Shakshuka Wars - Episode 1

Zoe Wernick
Mar 30, 2016
4 min read

Search your feelings about this delicious dish.

A long time ago, in a place not that far away from me, someone put eggs and tomatoes together in a pan with some spices. Over the years the recipe spread, and while it's original origin is hotly debated, it is a non contested fact that no one cooks it better than one's own Grandmother.

Since I am no historian, and since this topic seems to ruffle many feathers, for the purposes of this article we will agree that Shakshuka did not originate here in Israel, but rather from possibly Libya or Morocco or somewhere in between.

Regardless of the original path of entry, Shakshuka has now been firmly adopted as a staple of Israeli cuisine. It's on almost every menu, but don't expect every Shakshuka to taste alike. Subtle changes in spices and shall we say "add in's" really change the profile.

Your classic Israeli Shakshuka consists of eggs, tomatoes, garlic and spices. But that's just where Shakshuka today

begins! If you can think it, you can add it! Meat, tofu, veggies, cheese....or how about adding Shakshuka to your Hummus? Oh yeah, it does exist.

Shakshuka is almost always made in a skillet in single serve batches. It come out quickly and piping hot, and it usually served with an entire loaf of bread. For those of us who are Gluten Free, I suggest a few things as a replacement:

- Order a side of rice (if the restaurant serves it) to add some starchy goodness to your dish.

- Some restaurants do carry prepackaged Gluten Free Rolls

- Order your Shakshuka with something substantial in it, like meat or Eggplant

- Or, enjoy it as it :)

My first review of a Shakshuka place (and trust me, over time I'm sure there will be many more to come, thank goodness they're still making Star Wars movies so I can continue this shtick), is for Shuk Shuka, a colorful stand just off Shuk HaCarmel's main isle-way.

I've eaten there twice now, and my experience was not exactly the same. The first time I went it was a weekday morning, and I sat at the bar with only one other person to begin with. By the time I was done there were a few more customers trickling in. My Shakshuka came accompanied by a delightful pickled cabbage salad and a huge bowl of tahini. The Shakshuka itself was as close to perfect as I've had. The eggs were perfectly cooked, the sauce was smooth and had layers of flavor. I ordered the spicy and it was just spicy enough but not too much to endure without the help of bread. Everything tasted incredibly fresh and was cooked to perfection. The sauce was smoother than any other sauce I've tasted before, but the complexity of the flavor was so great that I was able to eat it by the spoonful. I definitely missed some starch for this meal, but I couldn't find fault in anything that I ate, and to top it off, it was one of the most beautiful Shakshuka's I've seen (pictured in the first picture in this article). Overall, I would have given this Shakshuka an 8.5/10

Our Shakshuka's the second time.

The second time I came, my boyfriend and I headed there on a Friday morning. The place was packed, but we found a seat in the tiny back yard (quite literally only two picnic tables). The atmosphere back there was super cute, but the blaring dance music from adjacent restaurant Meat Market didn't exactly jive with the early morning patio groove. Our food came quickly as always, and this time I opted for the Greek variety of their Shakshuka which featured a huge block of Feta. Both of our meals were good, but some part of the magic I had tasted the first time was lost. While the eggs were still well cooked, both of our Shakshuka's seemed much more oily than I remembered. My guess? The Friday morning crowd rush results in a slight decrease in quality. Overall impression of this Shakshuka 6.5/10.

The veggies roasted and ready.

So where does that leave us? A solid 7.5/10 impression for Shuk Shuka and my suggestion to visit not at peak hours if you can. They also offer appetizers, sandwiches, a full bar, and coffee. They are run by a friendly staff and a friendly/funny owner/cook (I'm not sure what he is, but he gives off the owner vibe), located in a convenient area, and use quality fresh ingredients. Shuk Shuka is a great place to dive into your first skillet.

Shuk Shuka

Simtat HaCarmel 41, Tel Aviv-Yafo

⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 💰💰💰

I am sure that over the course of time I will review at least 7 Shakshuka places, perhaps when I have done that I will change the names of theses articles to reflect the ranking of the restaurants against each other. We all know that The Phantom Menace was disgraceful but I decided to start at 1 anyway.