Kosher Restaurants in Israel

Colonia - Pardes Chana Karkur

2012-01-18T12:34:00.003+02:00

Colonia
Italian Dairy Restaurant, Cafe and Bar
33 HaMoshava St, Pardes Chana Karkur
Tel: 04-6372040
Kashrut: Rabbanut Pardes Chana

Open Sunday - Thursday 8:00am to 11:00pm. Friday 8:00am - 4:00pm.
Motzai Shabbat: Until midnight. Closed Shabbat.

Can a restaurant be all things to all people?
Colonia is a restaurant that tries to do just that. By turns, Colonia is a cafe, a boutique, an Italian restaurant, and a pub, all wrapped into one.

The restaurant is located in the quaint and charming village of Pardes Chana. In addition to all the rest Colonia also has that small town hospitality.

Colonia starts the day as a Cafe .Choose your brew at Colonia's espresso bar from some of the best coffees around. There is "Julius Meinl" the house special from Vienna, served with a plate of cookies. That ought to get your day started right!

Before you know it Colonia has turned into an Italian restaurant. The dairy menu includes a host of dishes including eggs benedict, gnocchi, salmon, quiches, or salads. Of course the menu will tease your palate with lots of pasta dishes.

Bring the kids. Colonia offers up to seven kinds of fresh pizza, including the fancy kind baked with smoked mozzarella cheese imported from Italy. Both the kids and their parents will love Colonia's unique veggie burger, made from soy, mushrooms and walnuts.

After you have put the kids to bed, come back to Colonia for its nighttime incarnation: By night, Colonia becomes a local pub, where the drinks and spirits flow.

Colonia also includes a boutique clothing shop. Come here to pick up products from the Galilee: sauces, spreads, homemade jams, olive oil, to name a few.

Making a party? Have it at Colonia. The restaurant can host parties starting with fifteen guests and up.

Colonia - a cafe, a boutique, an Italian restaurant, and a pub, all wrapped into one place. Spend breakfast, lunch, or dinner at this fascinating, one stop location in the 5-towns in the northern Sharon.

Colonia - Pardes Chana Karkur

2012-01-18T12:34:00.002+02:00

Kan Kai- Kibbutz Einat (near Rosh Haayin)

2012-01-18T12:34:00.001+02:00

Kan Kai
Sushi Bar and Asian Kitchen
Kibbutz Einat (near Rosh Haayin)
Tel: 03-9021833
Kashrut: Rabbanut of the Southern Sharon

Hours: Open Sunday - Thursday 10:00am to 10:00pm. Fridays: 9:00am to 3:00pm.
Closed Shabbat.
January 2012
Kan Kai Sushi Bar and Asian Kitchen is located at Kibbutz Einat, adjacent to the entrance to the Limonim Simcha hall. Turn into the main entrance to the Kibbutz and the hall, and with the simcha hall on your right, look for a dirt path on your left. Turn on to the dirt path and you will see the restaurant. Pull up right next to the restaurant. There is plenty of parking.

Kan Kai is a small and basic restaurant in a cabin-style structure. The indoors is rustic, with just a few tables, heated by a very good air conditioner. In the nice weather there is probably pleasant seating outdoors.

What this restaurant is lacking in atmosphere it makes up in food and in its very low prices. They do a very lively take away business with delivery in Rosh Haayin and the area. Just about everyone who eats at the restaurant leaves with a doggy bag of either left overs from their meal or additional items to eat at home. It is no wonder. The food is good and the price is right.

Kan Kai has a large menu with fixed items and with items that you can configure yourself. Want to add mushrooms to your sushi? Just say the word and for 2 shekels they will add mushrooms to most of the sushi types (though there are some that are fixed recipes and cannot be changed). Just about any vegetable that you can mention is available. Your choice.

While sushi is the order of the day other Asian dishes are available as well. Start with a bowl of piping hot miso or egg drop soup. Then dig into the plethora of sushi dishes, either maki or nigiri with many types of fish as your base. There are several rice based and noodle based stir fry dishes. There is a vegetarian, chicken, or meat, version of each dish, priced accordingly.

We visited Kan Kai on a cold wintry night - probably not the best time to get a good impression of this restaurant. We were the second table, but as we ate several other guests came in to order and take out or to eat at the restaurant.

Two woman at another table were sharing two large platters of delicious looking sushi. It looked so good that I asked for the same - something that I rarely do. As we ate a family with two children sat down. They must be frequent visitors because the children placed their order without looking at the menu.

My companion started with the Miso soup. It was hot and thick, which was just what he needed on the cold night. Then he went on with a chicken dish served on white rice. The dish was very generous and he reported, delicious. At sushi restaurants, I don't mess around with the soup, I go right for the sushi. I took at basic set of veggie inside-outs. Both of us enjoyed them with several different sauces. Then I chose a veggie dish on rice. After a short while I determined that this was not to my taste and I set it aside.

"Take another sushi order," my husband encouraged. At these prices you can do that. Considering this I asked for a different sushi type, this time with cooked salmon and sesame coating. Yum.

