As you walk into Philly’s premier Israeli restaurant, you find yourself greeted by friendly hostesses and funky beats. Passing by the bar, you notice jars of spices on display next to the wines and liqueurs. Choices such as tangier, apollonia, roses, black salt and, of course, zahav, all made by the New York spice shop La Boîte, line the wall. Peer into the open kitchen peeking out below Jerusalem–style stained glass windows. Look to your left to find a large photo of a bustling Israeli market—a nice reminder of Zahav’s inspiration.
While most restaurants start you off with a complimentary breadbasket, Zahav opts for pickled veggies instead. I don’t usually love pickles, but I found the brightly colored carrots, cauliflower hearts and celery approachable and not at all over- powering. My friend Katie and I both selected the Sangiovese red wine ($12), which I loved, but she was lukewarm about. We ordered by the Tayim tasting menu ($45 per person) guidelines, which guaranteed more food than we could dare to eat.
For the first course we shared the Salatim ($16) and Tehina Hummus with laffa bread ($9), and it honestly could have been a meal in and of itself. Be warned, this hummus will ruin all grocery store varieties for you (Sabra will never taste the same). Head Chef and restaurateur Mike Solomonov came over to chat and cited the hummus as one of his favorite dishes, with good reason. Light, fluffy and cupping a swimming pool of olive oil, this chickpea–sesame beauty goes best with the warm laffa, but we won’t judge you for eating it straight.
The six salatim, the daily selection of salads, can be eaten alone or spooned onto the hummus and laffa and offer the best way for you to try a wide variety of flavors. The sweet and smoky Bulgarian roasted pepper salad was my favorite, but the salt roasted shredded beet with tehina wasn’t messing around either. The thick and almost meaty twice–cooked eggplant with sherry vinegar will win among the baba ghanoush fans. Likewise, if you’re a cabbage person, the pickled Napa cabbage with dill, mint, sumac and red onion will be the one for you. If you’re not, you’ll still be glad you tried it.
We started off the Mezze dishes, or small plates ($10 each), with the ever–popular Fried Cauliflower and labneh, chive, dill, mint and garlic spread. Perfectly fried and tan– brown all over, this one elicited a “woah” from Katie. Next, we tried the Grilled Haloumi with peach, amba, pecan and corn, which Solomonov mentioned when we asked what his safe, reliable dishes were, but we found it a little too salty and kind of plain. Apparently, it’s only good when it’s hot, and maybe we just missed the boat on that. The Crispy Grape Leaves with ground beef served over a puddle of harissa really packed a punch, but the sweetness of the beef and softness of the tehina brought it all together for a truly delicious mélange of flavors.
We finished with the Cobia Crudo, thin slices of raw, but not too potent, fish with dollops of spicy Turkish salad, diced cucumbers and mint. Within the first bite, we knew why it came to Solomonov’s mind even before the hummus when listing off his favorites.
All of the larger–but–not–actually–large Al Ha’esh plates ($14 each) are grilled over coals and served with pilaf and, of course, more pickles. We decided to try the Lamb Merguez over tomato matbucha, zucchini, corn and tehina (duh), which somehow managed to be velvety smooth and warm–yet–spicy all at once. Maybe it just set the bar too high, but the Eggplant plate we tried next left us disappointed. An inescapable saltiness overpowered the great flavor, texture and mild crunch that had such potential.
Luckily, Solomonov saved the day. When I asked him about his choice dishes, his enthusiasm for the Chicken Shishlik ($14) with fermented mango, sumac, crispy chicken skin and amba outshone any of the other descriptions. Since we hadn’t originally ordered it, he sent one over, and thank god he did. It was absolutely the most incredible, buttery and moist chicken I’ve ever had and arguably the best fare on the menu. The Shishlik reminded me of the chicken Marbella my mom makes for holiday dinners, but crunchier, tangier and less traditional. Solomonov credits the dark meat for the flavor, but a recipe like this takes brilliance.
We ended the meal with the Pistachio Tart and the Olive Oil Cake ($9 each). At first, the labneh crust, honey mascarpone and orange blossom of the tart drew us in. The sweet and nutty base under confectioners sugar and a zesty lemony cream provided all the elements of a great dessert. With time, however, the Olive Oil Cake won me over. The moist and tasty cake provided the perfect base for the pomegranate seeds and pine nuts on top. The little bursts introduced unexpected flavors and textures, adding excitement to a comfortable favorite.
If these dishes sounded incredible but the restaurant falls out of your price range you have two options. First is to head over to Solomonov’s newer Center City spot, Dizengoff, to try the hummus and a rotating selection of salatim–like toppings for a reasonable $9 to $12. Second, you can check out Zahav— A World of Israeli Cooking, Solomonov’s cookbook coming out Oct. 6 that he co–authored with Zahav’s other owner, Steven Cook. Stop by either the Free Library of Philadelphia on Oct. 8 to hear Solomonov speak about it or Dizengoff on Oct. 10 for a book signing. With the best of Zahav at your disposal, you’ll throw kick–ass dinner parties and save money at the same time.
@zahavrestaurant
TL;DR: The best Israeli food around, come to Zahav with an open mind and empty belly
Don't Miss: When the Chef says to get the Chicken Shishlik, you get the Chicken Shishlik.
Skip: The eggplant... and wearing tight clothing.
When to Go: When birthright won't come soon enough.
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