Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is back!
Restaurant fans will remember Eucalyptus restaurant at its last location on Horkanus Street in Jerusalem..Chef and restaurateur Moshe Basson has resurrected this wonderful restaurant, now in the Artist Colony of Hutzot Hayotzer.

Eucalyptus offers the Eretz Yisraeli menu that brought it so much fame. The menu focuses on the foods indigenous to the land of Israel, and dishes are made with natural local ingredients including the shivat haminim. At Eucalyptus you will find dishes such as "Stuffed Jerusalem Sage Leaves" and "Aubergine in Pomegranate Syrup."

Couscous, says Basson, dates back to the times of the Beit Hamikdash, and is aptly refferred to as “Solet Belula Be’Shemen.”

There is no culinary experience better than that provided by a world-renowned chef. Sure, you can go out for the regular 'meat and potatoes' - and that's ok, sometimes. but only sometimes. Or you can go out for the 'big, oversized salad and dairy/pasta dish' - and that's ok, sometimes. but only sometimes.

But what you really need to do is to go out and treat yourself. Pamper yourself and take someone along with you. Dining at Little Eucalyptus is an event. Your taste buds and your imagination will be entertained. And you will not be disappointed.

Much has been written about award-winning chef Moshe Basson. Just Google his name and you will find hundreds of satisfied customers. People write that he is a "food historian and culinary story teller." That he "understands the energy of food and its relation to the person eating". That if a local Israeli chef can beat Morocco (and every other entrant) in a couscous competition, then you know you are in good hands.

Moshe is a specialist in herbs, spices and foods indiginous to Israel. If zatar (Hyssop - "Eizov" in Hebrew) is in season, then you can be rest assured that Moshe has personally gone out and found the best zatar patch in the country to pick.

Do not go to Eucalyptusfor an ordinary dinner or lunch. Go and be ready for anything and everything - ask Moshe if there are any items he is working on that are not listed on the menu. When we were there, we discussed a certain dish from our past - sorrel greens that our bubbie used to make.

Well, Moshe went back to the kitchen and prepared a sorrel, egg and "chamtzutzim" dish, served with carmelized onions and over bruschetto. (Chamtzutzim are those wild flowers that are very sour - kids pick them on their way home from school and suck on them like a sour candy).

Moshe's talent is innate. Yes, he has studied and learned around the world, but his God given talent to cook is exactly what he needs to be doing. (It reminds me of the American Idol singing auditions. You just know when there is someone with naturally-born talent - they are head and shoulders above the rest)

We started our visit with the platter of dips. Moshe had prepared three special dips: a vegetarian chopped liver (not made from eggplant nor from string beans, but rather, with mushrooms), a crushed walnut dip, and a very special corriander dip. Each dip was better than the other, and simply delicious. The mixture of flavors and textures was superb. Ask for the dip platter and split it among those of you at the table.

After this, we tried the soups. Very cleverly, Eucalyptus offers a mini-taste of their soups, served in an espresso cup, in addition to the regular-sized bowl of soup. We tried the Lentil Soup and the Jerusalem Artichoke Soup. Again, both were incredible - perfect, well seasoned, using fresh spices and herbs. People come the world over just to taste Moshe's Jerusalem Artichoke Soup (catch it while it is in season!). Moshe takes soup to a different level.

There are many other appetizers - do not be afraid to ask what they are. The printed word does not do them justice. He has 'Ripot' (herbed smoked cracked wheat, served as cookies), Jerusalem Sage leaves stuffed with meat, Sweet Pepperoncini stuffed with meat, and more.

One of his signature appetizer dishes should not be missed: Figs stuffed with chicken and served with Tamarind sauce. And for vegetarians, he is happy to make it stuffed with in season veggies.

Speaking of signature dishes, Moshe is world famous for his Ma'aluba (an upside-down chicken and rice casserole). If you are there with a large enough group and everyone wants to taste this dish, he will bring out his very large Ma'aluba pot and perform an entire "magic" show presenting this incredible entree.

