The morning sun strikes the bright blue shopfront of Carmel – Israeli Street Food, tracing a warm aura around the queue snaking from the door and customers dotted around the front tucking into their haul. Inside, co-owner Tomer (Tom) Shabo is at the counter juggling orders while greeting those advancing in the quick-moving line with a temptingly aromatic sample of freshly-made falafel. 

A visit to Carmel is like a toasty hug – which makes complete sense when you learn about the inspiration behind the business. Co-owner Carmel Davidovitch, Tom’s partner, was born in Aotearoa to a Kiwi mother and an Israeli father, and the family of six moved to Israel, where Carmel was raised surrounded by a multifarious, mixed-nationality culinary landscape that was mirrored in her family’s own food culture.

“My grandmother on my dad’s side is originally from Libya and grew up in Tripoli, so her cooking was North African with lots of spices, but she would also cook dishes from my grandfather’s Eastern European food upbringing. Plus mum would teach us about Kiwi baking traditions – sweet slices and things that weren’t around in Israel.”

“My grandmother wasn’t super affectionate in a physical sense, but the way she showed us love was to cook for us – that was her hug. I got that from her, I show love by cooking for people too.”

Carmel the business was born after having moved to Aotearoa six years ago without a clear plan. But when the cooking experiments they were sharing with friends at home proved a big hit, the couple started developing recipes. As Carmel puts it, it “just turned into this business magically”.

From the cloud-like fluffy pita, to the hummus, falafel and pickles, everything on the brunch and lunch menu of pita sandwiches and salads is made here, fresh as it gets, and there’s a host of sweet baked goods to ensure you don’t leave with any unsettled cravings. The are what makes Carmel a very Kiwi Israeli eatery, as in Israel, says Carmel, you’d never find a falafel shop also proffering sweets and coffee. “Kiwis have a sweet tooth – and we need our coffee!” she laughs.

One of the things Carmel and Tom love best about running their business is the sense of community it helps foster. “Here in Uptown there are all sorts of people – locals and people who travel here on our opening days to be part of the madness! We have regular older people who order the same coffee, the same pastry, and enjoy them in the same seat every time next to young couples and professionals – they mingle and fire up conversation and it’s just lovely to watch.” In this age of ordering online and everyone wanting “quick and easy”, we can forget the human connections that exist around food. For that reason and for pure taste sensation, the food at Carmel’s is, says the woman herself, “Best eaten fresh, right here. You can take it away, of course, but if you want to enjoy it to the extreme, eat it right away!”