La Regence Restaurant , King David Hotel, Jerusalem Kosher Sunday through Thursday, 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

There are times when a chef can be too talented for his own good. David Biton, longtime chef of the King David Hotel’s flagship restaurant La Regence, has created a sterling reputation for his inventive use of fresh local ingredients in creating superb meat-based dishes that have satiated world leaders and tourists alike. A few years ago, I had one of the best steak dinners of my life there.

Biton recently unveiled a winter tasting menu, available through the end of March, that offers an adventurous gastronomic journey through 11 courses and numerous styles, some more successful than others.

Be prepared to sit a spell. The evening takes a minimum of two hours, and while it isn’t any more filling than ordering a regular meal, you’re going to walk out thinking that you’ve spent a good part of your night eating.






La Regence.



“We offer a Mediterranean menu based on fresh local ingredients. Aside from salt and pepper, you won’t find any spices in my kitchen,” said Biton, explaining that he preferred to let the natural flavors of the dishes come to the forefront.

Biton has decided to challenge the diner with some unorthodox dishes that can be both inspired and perplexing. The menu got off to a positive start with an inventive selection of homemade, oddly shaped crackers that included tapioca, wild rice and beef served with a piquant horseradish sauce We looked forward to the goose liver tart on pralines, expecting a creamy creation. Instead, it consisted of jelly-like crystals that tasted fine, but the texture left something to be desired.

The same with the Jerusalem artichoke flan – a block of jiggly mousse that bore the distinct flavor of the Mediterranean delicacy but with a consistency that was somewhat offputting.

More enjoyable was the chicken consommé, served in a novel manner. Our pleasant server turned over an upside-down mug to reveal a forest of smoky spices. She then presented us with a tea bag-looking device. She said that after she filled the mug with steaming water, we should let the bag float for 15 seconds and then remove it. The result was an enchanting clear broth with a distinct barbecued taste that went down very easily.

Even more successful and satisfying were dishes like cold red snapper served with fennel cream and tarragon with smoked potato chips, and the sublime goose-filled ravioli with mushrooms, onions and peas.

Both would have warranted a larger portion if they had been served on their own.

But the best was yet to come. The fillet of beef medallion was a succulent and tender offering, enhanced by cauliflower and garlic cream. It was impossible not to forgive any shortcomings in whatever had arrived before it.
Two more courses awaited us, however. First was a pre-dessert selection of tapioca pudding with saffron, baba au rum balls and mandarin sorbet. They were all light and refreshing, but the baba au rum lacked a punch.


But they were a nice set-up for the rich chocolate torte that closed the meal in a sinful and delightful manner. We managed to leave the splendor of the historic hotel under our own steam, but just barely.

At a hefty price of NIS 380 per person, I would think twice about ordering the tasting menu, especially when you can have the best steak in town. But for the adventurous diner with a couple of hours to spare, it will provide an evening of diversity that showcases a fearless chef who looks around his kitchen and says, “Why not?”

The tasting menu is offered until 9 p.m. and costs NIS 380 per person. Allow at least two hours for the tasting meal.

Gourmandises Restaurant ,Mehadrin Kikar Hamusica 10 Yoel Salomon St., Jerusalem Tel: (02) 566-7222 Sunday – Thursday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. https://www.facebook.com/ gourmandisesbyyoel

French pastries.

Livnatt and Yoel Afriat were opticians in Paris with a number of their own shops, but they knew they wanted to change their careers to something that would be more easily transferable to Israel. So Yoel gave up being an optician to become a pastry chef and spent a year at Le Notre, one of Paris’s most prestigious cooking schools. Then he started his own patisserie business, selling his creations from the family home in Paris.

A chance meeting with the owner of Kikar Hamusica at a party in Paris in 2014 led to the Afriat family’s making aliya and the opening of Gourmandises by Yoel just six months later. All the pastries, breads and beautiful desserts are made by Afriat and his team from their factory in Talpiot, while the food for the restaurant is prepared by chef Oscar Zuckerman in the kitchen below the restaurant. Livnatt manages the restaurant and the catering business, which caters events at the restaurant itself for up to 200 people but also provides parve or dairy dessert buffets for weddings and other special occasions.

