Vitrina Lili: Tel Aviv

I had avoided going to Vitrina for a long time. I had no reasons why in particular, but I finally had to go. I needed some clarity to what is supposedly the best burger in Tel Aviv. All the hype, noise, Instagram posts, and hashtags made me realize I had to try it at least to say I have had Vitrina. I went with one of my best friends here and at first we thought it would take forever, but upon further investigating we ordered and found two spots at the bar. When you have the option for bacon and cheddar as toppings for your burger you order it medium, with all the toppings because you are one that wants the best. If you think ordering your burger well-done is a normal thing, please try it the proper way. Now that you have ordered your bacon cheese burger the proper way you must wait. This waiting time makes you even more hungry. By the time your burger and fries comes to you, you are famished. You have waited for half an hour for burger bliss. Your mouth is watering, salivating over the thought of grilled beef and melted cheese. You take your first bite and your taste buds are flooded with amazing tastes that puts you into euphoria. You realize you have found the spot for the best burger in the city.

I know I went on a tangent there but it was exactly how I felt sitting at Vitrina waiting for my burger. Their bacon cheese burger features their own barbecue sauce, bacon-onion jam, lettuce, and tomato. The bacon-onion jam is a genius delivery tool for bacon as it covers the whole burger, so you get bacon in each bite you take of your burger. The fries Vitrina serves are a mix of regular and sweet potato fries, dusted with lemon zest and parsley. Reminiscent of the shoestring french fries of burger joints back home in United States, these fries are quite the delicious side to your burger.

The atmosphere was pretty happening when I went. They were playing a combination of 2000's hip hop and trap music. The open concept makes the experience fun as you can watch the cooks make your burger. The staff is really helpful and does not try and ignore your requests. The main thing is they aim to please. As a burger destination, Vitrina has to be on the list for those who love burgers in Tel Aviv. One Hundred percent recommend Vitrina for a burger experience not to miss.

Taqueria: Tel Aviv

Suddenly the cravings return and I need to satisfy my hunger pangs with a massive burrito. The burrito is on of those perfect foods that contains everything one is looking in a meal. Its like pizza, a cheeseburger, or the perfect sandwich. The burrito has every food group covered, including grease. Lucky for me there is a place that specializes in these massive portable feasts that are guaranteed to fill you up. Located at Levontin 28, Taqueria delivers a massive burrito that will satisfy anyone's hunger. The rest of the menu reads like any other Mexican restaurant back home. Tacos, quesadillas, nachos, and frozen margaritas. You can stuff your burrito, taco, or quesadilla with a variety of fillings which include carne asada beef, chipotle marinated chicken, green chile chicken, and marinated shrimps. Not to miss is their beer battered fish taco served with the classic toppings. The atmosphere is fantastic with lucha libre masks on the wall, great music, and very friendly wait staff. The food comes out pretty fast so if you think you will wait like ten to fifteen minutes for your food, you are wrong. On multiple occasions within ten minutes of ordering, my burrito arrived hot and spicy the way I like it. I love Taqueria because it is also a pretty affordable considering how much food you get, and it is delicious food. All of the burritos cost thirty-nine shekels which is a pretty affordable here in Tel Aviv. Taqueria is one of my go-to restaurants in the city and it should be yours to.

Susu And Sons: Tel Aviv

So I succumbed to the recent trend that is Susu and Sons. Since I work around the corner from its location on Rothschild Boulevard I went after work. Lucky for me there was no line which is rare at the small burger stand from the mind of Israeli celebrity chef Omer Miller. On any given day there is always a line of at least 10 people waiting in line for their fix. I once joked that it looked like junkies waiting in line for methadone, but that was just a joke. Now I am that junkie waiting in line, but I was in fact just trying to figure out what all the noise is all about. I thought it should be an amazing hamburger, since there was a line of hungry Tel Avivians wanting their fix. The first thing when I looked at this place it reminded me of Shake Shack. A burger joint that offers a more upscale burger experience while being a seamless part of its inner city environment. If you go I would suggest getting the classic either a one patty or double patty cheeseburger with all of the fixings. There is another option to get a burger patty that is 80 percent beef with the remaining 20 percent being a choice of either bacon, cheddar cheese, or bone marrow. Add-ons for 8 shekels include classics such as a fried egg, blue cheese, jalapeno peppers, caramelized onions, coleslaw, and guacamole. An odd topping is the egg salad option, but I wont judge if you try it. Two luxury add-ons for 25 shekels are lobster, and foie gras. Other options are their crispy chicken sandwich, and their vegan burger. For 16 shekels you can get fries, sweet potato fries, or fried mashed potato balls. For two shekels more you can get your side order of fries with bacon cheddar sauce. I ordered the single with fried mashed potato balls with bacon cheddar sauce. The taste was again reminiscent of my Shake Shack experience which on the overall was not bad at all. The food came out fast and was still hot which is an important factor. Overall I would give the food an 8 of 10. It was excellent food, but the single patty felt me wanting more meat. Therefore,I should have gotten the double. The staff was extremely helpful and actually cared about their customer service which is quite rare in Israel. The atmosphere is quite fashionable and is an ultimate people watching spot in Tel Aviv. It is definitely in the top 5 best burgers in Tel Aviv for sure. The only problem is the long line. It is insane to me for waiting in line for half an hour to an hour. In short, its a great atmosphere and great food. Try it once for sure, but please don't wait half an hour for your burger.

Rak Thai: Tel Aviv

There are very few cuisines I could eat for the rest of my life. If I could eat Thai food the rest of my life I would be super satisfied. The combination of salty, sweet, spicy, sour, and bitter is addictive as hell. Here in Tel Aviv there are a few great Thai restaurants such as Thai House, and Naam for instance. The only thing I find problematic about those restaurants is the price point. It is expensive and Thai food, is not meant to be a wallet breaker. That is when I stumbled upon Rak Thai located in the relatively new Allenby/Rothchild Market. Rak Thai is a fast casual style restaurant that serves a variety of traditional Thai delicacies ranging from Thai noodle dishes, Thai curries, Tom Yom soup, chicken satay, green papaya salad, and much more. Price point at Rak Thai is extremely affordable which is awesome. Most dishes are priced under 50 shekels, meaning most items are less than $14. The portion sizes at Rak Thai are generous enough to fill you up. Its one of my top spots in the Allenby/Rothchild Market and a top spot for unpretentious Thai food.

Lab Wunsen

Popia Sod

Lab(Larb) Gai

Seafood Green Curry

Som Tom Tale (Green Papaya Salad with Seafood)

Pad Thai

Chicken Satay

Pad Kra Pao Gai

Thai Chicken Wings

Lab (Larb) Nua 

Khanom Jeen Namya (Seafood Curry with Rice Noodles)

Nam Tok Nua