Restaurant: Thai Lane opposite Gurkha Kitchen
Thai Line
A new Thai restaurant (well, what else is new in Tel Aviv) on Kedumim Square, the creation of chef Midd Comforti’s love for Thailand. A few tables on the square, one man in the kitchen, one waiter, a spectacular view and great food that made our food critic fall in love with pulled meat.
The reviewer’s word: “What is on the menu is about 12 dishes and an explanation that everything is suitable for sharing. What is not there, is a word about the tasting meal that was offered to us on the website when we made a reservation. But in an atypical way we actually asked about it, and the light on the waiter’s face suddenly shone when he took the menus from us And he said “excellent, in any case this includes almost the entire menu”. And from that moment on the table began an almost endless parade of dishes, each of which, almost, was more successful than the last.” For the full review.
price range: Leave, just order the tasting menu. 180 NIS per person.
16 Kedumim Square, 052-6333150, Monday-Thursday 17:00-22:00, closed on Sundays, Fridays and Saturdays
Thai Line Kitchen (photo by Sarahla Gur Lavia)
Gurka Kitchen
An “authentic” Nepali-Indian restaurant, a little jump abroad through Neve Shanan. Exaggeratingly large portions, authentic cooking as far as we could understand and a diverse clientele, which reinforces the theory that this is one of the places most similar to the original. And above all, VFM is crazy.
The reviewer’s word: “Then the two flagship dishes of Indian cuisine arrived at the table. Or at least of the Indian cuisine exposed to us. Chicken tikka and tandoori chicken. And it was a tremendous experience. The chicken tikka turned out to be a giant skewer with the largest pieces of chicken we’ve seen in a year The last one. And as big as they were, that’s how delicious they were. The pre-soaking of the chicken in yogurt, its seasoning, the perfect grilling that left only subtle searing marks made the chicken a dream. Soft and tender on the inside, seasoned with crunchy touches on the outside. Take that happiness, add a little Yogurt served on the side, wrap everything in a wonderful garlic naan (as if we once met a non-wonderful naan), and you’ll get a bite from the movies, but from Bollywood, that is, a bite that dances ichikadana for you.” For the full review.
price range: 15-40 for the first time, 40-60 for the main.
Gorka Kitchen, 16 Rosh Pina St., 053-8851222, Monday to Saturday (closed on Sundays) 10:30-11:30 p.m.
Gorka Kitchen (Photo: PR)
the winner
The battle is very close, because in relation to a restaurant that ends up with 180 per diner, Thai Lane still has an excellent VFM. Yet, Gurka Kitchen It’s a discovery that’s a waste of time if you don’t run there. Well, what are you waiting for?
The casual: Itzik the Great vs. Ban Mi 13
The shawarma Itzik the great
The talked-about place of the moment, the new contender for the title of the most successful shawarma in the city and the absolute winner for the title of the most expensive shawarma in the city, also thanks to high pricing in keeping with Itzik’s tradition (a standard turkey pita will cost NIS 52), but mainly thanks to the unique shawarma that they only offer – shawarma on a skewer Wagyu beef.
The reviewer’s word: As shawarma, Itzik the Great’s pita is delicious, but it’s not too unusual either. The wagyu, a great, fatty cut that works amazingly as a steak and excellent as a ground base for a hamburger, loses most of its uniqueness in the long, circular grilling format of the shawarma. The pieces of meat scattered in the pita in thin, small cuts that gather into a shawarma mound were really tasty, but I’ve eaten so much better.” For the full review.
price range: NIS 52-62 per pita, NIS 72-82 per plate.
Sderot Yerushalayim 2, Jaffa, Sunday-Thursday and Saturday
Like owning a diamond, at least in value. Shawarma Wagyu by Itzik the Great. Photography: Matan Sharon
Ban Mi 13
This time almost without hype, a sandwich that specializes in only one sandwich, and makes it to perfection. The banh mi, a Vietnamese sandwich with French heritage, is everything that was missing in the Levinsky market – a cheap, tasty and fast sandwich.
The reviewer’s word: “I can’t testify to its authenticity. I’ve only eaten one Ban Mi in my life – and it was with a warm filling, without pata spread and from Rabin Square – so I’ve never experienced a proper Ban Mi. But the sandwich that “Ban Mi 13″ made us, authentic or not , is simply a work of art. The baguette is crispy to perfection, absorbs the flavors of the feta, the aioli and a little Sudanese chili that gives a light and pleasant spiciness, strengthened by the mix of pickles and the cool vegetables and ends with the finishing of the meat flavors, which frankly do not occupy a central place in both the taste and the mass of the sandwich , but because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, it simply doesn’t matter.” For the full review.
price range: NIS 23-28 per half portion, NIS 43-50 per portion.
Nachalat Binyamin 107, Sunday-Thursday, 11:00-18:00, hours
Who came to Ban Mi? Ban Mi 13 (photo by Jacob Blumenthal)
the winner
Well, even though in the fields of street food the difference between cheap and expensive may be revealed by differences of a few tiny shekels, the value of Ban Mi 13 Simply beats that of Itzik the Great. Instead of a medium-sized and reasonable-tasting pita, you get a huge baguette bursting with flavor. Don’t believe the hype.