Many people think that Gourmandises by Yoel is just a bakery or pastry shop, but the varied menu offers so much more, so we were delighted to be invited to sample the dinner menu. In keeping with the musical theme, many of the dishes on the menu are named after French musicians.

We started our meal with a chef special – ceviche of sea bream with mango, beet, pea shoots and bulgur wheat (NIS 69). This dish was a riot of strong colors, textures and flavors and included touches of wasabi cream, citrus jelly and creamed spring peas.

Real French crepes are a weakness of mine, so it was a pleasure to try some of the savory crepes. The Jean Jacques Goldman (NIS 69) was filled with sautéed zucchini, tomatoes and cheese. It was beautifully presented so I could see the colorful filling at the top of the dish rather than a folded crepe where you can’t see the filling.

The crepe itself was fresh and light, so the focus was on the filling, and all the flavors worked well together. We also tried the Georges Brassens crepe (NIS 69), which was filled with a trio of Emmental, Camembert and Roquefort cheese. This was also a rich and tasty dish, but I preferred the first crepe with the vegetables.

Next came the Edith Piaf (NIS 69), a bruschetta with eggplant, zucchini, dried tomatoes and Parmesan. The dish was well presented and colorful, but the flavors did not blend so well, and we felt that the tomato sauce overpowered the taste of the vegetables. It was still enjoyable and would make a good light meal.

Our final starter was the Waltz salad (NIS 64), made with lettuce, apple, walnut, Roquefort, mustard French dressing. While this was a pleasant salad, it lacked any unique elements, and the price was high for such a simple salad.

For mains, we chose the Michel Fugin (NIS 65) – fettucine with a creamy mushroom sauce, which was cooked perfectly al dente. The baked sea bass (NIS 119) looked like a piece of art on the plate. The fish was served atop roasted carrots, fennel and beet, with a dusting of pink almond olive oil powder and artistic drops of green sauces at the side. Although this was a nice dish overall, we felt that it was slightly too salty and needed more acidity on the fish.

The rich Barbara potato gratin (NIS 62) had a great crispy top layer with a lovely nutmeg flavor, but overall it was slightly bland and needed a sharper cheese. It was also very rich as a main course but would be ideal as a shared dish or as a smaller side dish.

Finally, we had a gnocchi chef special (NIS 69) served with roasted sweet potato and cherry tomatoes, covered in a coconut foam and flaked almonds. It was well cooked, and the sauce was light and refreshing.

The desserts were definitely the highlight of the meal. We could not resist the crepe Suzette (NIS 45) which did not disappoint, even though it lacked the kick of the flambéed orange liqueur that it is traditionally served with. It was very difficult to choose from the array of beautifully made French delicacies, but with the chef’s guidance we settled on the Snickers (NIS 38), which was rich and sweet with a touch of salted caramel to balance the flavors; and the Alliance (NIS 35), an almond mousse cake with an almond biscuit and praline mousse. It was light and fluffy and the perfect end to a very tasty meal.

Just like all the restaurants in Kikar Hamusica, there is the option to sit in the shared courtyard and enjoy the musical performances that take place most afternoons and evenings. The schedule of concerts can be found on the Kikar Hamusica website, http:// kikar-hamusica.com/en/concerts.

Whether you are looking for a light lunch, a full dinner or just an indulgent evening of authentic French pastries while enjoying the music, I highly recommend heading to Gourmandises 

Deca Kosher (mehadrin) 10 Hata’asiya St., Tel Aviv Tel: (03) 562-9900

The ‘fish and complements’ restaurant celebrates 10 years of kosher fine dining in Tel Aviv




The ‘fish and complements’ restaurant celebrates 10 years of kosher fine dining in Tel Aviv.

This year is one of special significance for the restaurant whose name derives from the Latin word for 10. The appellation was chosen because it symbolizes excellence. Now, however, it also stands for a milestone, as Deca marks its tenth anniversary in a niche that it practically pioneered: fine dining – in Hebrew, a “chef restaurant”– that is, kosher-dairy.

