Chicken and Hot Sauce

Eating has always been the pinnacle of enjoyment for Dylan Stein. Eating good food is an essential and indispensable part of Dylan's life. Living as a student, unfortunately, prevented his culinary adventures from being as lavish as he would have hoped and he had to ask himself, " How can I stretch each dollar? He finds himself again in Tel Aviv asking himself the same question and he's finding the places to eat that will make his stomach AND wallet happy... The Hungry Canadian is happy to share these thrifty and delicious finds with us... Welcome to "Cheap Eats Tel Aviv"

Having a craving for some comfort food from home, I set out on a search for a personal favorite of mine: grilled chicken. I found two eateries that served up some mean, home-style chicken. These joints were small, eat-on-the-go-type places; so don’t expect a fancy meal.

Tipico Grilled Chicken is located at 1 Nachalat Benyamin and makes Rotisserie-style chicken. A half chicken with wedge fries or rice will cost you 45 shekels, while a quarter chicken will cost you only 35. At Tipico, you will find a well-seasoned bird rubbed down with a mix of spices. The highlight for me was the exceptionally crispy skin. (I couldn’t resist ripping off a big piece of skin before I snapped a picture.)

The next place, Shimon Chicken, is a bit harder to find-- located at 6 Tchernichovsky St.

Behind the store’s modest exterior is a real gem. A place like this gives you the small thrill of feeling like you found a ‘locals only’ spot. Shimon has some deliciously greasy and affordable chicken. I got a full bird for 48 sheks and accepted the option to have it liberally brushed down with garlic. It came with a pile of fries, kissed by the grease goddess herself, and included a hearty helping of pickles and hot peppers.

So for all you grease-lovers stranded across the Atlantic, both of these establishments are sure to put you in fried food-coma bliss.

Continuing with the idea of foods that bring you comfort, let’s discuss an absolute staple of mine. If you are not already familiar, let me introduce you to probably the best hot sauce in the world: Sriracha. This sauce can be described as “ a delicious blessing flavored with the incandescent glow of a thousand dying suns.”

Quote taken from http://theoatmeal.com/comics/sriracha

You may have been exposed to Sriracha.without knowing it. Ever had “spicy sauce” at a sushi restaurant? The ingredients in spicy sauce are Sriracha, mayo and sesame oil.

I add Sriracha to many of my regular dishes and have found that this versatile sauce segues beautifully into Israeli cuisine. “Spicy hummus” and “spicy feta” have become instant favorites and truly will take any pita sandwich to the next level.

You can pick up a bottle of Sriracha at the Asian grocery store in the shuk.

If my praise has not yet convinced you to go out and immediately pick up a bottle, go sample it for yourself. Head to Il Pizzaiolo at 123 Dizengoff where they are nice enough to put a bottle on every table.

Incidentally, this goat cheese, olive, and green onion thin crust pizza was wonderful.

Chew Cheaply and Smile On.