David Kwok

Located near the entrance of Fushimi Inari, Kanoko is an atmospheric restaurant with a traditional atmosphere offering a menu of udon and soba noodle dishes. First, we were started with an appetizer of three daily dishes: clams, raw salmon, and mixed persimmon and greens in a creamy dressing. The Nabeyaki set featured a clay pot of udon, shrimp tempura, egg, chicken, fish paste, shiitake mushroom, and roasted rice cake, all in a hot broth. The Sukinabe featured a pot of udon with tender, fatty slices of beef, egg, tofu, fishcake, and vegetables in a deeply savory, slightly sweet broth, served in an iron pot heated by a flame underneath. But my personal favorite item was the Tenzaru, a set which came with both buckwheat and matcha soba noodles served cold with a savory dipping sauce on the side, mixed with green onions and wasabi. The noodles had a pleasantly firm texture and went nicely with the plate of mixed tempura on the side, which included shrimp, fish, sweet potato, enoki mushrooms, shiso, and seaweed, along with grated radish and a light tempura sauce for dipping. The tempura had a nice crunchy texture without being greasy or heavy. Lastly, the set came with two pieces of Puchi-Inari, or seasoned rice wrapped with fried tofu skin (a fitting dish given the restaurant’s location). Overall, the food here was delicious and beautifully presented, and the traditional setting (which included tatami seating and an outdoor Japanese garden) was pleasant.

Nishta means “nothing,” but the food at this vegan restaurant is anything but nothing. There were more than a dozen selections at the salad bar, and a bowl of self-assembled salads came at a steal for just 8 Euros! The offerings included pickled green/red cabbage; smokey grilled eggplant, peppers, and zucchini; roasted cherry tomatoes, roasted potatoes, beets, carrots, green beans, lentils, spiced yellow rice, tempeh, marinated mushrooms, cashews, and a flatbread made of seeds. Every item from the bar was flavorful and delicious and, assembled together, made for a complete meal! Being in Dubrovnik, I also tried the vegan Cevapcici, or grilled “sausages” served with ajvar (an eggplant-pepper paste) in a chewy flatbread, along with sweet potato salad on the side. The Cevapcici were on the salty side, but the naan bread, ajvar, and sweet potato salad were all tasty.

Located at the edge of Mahane Yehuda market, Arica Sabich offers just one thing: sabich, the combination of fried eggplant, slow-cooked egg, amba, chili sauce, tahini, hummus, and salads (cucumber, tomato, onions, pickles, herbs) in a freshly-baked pita or on a plate. The sabich here was traditional and rustically assembled. The slow-cooked egg was sliced and crushed, so it had a nice creamy consistency in the sandwich, and the highlight was the soft, chewy pita that held all the ingredients together.

Itzik Hagadol is an Israeli shipudei (grill house) proudly displaying their meats from their window. But honestly, you can just skip the meats entirely, for once you sit down, an assortment of no fewer than 20 little plates of salads and dips are brought to the table, along with freshly-baked laffa flatbread. These small plates were enough to make a meal all on their own, and each one was distinct in flavor and preparation. To point out a few highlights, I especially liked the fava bean purée, spicy eggplant, zhoug (spicy herb paste), tabbouleh, Israeli salad (chopped lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, herbs), liver-flavored eggplant, fried eggplant, and falafel. Other items included several different preparations of carrots (Moroccan and raw), tomato (grated, spicy, and matbucha), and eggplant; celery salad, beets, creamy white and red cabbage, fried potatoes, Russian salad, pickled chilies, and grilled tomatoes/onions/peppers. Everything went nicely with the laffa bread, which was covered with sesame seeds and had chewy edges and a thin, crispy interior, and you could compose so many combinations and bites with the different components. And the best part was that you could get unlimited refills of any of the salads, dips, and bread! Now do you see why you can just skip the meats entirely?!