Other main course dishes include a Veal Kofta (patty) served with Jerusalem Artichoke on a bed of Lentils and Burgur, Braised Lamb served over the smoked green wheat, Lamb with Bamya (Okra), Grilled Entrecote, Fish Kofta Kebabs, and more. Moshe has also recreated his ima's "Ingria" - sweet and sour beef with eggplant.

And, for the vegetarians (who should be fully satiated from the many vegie appetizers), there is that "best in the world" couscous, served with seven different vegetables.

Eucalyptus does have a variety of salads, unlike any you will see elsewhere in Jerusalem. The house salad tells you up front, that when ordering this salad, there are 'no rules' - that is, anything goes. And it will be good.

And there is even a dish on the menu just for the children - chicken breast strips served with French fries.

Even the desserts are unique, wonderful and delicious. Choices include Balouza "Ices from Paradise", Sesame Cream with Date Honey, Sorbets (made from the local, in season fruits), and a quite perfect apple cake.

We tried the Balouza (hard to explain, but what a dish), and Moshe served it with "Corriander Seed Brittle" - like peanut brittle, but he used corriander seeds instead. Wow.

Do you want to do it really right? Get a group together and ask Moshe to cater (by the way, he regularly travels the world to cater private dinners). He can host a group at Eucalyptus (up to about 50 guests).

There are two special evenings he can put together - he is an expert on Biblical origins of food, and loves to share his stories and experiences. One is the "Shir HaShirim Celebration" which starts with soup and never ends - 11 spectacular dishes are served. Wine and Lemonade as well. (I know that 'lemonade' doesn't sound special, but Moshe makes his own and do try it).

Moshe is happy to make this 'event' (or the one below) for even as few as two diners. The other event he makes is the King David Feast which includes 7 dishes.

Parash

When Yerushalmim hear the name Parash they probably think of Parash catering or Parash cakes that can be purchased in different parts of the city.

Here's a flash - Parash also runs a proper dairy restaurant (mehadrin) in Kiryat Haovel. Recently renovated, the restaurant has the atmosphere of a European cafe. The decor whispers Vienna or Budapest. Luscious cakes in a glass display case greet the eye, and there is comfortable and intimate seating throughout.The location is pastoral, with a spacious grassy area off the street and far from the traffic. It is a nice atmosphere for family dining or for couples. The indoor area seats about 25 guests where the tables are nicely spaced.

The menu starts with great breakfast options. Then there are toastim, salads, quiches, pasta, ravioli, spaghetti and fish. The family embraces their Tunisian culinary traditions with dishes such as stuffed grape leaves, spicy shakshouka, and more.

All the dishes are prepared fresh when you make your order. This takes another few minutes but at Parash you won't be served unevenly reheated foods. At Parash, for example, the quiches are not made and frozen like at so many other restaurants. The elements are ready to go, and when you make the order they put them together and bake. This takes a bit longer but the foods are fresher and always delicious.

Parash cakes are well known. These are prepared both for the restaurant and for their extensive catering operation.

NOTE: Parash specializes in gluten-free breads and cakes. They have an extensive variety of products for celiac.

Service is the Parash calling card: that means service in the restaurant and service to the community. They train their staff to be considerate toward elderly clients – many elderly people live in the area – and they do community service.

Coffee Stop - Hadera

The art of the restaurant in the service station reaches new levels in Israel. For those who have driven around, you have surely noticed that service stations are home to some of the really great restaurants out there. In addition to easy access, these restaurants generally have plenty of parking, easy wheelchair access, and reasonable prices.

Coffee Stop in the Dor ALon service station on Highway 4 South is such a restaurant. This dairy cafe restaurant, at the entrance to Hadera, is the sister restaurant to the original Coffee Stop at the entrance to Nechalim, Petach Tikva.

