According to the venerable Wikipedia, āShakshouka (Arabic: Ų“ŁŲ“ŁŁŲ©ā; Hebrew: שקש×ק×ā) is a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, and onions, often spiced with cumin.ā Itās really popular in Mediterranean countries like Israel, Tunisia, Egypt, Morrocco, etc. Itās also delicious, flavorful, and drop-dead gorgeous (check out that yolk porn). Lucky for us, Philly has a great shakshouka scene. Hereās a comprehensive list to make sure you never miss out:
CafƩ Renata
Photo courtesy of caferenata.com
Just a few blocks off campus, thisĀ go-to brunch spotĀ has a solid shakshouka. The eggs are slightly less runny than usual and the tomato sauce is a little more salsa-y, but the overall effect is still dank.
Dizengoff
Photo courtesy of Philadelphia Magazine
In this take on the classic, the soft-boiled egg rested gently on a thin layer of tomato sauce over a cloud of hummus. Iām usually pretty good about waiting to eat until I get at least one quick pic in, but I just couldnāt with this one.Ā DizengoffĀ changes its menu daily, so be sure to check before you go. Although tbh you canāt go wrong with anything there.
Kanella
Photo by Dina Zaret
Widely known as one of Phillyās top Greek BYOs, Kanella also serves a top-notch brunch. The simple interior with blue and white plaid tablecloths is probably the closest Iāve ever gotten to actually being in Greece. Their cumin spiced tomato stew is subtle yet satisfying, and the grilled bread is a nice change up from the usual pita.
Aksum
While all those other Shakshoukaās have what it takes to make a morning great, this one goes above and beyond. The just-runny-enough yolks in the sharply spiced tomatoe-y sauce on the thin-but-mouthwatering pitaā¦ just do yourself a favor and head over there ASAP. Also a side of avocado? Iām not going to say noā¦