Pita & Olives Tasting Session

Pita & Olives Tasting Session
100 Tras Street
#03-10 100AM

7 Temasek Boulevard
#01-455 Suntec City Tower 1
Shop 4 PasarBella Suntec City

Opening Hours:
Daily: 11am - 9pm


http://www.pitaandolives.com/

https://www.facebook.com/PitaOlives

This was an invited media review. I did not pay for the meal during the free hosted tasting session, but I did pay the standard price during subsequent visits.
Attended with representatives from Come Let’s Eat Initiative, Embassy of Israel in Singapore, Burrple Singapore, Hazel Diary, Stormscape, Lirongs, and The 4 Moose.

Zaatar Eggplant & Zaatar Cheese (SGD $8)

Healthy, Home Made, Mediterranean Dishes

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 6
Ambience & Setting: 3
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 6
Value for Money: 8
Budget about SGD $13 ++ per person.


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Originally opening in 100AM mall in Tanjong Pagar in 2013, Pita & Olives has since relocated to PasarBella in Suntec City as of 2015. Known for their use of fresh ingredients and hearty, rustic, home made dishes, Pita & Olives offers a healthy, mostly vegetarian / vegan menu, with few meat options. Their Israeli cuisine is very similar to that of other Mediterranean cuisines, such as Turkish cuisine or Lebanese cuisine.

We attended as part of the Come Let’s Eat Initiative, which strives to promote a more harmonious society in Singapore, by connecting Singaporeans with foreign cultures, through a shared food experience. In this tasting session at Pita & Olives, we were fortunate to be hosted by representatives from the Embassy of Israel in Singapore, along with Head Chef Aviv.

Pita & Olives Facade

Pita & Olives Signage

Ambience at Pita & Olives is minimal, really just a storefront at most. Located within PasarBella at Suntec City, it shares its seating space, furniture, and atmosphere with all the other stalls located here. The place is incredibly noisy, I nearly lost my voice several times speaking over the din. The furniture is also not too comfortable, being functional at best. What stands out for Pita & Olives is that they're located in a corner, so standing at the shopfront means you won't be blocking any people walking pass.

Service at Pita & Olives is partial self-service, with ordering and payment over the counter. However, if you sit around the store, staff will bring orders to your table. But if you sit further away, it's completely self-service. The menu at Pita & Olives is small, without any dish descriptions, but this is an opportunity for the staff to display their knowledge. They are able to describe the ingredients in dishes, as well as state how it's made. You can tell they're passionate about the food they serve. Good!

Food at Pita & Olives is Israeli cuisine, which is almost similar to other Mediterranean cuisines, like Turkish cuisine or Lebanese cuisine. Food is simple, rustic, healthy, and wallet-friendly. Mostly vegetarian / vegan options, with very little choice of meat, I find eating here to be clean and healthy for the body. Dishes are tasty, and portion sizes can be finished by an individual, though sharing / communal dining of at least 2 people is recommended. Prices are affordable, possibly the cheapest store in the entire PasarBella, budget about SGD $13 per person for a full meal here.

Pita & Olives Menu

Us, Source Credits

Chef is very proud of his Pita Bread (SGD $4), baking it fresh on-site daily. The difference is obvious, the texture of the bread is soft, warm, and fluffy, quite light with a slight chew. The small pocket is perfect for picking up food, and eating with your hands here isn't a problem. We ate so much pita bread during our visit!

Pita Bread (SGD $4)

The newest item on the menu is the Zaatar Eggplant & Zaatar Cheese (SGD $8). Think of it as an Israeli pizza, with a light, thin, chewy base, topped with either savoury salty roasted eggplants that have a smoky aroma, or sharp salty firm cheese that is big on flavour. Tasty!

Zaatar Eggplant & Zaatar Cheese (SGD $8)

The signature dish here, their Hummus (SGD $4) is extremely tasty, among the best versions I've had! Texture of the mashed chickpeas paste is smooth and creamy, with rich chickpea flavour, yet isn't heavy or cloying. I wish I could spread it over everything! Highly recommended!

