restaurant in Tokyo which means the king of Israeli restaurants in Japan.
Ex-David’s Deli (Tokyo) chef Dan Zuckerman offers fresh, exquisite Israeli repertoire such as hummus, falafel, and almost any comfort food you can expect in Israel.
Ta-im has two locations: The original location in Hiroo (広尾) and the second location in Marunouchi (丸の内).
Ta-im (タイーム) | 1 Chome-29-16 Ebisu, Shibuya City, Tokyo, 〒150-0013, Japan
Shamaim / シャマイム
Hummus Set (フムスセット), 1100 yen / $7.90. Falafel (ファラフェル), 550 yen / $3.90.
Distinct Mizrahi music being piped in a blue and white dining room, Shamaim made me think I was in a local cafe at a shuk / שוק (“market” in Hebrew) in Israel. I’m sure it can be heaven (shamaim / שמים) for fellow foraging diasporas like me.
Shamaim’s food is genuine and homespun which is a miracle you can experience in Japan.
Shamaim (シャマイム) | 4-11 Sakaecho, Nerima City, Tokyo 〒176-0006, Japan
David’s Deli / デビッドデリ
B Lunch (Bランチ), 1500 yen / $10.70.
David’s Deli is something. It’s the amalgamation of a retro Japanese cafe and a Jewish art museum. It’s probably the only restaurant in Japan that exhibits The Chagall Windows, the world’s famous Jewish art, for free. I have never seen anything like this in Israel.
The Chagall Windows. (They are replicas.)
David’s Deli serves authentic and phenomenal Israeli food. Pita bread here was one of the best I had in the world. This place seemed to be functioning as a successful Israeli / Eastern European bakery as well.
Behind the bakery counter displayed a menorah and an Egyptian sumo wrestler’s autograph that confirmed David’s Deli’s Japanese-optimized state as a harmonized eatery.
David’s Deli (デビッドデリ) | 5 Chome−13−13 Mita, Minato City, Tokyo, 〒108-0073, Japan
5 other Levantine restaurants:
Hummus at Kuumba du Falafel.
Israeli-owned, 100% vegan Falafel Brothers has 3 locations offering somehow Eurocentric, corn falafel sandwiches.
Bisan and Al Mina are probably the only Palestinian restaurants in Tokyo, although Al Mina nebulously claims to be a Mediterranean restaurant.
One of the best Levantine cuisine (cuisines of Israel, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and possibly more) is available at a Lebanese Syrian Arabic restaurant Palmira.
For those who crave contemporary, chef-driven elaborate falafel sandwiches and hummus, Kuumba du Falafel is the place to go.
The map of all the restaurants in this article.