The Coffee Stop has a lot going for it. Owners Einat and Amir are eager to please and accommodate their customers. They have tried - and succeeded - in creating a comfortable, warm atmosphere with their basic good food. The restaurant is clean, neat, and inviting. The Hadera branch restaurant is larger, and more comfortable than the original Nechalim restaurant with plenty of intimate seating. This is a jewel on route 4.

The menu consists of salads, sandwiches, "toastim," pasta, soup, coffee and desserts. Breakfast - the most important meal of the day - is served all day. It comes with eggs, salad, cream cheese, butter, bread, and coffee - and it is delicious. We also love the sandwich on giabetta packed with vegetables, tuna salad, cheese, and hard-boiled egg.

The shakshouka is a house specialty, which is served in the frying pan sizzling hot and perfect. Try the cheese platter which complements the breakfast perfectly. Dessert (baked off-premises) rounds out the meal and there is a good offering. We recommend the chocolate soufflé and the cheesecake.

Pasta Centro

Pasta Centro is a dairy Italian restaurant located in Pardes Channa. They serve quality dishes and meals from breakfast to dinner. The pizza is also very good.

Pasta Centro is happy to host your next affair.

Since we do not yet have a full writeup check out some of what our readers are saying.

From Our Readers:
Submitted By: The Five-Towns Newsgroup.Rena G. Date: November 09.
Right in the building that used to be the Histadrut, off of Rechov HaDekalim, in a premises formerly occupied by a Chocolate Shop is Pasta Centro. Owned and operated by Daniel Goldwater, this is a restaurant that you should definitely visit.

A dairy Italian menu along with very polite and attentive service makes this place a winner. Years ago Daniel owned a Kosher restaurant in Jerusalem, Al Dente, knows the ropes and is fully committed to securing full documentation.

The wine list is limited but good and we even discussed the option of "bring your own bottle" corking costs. Daniel has plans to sell fresh pasta from the premises.

Submitted By: The Five-Towns Newsgroup.Brian. Date: November 09.
Sometimes one finds a gem in the most far out places - a place which will be in all the restaurant guides as a 5+ star - well we have this place now in Pardess Hana - Pasto Centro near the Maccabi Doctor's building.
I recommend to all our Forum freids in Zichron, Binyamina, Or Akiva, Givat Ada and Hadera to partake of this new gulinary treat. It is one of the best, if not the best, I have been to

No Longer With a Teudah

We are disappointed to announce that the following restaurants no longer have a teudat kashrut.

Kerem, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem
Macaroni, King George St. Jerusalem

We will keep you posted with more new and info.

Black Bar 'N' Burger

If you are anything like me then you have passed by Black Bar ‘N’ Burger somewhere in the country hoping to find a teudat kashrut. Well search no further than Jerusalem, where the branch located on Shlomzion Hamalka is now kosher, and serving up a tremendous array of unique burgers and meat dishes.

Founded by Israeli Chef Tzachi Buchester, the Jerusalem branch is run by Dror Gabbay who had wanted to make his restaurant kosher for a long time. Once he and his partner began the process, Tzachi became interested in the project, and helped them develop a new kosher menu that would not stray from the image and spirit of the establishment.

The entrance to the restaurant is on Shlomzion Hamalka but the restaurant itself is on the second floor. As we entered we were happy to see the teudah proudly displayed in the window. The interior of Black Bar ‘N’ Burger is designed with a trendy flair that harkens favorably to a Rock club. The seats are red and black and the bar glows with soft light. Behind the bar the alcohols are perched on glass stands that look like blocks of ice. There is a big screen TV that Dror is only too happy to show all the big games on, and the music is soft British and American Rock. There are two sections of seats and the outer area has been fitted with a roof.

At the suggestion of our waitress who was both attentive and knowledgeable, we started with the Grilled Eggplant, and the Beef Chili. Both appetizers came with bread that had the secret house blend of spices on it. The eggplant was served with sweet chili sauce and orange tehina, both of these flavors combined to create a sweet and spicy dish that matched the cool texture of the eggplant perfectly. The chili was also a hit. Not for the faint of heart the chili was super spicy and had a ton of flavor. It almost seemed like the heat of the dish was on a time release because it took a moment to kick in.