As a kosher restaurant that serves no meat or poultry, Deca’s starters and main courses revolve around fish and pasta, often in combination. Several of the pasta dishes, as well as salads, are ideal for vegetarians. Nonetheless, Deca specializes in fish. Indeed, the homepage of the website specifies Fish and Complements.

As befits an upscale restaurant, the full bar offers classic cocktails and six specialty ones. The Compassion (NIS 46) – vodka citron, Campari, lemon and passion – and the Green Smash (NIS 52) – gin, mojito syrup, lemon and a large basil leaf – served neat in martini glasses, are both pleasingly complex, although the fruit in the former renders it sweeter than the latter.

A meal at Deca starts with complimentary house bread and butter, or one may order focaccia (NIS 39) that comes with some excellent dips: ikra, goat cheese, tzaziki, tehina and olive oil. For some reason, the focaccia is labeled an appetizer, along with just one other dish: bouillabaisse (NIS 44), an outstanding fish soup delicately seasoned with orange and Pernod.

For a main dish, Deca’s manager recommended the red tuna sashimi (NIS 62), with roasted eggplant, olives, cherry tomatoes, radish and cucumber. The brilliantly hued raw fish was exceedingly fresh, practically melting in the mouth.

He further advised us that the pine nut and almond gnocchi (NIS 65) is very popular. The tender potato pasta – in a delectable cheese sauce with shallot, sage and honey – was certainly as good as any to be found in an Italian restaurant.

The red tuna fillet (NIS 150) is one of Deca’s signature dishes. In a first for me, we were asked how we wanted our fish grilled. The generous tuna steak was done to a perfect medium.

Paired with beet and potato gratin in a three-cheese sauce, this superb dish definitely lived up to its billing.

The black paella with salmon and red drum fish (NIS 340) is a dish meant for two to share. Served in a large skillet, the distinctive black rice, studded with morsels of flavorful fish and enhanced by a butter and Parmesan sauce, was filling and satisfying.

Deca boasts an impressive international wine list, even encompassing some exclusive wines no longer in production (and priced accordingly). The restaurant also offers its own red and white private label house wines, bottled by the Eyal Winery; only these two wines, plus featured “wines of the month,” are available by the glass.

Everything at Deca is made on the premises, including the desserts (NIS 41-62), which are prepared by a dedicated pastry chef. Two very good desserts were a study in contrasts. The caramel chocolate mousse, layered with a hazelnut ganache, was decadently rich, thick and substantial.

And the “cones” – actually, crispy “cigars” – containing a sweet, creamy cheese filling, with almond streusel and cassis cream, was light and crunchy.

Throughout our meal, the service was impeccable. Toward the end, the waiter poured warm water on towelettes, and then wrung them out tableside, handing them to us with tongs. Deca also pampers its customers with its adjacent complimentary private parking lot, a welcome bonus in downtown Tel Aviv – and a critical component in rendering the restaurant handicap accessible.

The spacious restaurant spans two floors, comprising a number of alcoves and rooms suitable for semiprivate meals and private events. Deca offers discounted weekday business lunches – a perk that is extended to dinner hours, as well for Diners Club card holders.

Meat and Eat Kosher 10 Sderot Oved Ben-Ami, Netanya Tel: 053-549-5229 Sunday to Thursday, noon to midnight Friday, noon to one hour before Shabbat

A CARNIVORE’S PARADISE

 
Meat and Eat in Netanya is warm and welcoming




Meat and Eat, which is the English name for the Lechem Basar chain, is a carnivore’s paradise.. (photo credit: BEN YUSTER)

As its name suggests, Meat and Eat, which is the English name for the Lechem Basar chain, is a carnivore’s paradise. The Netanya branch which opened a year ago is a sprawling place but somehow manages to convey a cozy and welcoming atmosphere, with its wall messages and pleasant lighting.


Invited to taste the food on offer, we settled into a corner table and surveyed the scene. Young and not so young couples, large Israeli families and the odd tourist made up the clientele. Quiet background music and a wellstocked bar contributed to the mood of bien-etre.

