Situated in a nondescript section of Shirokane, David's Deli immediately takes its place alongside Shamaim in Ekoda as a go-to spot for authentic Israeli fare. The list of traditional dishes—gefilte fish, matzo ball soup, kasha varnishkes—reads like a buffet menu at a bar mitzvah. And with crowd-pleasing snacks like bagels and babaganoush, David’s Deli offers a perfect introduction to Israeli cuisine. But even if it doesn’t win over Japanese converts, the restaurant should, at the very least, provide comfort to the falafel-deprived foreign community.
Recent visits indicate that it already has. During one lunch, we ran into a British colleague from the former Eat magazine who copped to eating here every day. Other times we’ve stopped by, foreigners outnumbered Japanese by a large margin, and their contented murmurs while slathering pita bread with hummus offer a better testimonial than anything we could write.
The real reason to come is the food, though, and there’s definitely a lot to enjoy. Delectable bureka pastries, prepared on the premises, come in cheese (¥220), spinach (¥220), meat (¥240) and other varieties. The spinach had a flaky, buttery crust and a creamy vegetable middle. A selection of stuffed vegetables includes pepper (¥480), cabbage (¥480), and grape leaves (¥520). The large-portioned eggplant version comes in a tomato-based sauce and has a deliciously spicy meat filling with hints of cinnamon. Entrees include a selection of schnitzel (¥1,600-¥2,400), fish piccata (¥1,600), and meatball stew (¥1,600).
The lunch menu offers excellent value, and our favorite is the falafel set (¥880). Like all the midday offerings, it starts with a generous plate of authentic hummus, a pickle, and choice of bagel or a large, warm, spongy pita. (The felafel lunch also comes with a cucumber, red onion and tomato salad.) That’s followed by a serving of tahini and six golden balls of deep-fried chickpeas and spices, all at a price that wouldn’t be out of place at our favorite dive in Greenwich Village.
David’s Deli has proved it has the goods to satisfy Israelis, Brits, and New Yorkers. Now if they could manage to attract the Japanese, we’d have a lot less explaining to do.