For the main course my companion and I were almost at a loss. There are so many wonderful sounding burgers to choose from like the Norma Jean which is made from entrecote, and the Greenbuger with spinach and nuts. In the end my companion chose the Three tenors, which is three smaller burgers, one all beef, one Greenbuger (see above), and a chicken burger served with salad. I had the Black Diamond, a house specialty made of ground fillet and stuffed with sweet potatoes. I would be remiss if I did not mention that the portions are very large. My companion’s trio of burgers were great. The chicken burger was light and moist, and the green burger had a nice texture. The standout however was the all beef burger which was juicy and flavorful. My Black Diamond burger was also quite good and a nice twist on a classic.

For dessert we shared the Bermuda, a crunchy chocolate wafer with Nougat and chocolate. It was bit on the heavy side after such a heavy meal but it was very delicious. Dror also mentioned that they are developing a special cocktail menu with unique drinks not found at any of the other Black Bar 'N' Burger branches.

Dinner for two was NIS 220 and Black Bar ‘N’ Burger has a dinner special for two for NIS 159.

Tata

"When a child calls Tata he is seeking warmth, love and good food" says the menu. This is what you will get at Tata Israeli Bistro & Grill. Chef Nir Fromer his partner Avi have created a comfortable and casual meat restaurant where you get value for your money. The dishes are tasty and creative and the dining experience is very pleasant. Note that the menu favors meat dishes but there are non-meat salads, sandwiches and fish dishes if you come early enough. There are also absolutely amazing desserts. So if you stop to gas up the car and you don't plan a whole meal, be sure to have at least a cuppa with a dessert.

My companion and discovered a very comfortable and welcoming atmosphere when we visited the restaurant with friends mid week. The decor is retro with whimsical art and posters. There is an outdoor area with a modest but charming garden.

Preferring the indoors on that cool evening we shared the space with a group of diners celebrating a reunion. This is an appropriate restaurant for groups and they seem to be enjoying their choice.

A very charming waitress explained the many unusual menu items and took our order. She then delivered a nice warm focaccia to our table, served on a wooden board with several dips.

We chose three appetizers to begin our dinner: the obligatory (for my dining companion) chicken wings, and the restaurant specialty dishes Salmon Ositashi and Gioza. The salmon was a plate of lightly cooked salmon rounds looking very sushi-like, coated around the rim. The Gioza was a platter with pockets of thin crust, filled with mushrooms. Meat Giozas are also available. Each of these dishes was served with an appropriate sauce. The portions were unusual, delicious and generous and three starters served the 4 of us comfortably. Our main courses were unique and quite different from one another. The cast-iron "Hot Pot" sizzled with nuggets of chicken root vegetables in a sweet and sour sauce. A tortilla with salsa and guacamole were served alongside this dish.

The Gnocchi stuffed with sun dried tomatoes served with strips of entrecote and the house sauce was another original dish. Grilled chicken livers with onions, on a bed of fluffy mashed potatoes with the house sauce. This dish was full bodied, rich and a slightly sweet. distinctive flavor.

Non meat eaters will also find satisfaction at Tata Bistro choosing from the many salads available. I chose the salad with tofu cubes which we all enjoyed.

Who needed dessert after all that food? Certainly not us. At Nir's insistence and our waitresses recommendation we settled on the chocolate and the halvah dessert. These were absolutely delicious, proving beyond an doubt that desserts need not be dairy to be delicious.

Appetizers:Salmon nis 37, Chicken wings nis 24, Gioza nis 38. Salads approx nis 40 - 50. Additions: nis 24. Hot Pot nis 41, Grilled chicken livers nis 59, Gnocchi nis 74. Desserts 24 - 26.