For my first course, I ordered the carpaccio – wafer-thin slices of raw sirloin in a balsamic dressing (NIS 54). The gargantuan amount of meat proved impossible to finish but was very appetizing. My companion chose spring chicken salad – another huge portion of grilled seared pargit (spring chicken) on a salad which included green beans and garlic confit, as well as the usual ingredients (NIS 68).

Another choice was quinoa salad made with organic red quinoa, beets, hazelnuts, cranberries and herbs with pomegranate dressing (NIS 52). I can’t imagine a vegan or vegetarian feeling comfortable in a place like this, but full marks for offering this alternative.

The main menu offered a variety of steaks, ranging from NIS 126 to NIS 164. One could also choose mixed meat in lafa (a very large pita) for NIS 79 or a burger trio (NIS 81).

I chose a hamburger, and it was excellent – pure meat with no fillers and piping hot, which is always a good thing.

My companion selected a very interesting dish. It consisted of pastry baked around the pan and filled with minced lamb and chickpeas. The advantage is that the filling stayed very hot for the duration of the meal. It was very flavorful, but you have to be a huge fan of cumin to enjoy this dish.

The wine to accompany the meal was a 2013 Barkan special reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, a robust and hearty accompaniment to the food being served (NIS 39 a glass).

Dessert seemed superfluous, but the manager insisted we taste the chocolate fudge with vanilla ice cream (NIS 46). I’m glad we did. It was a rich, warm, melt-in-themouth chocolate cake with some of the best parve vanilla ice cream I have ever tasted.

For a very satisfying gourmet night out in pleasant surroundings, Meat and Eat takes the biscuit.

Brasserie Restaurant 70 Ibn Givriol St Tel Aviv Tel 03 6967111

The Brasserie serves local ingredients with a French 

Situated on Tel Aviv’s bustling Ibn Gvirol, Brasserie is one of the city’s most attractive bistros. It’s classy; the service is friendly and professional; it’s good for romance or business; and the food is outstanding.

Stepping inside, it almost feels like you’re not in Tel Aviv but in some quaint bistro outside of Paris. There’s a lovely outdoor terrace in the front, filled with tables and chairs for al fresco dining, in addition to the main dining area and long bar inside.

Chef Ofir Dvir combines the finest in locally sourced ingredients with accents of French cuisine. The extensive menu features fish, seafood, meat and pasta dishes. The tasty dishes are complemented by a fine selection of wines, both local and international.





The Brasserie serves local ingredients with a French accent.

Before the appetizers appeared, we cleansed our palates with a couple of refreshing cocktails, which displayed the same nuanced flavors that make the dishes so impressive. My dining partner opted for the white sangria, while I chose a whiskey sour. What a great drink! It really sent my taste buds on a trip from sweet to spicy with a nice whiskey finish. If you’re a whiskey drinker and want something rather light and refreshing, this is a great choice.

We began our culinary journey with one of the specials of the day – a creamy blue crab soup. The soup was surprisingly light in texture and strong in flavor and, together with the tasty homemade bread, it was an ideal way to begin our meal.

This was followed by the endive and Roquefort salad (NIS 54). Endive is a notoriously difficult vegetable for those unfamiliar with using it. Though fragile in appearance, it has a rather bitter taste. Here, the endive was finely sliced and served in a mound with nuts, Roquefort cheese and a sauce that mellowed the bitterness without overpowering it. I would go back to the restaurant just for this rich and delicious salad. It was creative in both taste and presentation.

For the main course, we had the beef fillet (NIS 134) accompanied by a piece of bone marrow. The meat was generous in proportion, and the seasoning was just right. Normally I have to add a lot of salt to my fillets to bring them up to my preferred salt level, but this was seasoned perfectly with just salt and pepper, with no extra seasoning needed.

Next up was the sirloin steak in a Madagascar pepper sauce (NIS 136).This steak was absolutely delightful.

Cooked perfectly medium/rare, it was very tender and juicy. The pepper sauce with cream and brandy made it even more addictive. I cleaned my plate of that sauce using anything I could find, except my fingers! My dining partner and I tried to eat it as slowly as possible so the experience wouldn’t end. Both main dishes came with a side of thin, crisp French fries.

For dessert, it was recommended that we try the decadent dark chocolate cake, as well as the cheesecake (NIS 39 each). Both were sinfully good.

