an initiative dedicated to different styles of Israeli
music from funky 60s soul to 80s punk. Shlomo
Ibn Gvirol St 12, +972 03 691 7171, haachim.co.il
PANDA PITA
It’s a ridiculous name but Panda Pita is ridiculously
good. In an alley off the busy Shuk HaCarmel,
or Carmel Market, the open-air stall is a small but
effective operation co-owned by the tattooed and
handlebar-moustached Idan “Panda” Fainburg, who
oversees a joyous crew chopping and slicing to funky
fresh tunes. Panda Pita serves a contemporary take
on sabich, an Iraqi-Jewish street-food sandwich of
pita traditionally crammed with fried eggplant, salad,
hard-boiled egg, mango amba, hummus and tahini.
Panda’s version adopts the same concept but with
a modern twist. The concise menu offers just three
options: ceviche, lamb flank or an eggplant fillet that
has been pre-baked and softened in a bamboo steamer,
all stuffed in ultra-light pita. It’s one big delicious
mess. Malan 47, Shuk HaCarmel, pandapita.co.il
LEVINSKY MARKET
The famous Levinsky Market is a hodgepodge of Greek,
Persian and Balkan goods: dried fruits, roasted nuts,
olives, flavoured halva and a heady mix of cumin,
turmeric and za’atar. Locals flock to third-generation
specialty shop Burekas Shel Ima for handmade savoury
pastries and crunchy burekas, pastries stuffed with fresh
spinach, grated potato and Bulgarian cheese, plus PHOTOGRAPHY SANDY AARON EYAL SHANI, AVIV SHKURY PANDA PITA & VIA TOLILA CITYSCAPE.