Ad Haetzem Express: Tel Aviv

The fast food burger has revolutionized the way the world eats. We always know that there will be a McDonalds somewhere we travel and can count on to be decent at best, but fast. I tend to stay away from the golden arches because quite frankly, I abhor McDonalds. It lacks quality and taste. Fast food doesnt have to be made cheap and cooked in a microwave. Lucky for many of us that live in Tel Aviv we have Ad Haetzem Express. Ad Haetzem Express is an Israeli fast food restaurant that is a definite upgrade from McDonalds or other burger chains. They specialize in freshly made burgers, shoe-string fries, onion rings, chicken tenders and fountain sodas. The burgers are cooked right in front of you on a large griddle. You can either get a single, double, or triple. Toppings include the usual lettuce, tomato, red onion, and mayonnaise. Of course you can add ketchup and mustard if you please. Additional toppings include cheese, fried onions, lamb bacon, or a fried egg. Meals range from 45 shekels for the single, 52 for the double, and 60 for the triple. Prices are reasonable which is also a good sign. The burger itself is nothing special, but is perfect for when you have had a few too many drinks and need a good munch to bring you back to life. It is the best fast food style burger though I have had here in Tel Aviv that is for sure. With three locations throughout the city, you are not far from satisfying your hunger.

Bunny Chow: Tel Aviv

The food scene in Tel Aviv is extremely unique in that you can sample food from all around the world. Jews that have come to settle here have brought their cuisine and thus have contributed to Israeli cuisine as a whole. For example you can sample Turkish bourekas for breakfast, Moroccan couscous for lunch, and a local falafel pita for dinner. The whole Jewish diaspora is represented here. One unique culinary contribution from the South African Jewish community would be the Bunny Chow. Bunny Chow can trace its roots to the city of Durban, where there is a significant Indian diaspora. There, the locals would put their curry lunch into a hollowed out piece of bread. The bunny referring to the bread or bun, while the chow is referring to the curry filling. Bunny Chow here in Tel Aviv has a local spin to it as they use a hollowed out Challah bun as the bread. You can fill your bunny with chicken, beef, or vegetarian curries. It is topped with cilantro, almonds, and yogurt. If you are vegan you can opt for tehina instead of yogurt. You can also sample their curries over rice if you want. Besides their curries, Bunny Chow sells other South African delicacies such as the Gatsby sandwich, boerie rolls, and biltong. The Gatsby is a sub sandwich filled with sweet pulled beef, mayonnaise, mango pickle, a fried egg, emmantal cheese, fries, and lettuce. It is an absolute messy delight to eat and highly recommended. The boerie roll is a South African sausage roll. The sausage itself is seasoned with nutmeg, cloves, and coriander seeds. The sausage is placed in a bun with apple raisin chutney, spicy mayonnaise, and lettuce. You can also sample locally made Biltong, which is South African dried and cured beef.  Everything is decently priced with most items being between 30-40 shekels and you will be pretty full after eating each South African delicacy they serve. You can find Bunny Chow in the Allenby Rothschild Market or deep in the heart of HaCarmel Market here in Tel Aviv. For a unique taste of South Africa, Bunny Chow is worth every shekel spent.