Weekend brunch. They had room despite being a small place - the original Balaboosta in SoHo closed down, and has relaunched in the old Bar Bolonat in the West Village, from Chef Einat Admony - also notable of the Taim falafel chain (would post more about Taim, but this is a shakshuka site!).

Balaboosta opened for weekend brunch despite the websites showing different hours - from 11:00 - 15:00 (3 PM) - so definitely get there soon before the hordes take over and the line is around the block.

My shakshuka came out a few minutes before my partner's frittata - so there's probably some timing that is being worked out as the place settles in. The eggs were cooked well - a nice runny, golden yolk.

Flavor-wise - it was heavy on the cumin and turmeric - which can be polarizing - so beware if you're not ready for a deep plunge into a mouth-awakening amount. I found the spice level a tad higher than I would have normally liked - I got the sniffles and teared up a bit - but that didn’t stop me from finishing every possible last drop.

Needs anything else? Maybe? The portion was decent, and the challah toast was handy to mop up any bits, so this could have used something fresh - possibly a shpritz of lemon.

Is it considered shakshuka? 👍

Price: $15

Flavor Rating: 😋😋😋

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️

Would I try it again? 👍