Hummus (SGD $4)

The Tahini (SGD $4) is a smooth, creamy, oily, mashed sesame seeds paste, served as a dip, and has a toasty, nutty, floral aroma and flavour. Our hosts from the Israeli Embassy tell us it tastes authentic, and that it's considered a staple in Israel, used as a dip, topping, or ingredient in many dishes, even in desserts!

Tahini (SGD $4)

The Labane (SGD $4) is a type of strained yoghurt, sometimes also referred to as Yoghurt Cheese, or Greek Yoghurt. It has a thick, creamy texture, with a distinctive sour taste. It is a common street food in Israel, normally eaten with pita bread or zaatar, usually with a dash of olive oil. Personally, this didn't appeal to me.

Labane (SGD $4)

The Roasted Eggplant (SGD $4) features thin, tender slices of eggplant / aubergine, roasted till the exterior takes on a smoky aroma, while the interior remains moist. Taste is savoury salty, and our hosts tell us this is used as a stuffing / topping in pita bread. I find this actually lends good flavour when paired with other dishes!

Roasted Eggplant (SGD $4)

Yes, the traditional name is really Fresh Jerusalem Salad (SGD $4), and this clean, bright salad bowl features diced tomatoes, zucchini, black olives, mint leaves, lemon juice, vinegar, sea salt, pepper, and parsley. Fresh and healthy, it can be eaten on its own, or stuffed into the pita bread!

Fresh Jerusalem Salad (SGD $4)

The Falafel (SGD $4), or ground chickpea fritters, was decent at best. What I like about this is the crumbly, grainy texture which lends itself well to chewing, and the fragrant smoked aroma, but the slightly dry texture tickles the throat, making it uncomfortable to swallow.

Falafel (SGD $4)

Falafel

What the Turkish call Dolma, and the Greek call Dolmadakia, the Israeli people call Stuffed Vine Leaves (SGD $4), or Mahshi. The Jewish / Hebrew version differs slightly from others in Mediterranean cuisine, while it still has cooked rice stuffed into grape vine leaves, and rolled into a cylindrical shape, our hosts say that sometimes it can include other ingredients such as dried figs, dried apricots, or dried dates. The version served at the stall is the common, normal, plain version.

Stuffed Vine Leaves (SGD $4)

The Chicken Shawarma (SGD $5) here is savoury, with well marinated, thinly sliced strips of tender chicken meat. The spice coating lends moisture and flavour, and the meat has a fragrant, spicy and smoky aroma from the rotisserie grill. Good enough to eat on its own, this is best stuffed into pita bread, along with the other side dishes, and eaten together!

Chicken Shawarma (SGD $5)

The Beef Kebab Pita (SGD $12) is a filling meal, featuring a warm pita bread, stuffed with hummus, tahini, diced cucumbers, diced tomatoes, and meaty savoury beef kebabs. The meat of the tightly packed beef kebabs have a fragrant smoky grilled aroma, while still being moist in texture. Good!

Beef Kebab Pita (SGD $12)

Beef Kebab Pita

The Beef Kebab Set (SGD $17) is a hearty, filling, healthy meal. Essentially, the ingredients are the same as the Beef Kebab Pita, but rather than being all packed together, this is the deconstructed version.

Beef Kebab Set (SGD $17)

Oddly, Jewish / Hebrew cuisine has adapted the Mini Chicken Schnitzel (SGD $5) from German cuisine. Our hosts tell us that this is especially popular with children, making a great finger food snack. But while the version here has tender chicken meat with a light, crisp, crumb batter, I find this to be possibly the least value for money dish on the menu.

Mini Chicken Schnitzel (SGD $5)

Overall, dining at Pita & Olives is an insight into the street food culture of Israel, and it's fitting that prices reflect the status of its common, daily diet of the people of the country. Healthy and light, yet tasty and delicious, Pita & Olives is suitable for everyday dining. Their set meals are value for money, and quite filling! Pity about the crowded place on weekends, I recommend visiting on weekdays instead.


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