brunch from sababa

Before today, I never eaten Israeli food in my life. To be honest, I haven’t had a lot of things. Such is life. Whatcha gonna do.

What I did do to rectify this particular shortcoming was a brunch at Sababa, a mid-sized Israeli restaurant on Connecticut Avenue in D.C. I went with a group of five, and we were told that 8-9 dishes would be the sweet spot— we ended up doubling up on a few dishes to hit that threshold. They came out very quickly, and probably the best part of the meal was the kitchen’s level of consideration when it came to the keeping the food on our table at a manageable level— the waiter was insistent that we have a quality dining experience.

Shakshuka

This was the dish that my friends were most excited about, and it didn’t disappoint. I was informed by the more experienced members of my group that this shakshuka didn’t quite match up to authentic shakshuka purchased in Israel, but I feel like that’s to be expected. The dish was sweet, flavorful, and filling. The pita was very warm and fluffy. The consistency of the shakshuka was, I think, a little too runny for my taste. Other than that, a great first dish.

Taste: 9/10

Portioning: 9/10

Consistency: 6/10

Overall: 8/10

Charred Eggplant

This was the least memorable dish of the bunch, because it was the least heavily-seasoned, but it was still solid. The eggplant was softened well, and the sauces underneath were creamy and delicious.

Seasoning: 6.5/10

Sauces: 8.5/10

Overall: 7/10

Roasted Carrot Salad

This was a great salad. Not much to say, as I only had a few bites.

Overall: 7/10

Jerusalem Bagel Sandwich

Here’s the dish I was far and away the most excited for. Jerusalem bagels aren’t like the typical bagels you’d get at a deli. Firstly, they’re long and ovular. They’re also not boiled before baking, making them “tender and fluffy where regular bagels are dense and chewy.” They’re great with smoked trout, which is what we selected as our topping. I really enjoyed this dish.

Fluffiness: 9/10

Tenderness: 9/10

Size: 7/10

Toppings: 8.5/10

Overall: 8.5/10