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Israeli-Asian grocery store Mundo located in Tel Aviv’s central bus station has become a go-to destination for Asian cuisine enthusiasts in Israel. Now, amid rising demand for Asian products and restaurants, the business is expanding into a nationwide chain.
The first Mundo branch outside the central bus station recently opened in Netanya and according to the owners, negotiations are underway to establish four more locations across the country by the end of the year.
Eli Sharvit, Mundo’s owner, is a pioneer of Asian food in Israel. Born in Lod to a Moroccan family, his connection to East Asia began after his military service when he traveled to the Philippines.
"I went for three months and then returned to study engineering and management in Israel," he recalled. "At the Dolphinarium, I opened a nightclub with karaoke in Tagalog for Filipino foreign workers. Some 870 people showed up on opening night."
Sharvit, whose wife Annabelle manages the central bus station branch, personally imports all of Mundo’s products and supplies top restaurants like Thai House, Taizu and Nam.
Seven years ago, he expanded into growing Asian vegetables and fruits for Israel’s Asian community. "I have agreements with farmers cultivating about 250 dunams (61 acres) of Asian vegetables like pak choi and bok choi. I grow 70 types of crops," he said.
Mundo offers a wide selection of Asian products not typically found in regular supermarkets, including sauces, soups, beverages, mochi and more — about 1,200 imported items from 10 countries, from Nepal to Korea. The store also stocks 80 types of Asian snacks.
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Adjacent to Mundo is a vegetable shop selling around 70 varieties of fruits and vegetables, including five types of bok choi, eight varieties of spicy peppers and exotic fruits like durian and jackfruit, often dubbed the "stinky fruits."
Sharvit operates additional businesses in the central bus station, which he refers to as "the Azrieli (large shopping mall in Tel Aviv) of foreign workers," including a Filipino food stall and a money transfer service.
"Recently, with the increase in Israeli customers, we decided to expand beyond the central bus station," Sharvit said. "Our business model is to convert existing food businesses in prime locations into Mundo branches."
While Mundo initially catered to foreign workers, Sharvit estimates that Israelis now make up about half of its customers — another sign of Asian cuisine’s growing popularity in Israel.
According to delivery company Wolt’s 2024 data, about 25% of all food orders on the platform are for Asian cuisine. "Because of this category’s popularity, we now have 600 registered Asian restaurants," Wolt’s restaurant director Ben Fieldman told Ynet. "Asian food accounts for 24% of orders on our platform."
Ramen, a local favorite, saw its orders double in 2024. "We deliver from tiny businesses — from a stall in Carmel Market to the ‘Nameless Chinese’ in Neve Sha’anan," Fieldman added. "I believe home delivery’s arrival in Israel helped spread the category."
Gal Gutkin, who leads Asian food tours in Tel Aviv’s central bus station and Neve Sha’anan, confirmed the rising interest. "I now run four tours a week. I started the weekend Asian tour a year ago and demand is huge. Every tour is fully booked."