I was recently on a trip around the Middle East which included a stop in Israel. Before every trip I always ask people for recommendations and research what is good to eat in each country. I am a firm believer in that you learn a lot about the country through their cuisine.

So when I arrived in Israel I just had to see what they had to offer apart from Falafel and Hummus (which were great by the way). I’d read about a sandwich called sabich and that there were two places in Tel Aviv that stood out from blog posts and reviews and they were Sabich Frishman and Sabich Tchernichovsky. The former was on the other side of the city so I opted for the closer Sabich Tchernichovsky just off Allenby St.

The place was a small take-out spot with a handful of seats with only one thing on the menu and a variety of drinks. The main ingredients of the sandwich are boiled egg, fried aubergine and potato complimented by salad, hummus, tahini paste and amba (pickled mango paste).

The intriguing thing for me was that there were only 4 people in front of me in the queue yet it took a good 15/20 minutes to get this sandwich in my hands. It was only as I got to the front that I observed the sandwich being put together. The way they assemble the sandwich is what makes this such an amazing thing to eat. They carefully place each layer of ingredients one at a time as opposed to stuffing the pita with everything. What this does is that with every bite you get all of the flavour and texture combinations. At a modest 17 Shekels (£3) it is excellent value for money and I can truly say it was the best vegetarian dish that I have ever had. When in Israel definitely try the falafel but absolutely try the Sabich.

Sabich Tchernichovsky
Tchernichovsky 2, Tel Aviv
Sunday-Thursday (10:00-20:30), Friday (10:00-15:30), Saturday (closed)

Daniel E on Twitter: @d_esteban_88