Brasserie has carefully preserved an old world atmosphere while serving top-of-the-line meals. So when you’re looking to combine a gourmet meal with elegant atmosphere and nearly faultless service, you’ll find that Brasserie has it covered.

The Bard of Bat Yam, Poet Laureate of Zion's Fried Salmon Strips with Garlic Sauce

Ingredient

2 lb. chicken breast  strips
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 c. bread crumbs
2 eggs
1/4 c. milk
Oil for frying

Garlic Sauce

Cook chicken strips  in boiling salted water until they turn white.. Drain on paper towels. Mix together salt, pepper, oregano, garlic, cheese and bread crumbs. Beat eggs and milk. Dip chicken strips in egg mixture, then in seasoned bread crumbs. Heat oil in deep skillet and fry chicken  until golden brown. Pour Garlic Sauce over the shrimp, serve immediately.


GARLIC SAUCE:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. oregano
2 sprigs parsley, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. oil

Cook garlic, salt, oregano, pepper and parsley in oil until the garlic is light brown.

Bellini Not kosher 6 Yehielli St., Tel Aviv Tel: (03) 517-8486

For Italian fare with flair, Bellini fills the bill.





A culinary jewel in Tel Aviv offering delightful Italian cuisine in a charming setting, Bellini has become a favorite among Italian food aficionados.

Nestled in the Suzanne Dellal plaza for more than 20 years, Bellini is the place to go before or after a performance. In winter, sit in the Tuscan farmhouse setting, and in the summer enjoy peoplewatching on the plaza from the outdoor tables. Rough stucco walls, tiled floors and a highbeamed ceiling accommodate tables covered in red or greencheckered cloths.

Bellini features a selection of classic Italian starters and main dishes such as pasta, fish, meat and seafood. Its wine list has a good selection of Italian wines, wellknown Israeli wines and a choice of boutique wines.

Upon sitting down, we were served the house cocktail (complimentary for every diner) – a frozen variation on the beverage for which the place is named. It was very tasty.

We started our meal with the salmon ceviche (NIS 48). I’m a sucker for a good ceviche, and this place delivers that. It was a delectable fusion of sweet, spicy and citric. The fish in the ceviche was very fresh, and the sauce was potent and flavorful without overpowering the fish.

This was followed by Roman artichokes with roasted wild mushrooms on a bed of soft polenta (NIS 48). Slightly charred and smoky, the tender artichoke leaves and stems were delicious.

The polenta was rich, creamy and comforting.

Next up was the entrecote risotto (NIS 94). The creamy and al-dente texture of this dish simply blew me away. The slices of entrecote were tender and juicy, and the flavors were rich and fragrant without being overly oily or heavy.

After a bit of a breather and enjoying two glasses of a lovely red from the Petit Castel Winery, it was on to mains.

First up was corvina fillet on a bed of gnocchi. The fish was cooked perfectly, with crispy skin, and I could really taste the meatiness and freshness of the corvina.

We then tried the black truffle gnocchi (NIS 74). The gnocchi at Bellini are pillow pockets of paradise. I have never had such light and fluffy gnocchi in my life.

The sauce was creamy and flavorful, with just the right amount of truffle. Each bite was pure melt-in-your-mouth-comfort food heaven.

This was followed by the pepperoni pizza (NIS 59). The crust was perfect – crisp on the outside and pleasantly soft on the inside.

The pizza also wasn’t dripping in cheese, so the ingredients really stood out.

Last, we were served the veal schnitzel with artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, white wine and lemon, served with roasted potatoes. The schnitzel was absolutely divine. It was tender and not overly seasoned, so you could actually taste the meat. It wasn’t drenched in sauce either, so it was still crispy and didn’t taste oily.

Meanwhile, we were served shots of the Italian aperitif Sambuca, which was brought to the table burning with blue flame, with coffee beans.

The liqueur helped, so we were ready for dessert. We shared the tiramisu and the lemon cheesecake. Both were sinfully good.

Bellini has carefully kept an old world atmosphere while serving top-of- the-line dishes. For a gourmet meal with elegant atmosphere and nearly faultless service, Bellini has it covered.