Pocket Pita Pop Up delivers authentic Israeli-inspired street food to Neutral Bay with a punchy menu of flavourful eats.
The past few months have been a trying time for hospitality venues. Suddenly fine diners are slinging takeaway eats and wine bars are capped to just a handful of guests. And along the way, we’ve seen a number of venues pivot their offering entirely. That’s exactly what has happened at 24 Young Street, Neutral Bay.
For over 12 years, the site was home to Neutral Bay’s beloved wine bar Firefly. The spot was frequented by guests looking for a delicious drink and eats, and sadly closed its doors earlier this year. But now, the space is home to an exciting new dining concept: Pocket Pita Pop Up.
As you’d guess, this new opening is all about sandwiches. But, don’t expect your typical sambo here. In fact, Pocket Pita Pop Up has taken inspiration from the streets of Jerusalem to create an innovative menu of Israeli street food dishes. Here, the menu is curated to just a handful of punchy dishes showcasing falafel, shawarma or more. Expect Falafel Pita or Falafel Bowls loaded with hummus, tahini, Israeli salad matbucha, pickles, amba in a laffa bowl. Plus there’s a bunch of chicken and eggplant pitas, dip and falafel plates, cauliflower salads and so much more.
Each dish has been curated by chef Nissim Elkabetz who hails from Eilat, Israel. His cooking is authentic as it comes, although he’s added a few neat twists like salads presented in a bowl made of laffa bread, which is designed to be eaten along with the salad.
And for fans of Firefly’s iconic dishes will be pleased to see their beloved za’atar zucchini fries on this menu too. But the star of the show is a sweet one in the form of Knafeh (also pronounced Kanafeh or Kanefe depending on where you’re from) – a stretchy sheep’s milk cheese encased in shredded wheat, fried until stretchy and doused in sugar.
As for drinks, Pocket Pita Pop Up will be offering a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic spritzes based on Middle Eastern flavours (date and mint, pomegranate, sour cherry, and tamarind, and even a signature cardamom hot chocolate).
Find Pocket Pita Pop Up at 24 Young Street, Neutral Bay, open 11:30am to 9:30pm Tuesday to Sunday. Punters can dine-in (walk-ins only) or pick up for takeaway, with home delivery launching June 11th. Find out more here.