Syriana Falafel (Augsburg, Germany)

 Fuggerstraße 14, 86150 Augsburg, Germany

 

Syriana Falafel is a small shawarma and falafel place in the center of Augsburg that does mostly wraps and plates. Everything looks pretty fresh, which is also what they promise: fresh Turkish food.

 

I get a Big Falafel Wrap (€6) for which the falafels are freshly made. They ask for “spicy” or not and I, of course, say yes. The wrap is long and thin, is more European than Arab (i.e. lettuce, tomato, onion), and is a bit messy to eat. However, the falafel are really moist and the wrap has a nice kick to it.

 

VERDICT: 88/100

Not authentic but tasty

Shemali’s Café (Washington, DC)

3301 New Mexico Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016

Shemali’s is a small deli inside a mall that sells a variety of Mediterranean foods, mostly in jars, as well as some basic shawarma (beef, chicken, lamb) and falafel wraps and plates.

 

I get a Falafel Sandwich ($8.99). Although there are few orders, it takes quite a long time. The sandwich itself is very tasty. There are about four falafel, normal size, good taste if perhaps a bit dry (there is not much tahini so that might explain it too). All the flavors of the vegetables (tomato, onion, cucumber, beet, cilantro) are really fresh and strong.

 

VERDICT: 85/100

A very nice falafel in a tucked-away place.

King Falafel (Oslo, Norway)

Brugata 3, 0186 Oslo, Noway

 

King Falafel is a small place behind the Central Station, which serves almost only falafel sandwiches with a few sides. There are five different sandwich options, all falafel with something added (e.g. baba ganoush, frieds, humus). The owner does not speak English, you can only pay by card, and all the other clients are Arab.

 

I get the Falafel med Humus (NOK 79 or ~$9), which is 4-5 quite big falafels wrapped with humus, parsley, pickle, tomato, red onion, mint and tahini. It doesn’t look too fresh, but it is both big and tasty. The falafel are crispy and the flavors are authentic Middle Eastern.

 

VERDICT: 87/100

This is both a very good falafel and a pretty cheap meal by Oslo standards.

Tabouleh Café (Jacksonville, FL)

 7645 Merrill Road, Jacksonville, FL 

 

Tabouleh Café is a small hole in the wall in a strip mall on one of the long roads through JAX. They do mostly take-out but there are also people eating inside. They have a rich menu, with most of the usual suspects of a Lebanese restaurant. They don’t have many combination plates or add-ons so I end up with far too much food.

The Humus Dip ($6.49) is plentiful and comes with pita. Both are authentic. The Fattoosh Salad ($7.99) is fresh but overseasoned with dressing. The falafel ($5.99) are big and excellent: fresh, crispy outside but not dry inside.

VERDICT: 86/100

Very good Lebanese food in very basic setting. Punching well above its weight.

Moshiko (Jerusalem, Israel)

Ben Yehuda 5, Jerusalem, Israel

 

Mishiko is a very busy, small shawarma and falafel place in downtown Jerusalem that offers those two classics (as well as sabich, schnitzel, humus) in different types and sizes of bread.

 

I get a pita shawarma (ILS 27 or $7.60) which comes in a thick and soft wheat pita with a selection of very fresh and tasty toppings but relatively little meat - moreover, the meat is on top and the toppings on the bottom. The meat is very tender but it has a bit odd taste (it tastes like cumin and curry).

 

VERDICT: 85/100

Fresh and tasty but combination of meat and pita didn’t really work for me.

Mataam Al-Taj (Jerusalem, Israel)

Arab Quarter of Old City of Jerusalem

 

Mataam Al-Taj (Restaurant of the Crown) is a small restaurant in market of Arab Quarter of Old City of Jerusalem. It serves mostly falafel and humus but also salads and drinks.

 

I get a falafel (ILS 15 or $4.25), which comes in a pita with various salad toppings and tahini and (extra) hot red sauce. The three big falafel balls are fresh and perfect (not too dry, not too mushy). Delicious!

 

VERDICT: 90/100

Some of the best falafel I ever had.

Mercaz Hafalafel Hatemani (Jerusalem, ISR)

Ha-Nevi'im St 48, Jerusalem, Israel

 

Mercaz Hafalafel Hatemani is a very small hole-in-the-wall falafel place on a big street in downtown Jerusalem. I don’t even know whether they sell anything else. But even relatively early in the morning it is already quite busy – albeit mainly with men who seem to be there to talk to the owner.

 

I get a Pita Falafel, which might not look like much, but tastes delicious. I forgot how much I paid for it, but it wasn’t much, and the falafel was better than most I ate outside of Israel.

VERDICT: 86/100

Great place for an affordable and quick falafel-on-the-go.

Fafa's (Helsinki, Finland)

Kauppakeskus, Citycenter, Citykäytävä, 00100 Helsinki, Finland

 

Fafa’s is a Finnish chain of high-quality falafel restaurants with more than 10 locations in Finland, mostly in and around Helsinki. It serves a broad variety of vegan, vegetarian, and meat pitas as well as mezes and salads, most built around falafel, humus, and kebabs. Prices are pretty steep, as is usual in Finland.

 

I get the most basic Falafel & Humus (€8.90), which comes with 4 or 5 well-prepared falafel balls, humus, matbuha, tomato, pickles, lettuce, cucumber,  cabbage, tahini and parsley, all on a big gluten-free pita. I top it with spicy red sauce, which makes it all even better. It tastes fresh and pretty authentic.

 

VERDICT: 90/100

Good falafel, big sandwich.

Falafel Me (Berlin, Germany)

Kurfürstendamm 166 in 10707 Berlin, Germany

 

Falafel Me is a small falafel place on one of the biggest shopping streets in Berlin. While it looks like a chain, it (currently) has only one location. It has a very limited menu: falafel, fries, and salads.

 

I get a Pita Falafel (€3.50), which comes with fresh vegetables, 3-4 falafel balls, and mild white (yoghurt) sauce and/or hot red sauce.  The falafel balls are not too dry, not too moist and the sandwich overall tastes pretty good.

VERDICT: 84/100)

Very affordable and very decent falafel on the go.

El Emir Lebanese Restaurant (Prague, Czech Republic)

Palác Koruna, Václavské nám. 1, 110 00 Praha 1-Můstek, Czech Republic

 

El Emir is an upscale Lebanese restaurant in upscale mall in downtown Prague – they also have another location in downtown Prague. It looks authentic and has a lot of Arab customers. The menu is quite traditional and includes meats, salads, sandwiches, and spreads. They are pretty busy, but also quite slow. I have to wait at least 20 minutes for my food.

 

I get a Fattoush (CZK 135 or $5.60), which is relatively small and consists mainly out of lettuce, cucumber and green peppers – only a little piece of tomato. It has a nice dressing but the pieces of pita chips seem to be from a bag, not fresh. I also get a Falafel Sandwich (CZK 160 or $6.65) It’s a big sandwich filled with a bit too soft but tasty falafels and some tomato, parsley and tahini.

 

VERDICT: 83/100

Very acceptable if a bit too pricey for Prague.