Sabich: The Gateway Into Eggplant Appreciation
- Zoe Wernick
- May 13, 2016
- 4 min read
Egglplant Inception!
I don't think that anyone would contest me if I was say that the most popular Israeli dishes are Hummus, Falafel, and Shwarma. But rounding out the top 5 in my opinion are Shakshuka and Sabich! Shakshuka, thanks a lot in part to Pinterest, has become a familiar sight and even it's name is much more widely recognized (although some recipes call it other things, my favorite being "Eggs in Purgatory"), but Sabich is definitely much less well known. If I had to hazard a guess as to why this incredibly delicious dish has yet to make the cross over the pond is that it's because it's an eggplant based dish, and heaven knows we American's don't have any idea how to work with an eggplant. Before Israel, my memories of eggplant included "blecchhhh" and "mush," but now that I've tasted the magic of the Israeli prepared eggplant, I know the secrets that these purple gems hold. I diligently try to recreate the taste and texture in my own kitchen at least once a week to as of yet, no avail. Although I've yet do a remotely reasonable job, I keep trying and consuming my sub-par creations. If a particular incarnation is worse than another, I simply imagine that I'm eating the Sabich from down the street. It *almost* works.
But Israeli's love their eggplants. They're on every menu. You'll see eggplant in salads, topping hummus, as a main course, and as a side dish. Israeli's love eggplants so much there is even a Graffiti Artist here who only does Eggplant graffiti! Known as EPK (Eggplant Kid) his artwork features prominently all over the city and it's a favorite of locals, tourists, and (especially) kids on Birthright.
This is one of the first times, however, where I must admit that Gluten Free options for this are slim. Sabich is traditionally
served in a pita, with the eggplant sometimes battered and fried. Inside it includes a "brown egg" (eggs that have been hard boiled in onion skins and tea leaves, sounds terribly weird, I know), hummus, tahini, a variety of salads, and pickles! Sometimes you can get sabich on top of your hummus (just check if the eggplant is battered or not), or you can get it on a plate. At Aroma, Israel's Starbucks, you can get a Sabich sandwich on a Gluten Free prepackaged roll (pictured on the right). However, if you want traditional Sabich in (Gluten Free) Pita, there are two places in Tel Aviv that you can go!
1) HaKosem (The Magician)
Sabich a la HaKosem.
Loided as one of the best restaurants in Tel Aviv, I have yet to be persuaded by this place. I've had the falafel and truthfully I hate them. They've been voted the best falafel in Tel Aviv I think more than once but they are not my cup of tea. I also believe they are made in a shared frier so if you decide to try perhaps double check! Here's the thing- maybe the falafel aren't terrible, but I simply can't stand them. Their version is so heavy on the parsley that the inside of the balls are vividly green. I hate (and I don't use the word hate lightly) parsley (although I love cilantro, no soapy taste, but parsley I just can't stand) so these falafel will never be for me. I have yet to try their hummus (which is supposed to be very good) but of course I have tried their sabich.
I ordered the Sabich on Gluten Free pita and watched in rapt anticipation as he loaded it full of goodies. Topped with their mango sauce (possibly not GF either), I couldn't wait!
But, as is for the life of the food blogger, the phone eats first. I took such great pictures for like, 5 whole minutes and then I was about to take a bite when I noticed (now that I wasn't looking at it through my iphone screen) that the eggplant was breaded.
Ugh.
So I went back inside and told them and they apologized profusely and made me another new one with the unbreaded Gluten Free eggplant. In my disappointment I deleted all the beautiful pictures because they "wouldn't be useable" although, of course now I wish I had them to show you all the difference. When I did receive my correct order I was pretty hungry by now and dejected from all the wasted picturing and waiting, so my captures were subpar.
When I finally got around to eating my Sabich it was quite good. The eggplant itself was nothing to mention really but the egg was delicious! These "brown eggs" can be hit or miss in my experience but it was the highlight of HaKosem's Sabich. Their special Mango spicy sauce was quite tasty too. But if I'm being quite honest it didn't leave a giant impression on me. Maybe it was that the experience of waiting and then having my order be Glutenous that overshadowed the taste experience, but whatever the case, I would describe it as "good" but not "great."
Shlomo ha-Melekh St 1, Tel Aviv
⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 💰💰
2) Sabich Tchernichovsky
Behold! The Eggplant in it's Glory - the Sabich from Sabich Tchernichovsky.
Their modest store front and worn awning won't catch your eye, but their Sabich will capture your heart. Just like at Falafel Benin (which is only 2 doors down), you'll have to wait a little longer for your Gluten Free Sabich but the few minutes is worth the wait. Although the salads and toppings are from shared containers, they take the time to work with the trickier Gluten Free Pita to craft you a delicious and perfect little pocket of flavor. I'll admit that the egg I had from here wasn't as good as others I've had, but everything else in that flavor receptacle was on point! The pickles were especially tasty, and they had an excellent combination of salads. Sabich Tchernichovsky is a Tel Aviv institution and is on all the lists of "Best Sabich in Tel Aviv." If you're looking for an authentic, delicious Israeli lunch, this is a perfect option. Let's just say I'm hooked.
And after just a few bites I bet you'll be hopping on the Eggplant Train. So, see you there! ;)
Sabich Tchernichovsky
Tchernichovsky 2, Tel Aviv
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 💰💰
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