Memphis: The Premium Kosher Burger in Tel Aviv

Living in Tel Aviv, I have many friends that keep kosher. They only eat at restaurants with an official certificate saying they are kosher and do not make any exceptions. As Tel Aviv is a mixed city filled with secular as well as religious people, finding a dining option where both the secular and religious can eat with each other may be difficult. For instance, I have a friend who keeps kosher and he kept telling me about a kosher hamburger joint called Memphis that I had to try. I could not believe he was recommending me a kosher burger joint when he was well aware of the fact that I prefer to have cheese on my burger. After poking and prodding me about it, I told him I would meet him there to investigate further. When I arrived at Memphis, I was taken aback by how simple and open the concept was. Strictly hamburgers, fries, and drinks from the self-service refrigerator. The menu at Memphis is extremely simple and to the point. Memphis features a 160 gram, 220 gram, and a 300-gram burger for your choosing. For the vegetarians in the crowd, Memphis features their own portobello mushroom burger. Each burger is ground from 4 secret cuts of beef on the premises each day. The burger is then grilled on the flattop grill until it is medium well. A typical burger at Memphis comes with caramelized onions, house sauce, red onion, lettuce, and tomato. For an additional cost, you can add a fried egg, smoked goose, or sliced beef to make your burger a masterpiece. Memphis has all the typical sides such as fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, and coleslaw as well. When you go to Memphis, I highly recommend getting the meal deal which includes your burger, side, and a drink. Now comes the final verdict on the burger at Memphis. I really like the fact that at Memphis the burger is cooked on a flattop grill. It creates a fantastic sear on the meat, which imparts a fantastic texture to the patty. The caramelized onions add an umami component to the burger, which in my opinion is key to this burger. The caramelized onions are crucial in that they replace the cheese completely. Once you add the smokey house sauce with the fresh selection of vegetables, your burger is set for deliciousness. Before eating at Memphis, I was a critic of the kosher hamburger. I thought it was full of flaws and lacked the flavor needed to satisfy my burger cravings. I can now eat my words. Memphis definitely delivers when it comes to the kosher hamburger. Memphis is on my top ten list for best burgers after my fantastic experience there. I can even say that Memphis is the best kosher burger in Tel Aviv.

Address: 20 Carlebach St, Tel Aviv
Hours: Sunday-Thursday: 12 PM-11:45 PM
            Friday: Closed
            Saturday: 7:30 PM-11:45 PM

Kanu Spring Rolls

One of the great things I remember about my time while living in Worcester, Massachusetts, was the amount of quality Vietnamese food available. Within a square mile radius of campus, there were at least five Vietnamese restaurants that served amazing food at a price any college student can afford. Having a bowl of pho had become something normal for me and it would soothe my soul if I was feeling sick or had a hangover. When I moved to Tel Aviv, I still would crave a steaming bowl of pho and some fresh spring rolls to satisfy my hunger cravings. I had just moved to the Florentine neighborhood and I found to my surprise Kanu Spring Rolls. Kanu markets itself as a restaurant serving Vietnamese street food. Their menu offers a variety of spring rolls, three types of pho, Vietnamese dumplings, stuffed baos, and Asian inspired salads. When I walked into Kanu, I assumed the spring rolls would be the same size as the ones I had eaten before back in the United States. Well, I was in for a huge surprise as the spring rolls at Kanu are at least three times larger than the typical Vietnamese spring roll. It was more like a spring roll burrito. For each type of spring roll, you get two rolls cut in half. Each roll is also served with a peanut sauce and a seasoned fish sauce on the side. The spring roll menu is divided into vegetarian, sirumi(imitation crab) filled, goose filled, and the interesting goat cheese filled spring roll. There is no bad decision if you are more into the vegetarian options. Each roll is filled to the brim with fresh vegetables and herbs. Dip your spring roll in the peanut sauce and you will be in food heaven. As for the seafood spring rolls, I would recommend the spicy sea roll or the surinami roll. The spicy niels or the royce rolls are my recommendations for the spring rolls with smoked goose. I will be honest, I have not tried the spring rolls with goat cheese. It is not that I do not like goat cheese, I just believe goat cheese does not belong in a spring roll. Depending on the spring roll you choose, you will be spending between 36 and 42 shekels for your spring roll. This is not bad considering you are getting two huge rolls which will easily satisfy your hunger. As for the pho Kanu serves, they serve a chicken, vegetarian, and the traditional beef pho. Each bowl of pho has bean sprouts, a variety of herbs, sliced onions, sliced chiles, and a lemon wedge. Both versions are delicious versions with one exception which would be the size of the noodles. The rice noodles they use are wider than I am used to but that is just a minor detail. The bowls of pho range in price from 49-54 shekels. If you are into bao sandwiches, the braised beef bao is a must try as well. On the whole, Kanu is a must try if you are looking for delicious, healthy, and affordable dining. If you do come when the restaurant is full be prepared to wait as it does take a while for the chefs to roll each spring roll. With that being said, Kanu is one of my favorite places in the Florentine neighborhood to eat and place to satisfy my cravings for pho and spring rolls. You can conveniently find Kanu at the corner of Florentine and Herzl Streets.

