TEL AVIV (テルアビブ / TEL AVIV ISRAELI STREET FOOD BAR) opened on December 1st, 2023 in Downtown Kyoto which was marked as the second Israeli restaurant in Kyoto after Falafel Garden(ファラフェルガーデン) in Sakyo Ward.
TEL AVIV’s signboard.
Unlike street food stalls in Tel Aviv in Israel, a beach city by the Mediterranean Sea, Kyoto’s TEL AVIV has a Japanese izakaya (居酒屋: Japanese tavern) vibe. Inside TEL AVIV displays Israeli products such as a bottle of Elite Arak (an anise-flavored liqueur) and pieces of Hebrew wall art in the background music of Eyal Golan, an Israeli pop star.
A bottle of Israeli Elite Arak (an anise-flavored liqueur).
Hebrew wall art and a TV screen playing an Eyal Golan song.
QR code ordering was installed in TEL AVIV. I clicked/ordered hummus, pita bread, falafel, and shawarma (grilled chicken). The hummus tasted pleasantly plain and straightforward. It even tasted elegant because it was not as fragrant and tangy as American supermarket hummus. But I could add a little bit of salt.
Hummus. 780 yen / $6.
Falafel. 850 yen / $6.50.
TEL AVIV’s falafels were more doughy than average falafels in Israel or any other place but cooked perfectly. They were like savory, falafel-flavored doughnuts. Some might complain about it. But since I’m not a zionist, and given the fact TEL AVIV is in Kyoto, Japan, the falafels were totally cool. They were as enjoyable as Israel’s national famous snack Bissli (falafel-flavored one) which I loved so much.
Shawarma. 800 yen / $6.10.
TEL AVIV’s shawarma came in the form of Japanese izakaya grilled chicken which was adorable thanks to a Mediterranean tile underneath the dish. The shawarma’s taste reminded me of Japanese Indian tandoori chicken. Or I would call it Israeli Japanese dish. It was delicious.
TEL AVIV (テルアビブ / TEL AVIV ISRAELI STREET FOOD BAR) | 135 Doyucho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 〒604-8118, Japan
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