Address: 77 Herzl St, Tel Aviv
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11:00 AM-12:00 AM
            Friday 11:00 AM-5:00 PM
            Saturday: 5:00 PM- 12:00 PM

NuNuNu: Fun Found in a Brioche Bun

I am always curious when a new restaurant opens up. Curious about the dishes the restaurant features, curious about the service I receive as a customer, and curious about the taste of the food. It is no wonder that after Chef Guy Gamzo opened up NuNuNu, I had to try it. Centrally located at 16 Herzl St, NuNuNu serves up a variety of brioche bun sandwiches which they like to call "dirty dining". NuNuNu specializes in six savory buns and two dessert buns. The savory buns include a shrimp bun, braised barbecue beef, schnitzel, macaroni and cheese, a classic hot dog with all the fixings, and even for the brave a pickled herring bun. As for their dessert buns, NuNuNu has a special cheesecake bun and a housemade ice cream bun as well. Side dishes include house seasoned fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, classic coleslaw, and a green salad. The brioche buns that NuNuNu serves are definitely a guilty pleasure meal that you eat once in a while. The buns are saturated in butter and you can taste it. These heavy delicious buns are also not that cheap on your wallet either. The two dessert buns are priced at 26 shekels which is quite reasonable for a sweet treat. On the other hand, the savory buns range in price from 26 to 45 shekels. Once you add a drink and side dish, you could be paying over 60 shekels for a quick bite. After eating all the buns, their shrimp bun is by far the best in my opinion. Besides their staple menu items, NuNuNu also offers specials most weekends. Some of the specials have included a soft shell crab bun, steak tartare bun, Thai chicken curry bun, and a chili con carne bun. If you are gluten-free, you are in luck as NuNuNu does offer a gluten-free bun as an option for an additional charge of 4 shekels. Service at NuNuNu is above average from the service you tend to get around the city. Once you make your order, you are given a beeper which goes off when your order is ready. The staff does not give off a negative vibe which is always a good sign. As for returning to NuNuNu, I would have to say I would be a return customer. I would not eat it every day or week, but I would indulge in having one of their buns once in a while. NuNuNu offers a unique dining experience in Tel Aviv and is a must try for any adventurous eater.

Address: 16 Herzl St, Tel Aviv
Hours: Sunday-Wednesday 12PM-12AM
             Thursday-Saturday 12PM-2AM

Carmel: A Top 5 Pita Experience in the Shuk

As I have said before, the street food scene here in Israel revolves around pita bread. The pita becomes the vessel for whatever you desire to stuff inside. Israelis are more than willing to stuff their gullets with an overstuffed pita while on the street for a quick bite to eat. It is that no-frills eating experience which makes eating street food in Israel such a pleasure. One of my favorite places for indulging in a pita is Carmel. Located conveniently at the beginning of HaCarmel Market across the way from Pasta Basta, Carmel specializes in a variety of grilled meats that they stuff into their incredible pitas. Carmel is unique in that they grill each meat to order on their charcoal grill. Carmel's menu includes favorites such as chicken thigh(pargit), chicken livers, chicken hearts, beef kofta kebab, lamb mixed grill(meorav), and merguez sausage. Carmel also features daily specials depending on what is fresh in the market. Specials have included veal sweetbreads, grilled rump steak, and beef short rib. Fillings to compliment your grilled meat of choice include tehina, amba, mixed herbs, fresh white cabbage, grilled chilies, grilled tomatoes, and grilled onions. Other specialties Carmel features include the arusa, which is a meat stuffed pita that is then grilled. If you are vegetarian, Carmel does offer a grilled vegetable pita and even a vegetarian arusa. To top off your pita experience, Carmel offers a grilled Nutella pita for a sweet ending. Each pita at Carmel costs between 30 to 40 shekels, which is the standard for a street pita in Tel Aviv. So it is not like you are paying an arm and a leg for your food. The service at Carmel is by far the best I have experienced while eating street food in the HaCarmel Market. The staff is very friendly and is extremely patient with their clientele. Carmel is great for tourists as well as they feature an English menu as well. Out of the many street food options in the city, Carmel is in my top 3. The atmosphere, quality products, and friendly service all add up to a fantastic local food experience in the middle of HaCarmel Market.

Address: Hillel Hazaken 18, Tel Aviv
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11AM-11PM
            Friday: 11AM-4PM
            Saturday: Closed