This no-frills restaurant is run by one person in the front taking customer orders and delivering the food to the tables. In addition she handles the take away orders on the phone. The food is prepared in the kitchen by an Oriental chef.

When we finally got our bill we were astounded that our full meal including an extra order of sushi came in under 150 shekels. This was well worth the price.

In short: Kan Kai brings varied, delicious, healthy, and reasonably-priced Asian food to your table. You can enjoy these foods at the restaurant or call for delivery in your area. You can also order platters for your simcha.

Kan Kai restaurant has another branch in Ramat Gan.

Ruben, Herzlia Pituach Tech Park

2012-01-10T10:29:00.001+02:00

Ruben
When Meat Meets Bread
7 Abba Even St., Herzlia Pituach Tech Park
Tel: 09-7713948
Kashrut: Rabbanut Herzlia

Winter Hours: Sunday - Thursday from 11:30am until 7:00pm. Closed Friday and Shabbat.
Summer Hours: Sunday - Thursday from 11:30am until midnight. Fridays from 11:30am until 4:00pm. Motzai Shabbat: from an hour and a half after Shabbat until midnight.
Closed Shabbat.

Do you pine away for a New York "Dagwood" Pastrami sandwich?
Can a good old-fashioned New York Deli sandwich find a place in the land of falafel, shwarma and pitot?

We are going to find out. Now you can get a real New York pastrami sandwich at Ruben restaurant, in the Herzlia Pituach Tech Park. Ruben is American as Apple Pie, hold the pie. Instead bring on the meat, the cole slaw, potato salad and the pickles And oh what pickles.

You pick the size of your sandwich: 200, 300 or 400 grams. Choose between the Ruben Pastrami sandwich, the Rachel Turkey sandwich and the sandwich that is a mix of both. The 400 gram sandwich comes in at 51 Shekels. Smaller sandwiches are lower priced. The yummy side dishes add a few more shekels to the party. Dig in!

There are lots of places where you can get a meat sandwich but Ruben is unique in the quality of the food and the uniquely American deli flavors.

What makes Ruben unique?
The cuts of meat are chosen with care. Then the meat is marinated and smoked. The meat is not cut till it gets to the restaurant counter, and is never packaged. Then there is the bread. Wow. The bread is made to order, just for Ruben. And then the drinks. Enjoy your sandwich with American root beer. There is also a selection of beer including Gosser beer on tap.

Those who can resist the delicious deli smells and the heaps of enticing sliced meat, and are willing to settle for just a basic reasonably priced deli sandwich can get away with one of the Rubin money-saving offers. There is a very reasonable business lunch and a special on two 200 gram sandwiches after 5pm. The eLuna 10% discount does not apply to Ruben deals.

Ruben is located in Herzlia's Tech Park, There is both indoor and outdoor seating. Oh, I almost forgot - they deliver!

Ruben is proof that there isn't anything that you can't find in Israel. Even New York pastrami!

Yan Asian Sushi Bar & Restaurant

2012-01-10T10:25:00.000+02:00

Yan
Asian Sushi Bar & Restaurant
5 Chopin Street (under the Jerusalem Theater). Jerusalem
Tel: 02-673 2288
Kashrut: Rabbanut Yerushalayim
Open Sunday - Thursday: 12:00 noon - 12:00 midnight. Fridays from 12:00 - until one hour before Shabbat . Saturday night : one hour after Shabbat until last diner leaves..

Yan Restaurant is an Asian sushi bar, a Japanese restaurant, and a conventional grill. The restaurant is located next to the Jerusalem Theater,

Sushi making is an art form, and at Yan, expert Sushi chefs from the far east roll sushi and stir-fry different foods in a wok, before your eyes. The sushi is delivered to you from a fast- paced conveyor belt. Have a ringside seat at Yan’s when you sit at the bar. Here you can take sushi dishes off the conveyor belt as they pass before you. See it? Like it? It's yours!

Who doesn't love sushi? If you are one of the few in that category, at Yan you will find alternatives. Yan's has a full menu of main courses from the Wok, appetizers such as spring and egg rolls, and entrees from the grill. There are also plenty of specials like, salmon, chicken, and tempura to tantalize your palate. See the expert chefs prepare these dishes in the restaurant's open kitchen. This is entertaining kitchen theater.

Choose from a wide array of appetizers such as Asian chicken salad or Edamame - soybeans with sea salt. For the main course, go for Pad Thai, Green Curry noodles, or Sichuan chicken from the Wok, or take in one of the specials such as tempura salmon. Or if you can't decide, let the chef suggest one of the combos with fish and veggies.

In addition to the far eastern dishes Yan restaurant offers local meat favorites from the grill such as steak entrecote and salmon teriyaki.

The restaurant decor, in the Japanese tradition, is simple and clean, yet the atmosphere is warm and inviting. Maybe it's the music and the alcoholic drinks that do it, but a good time is had by all at Yan’s.

Cafe Tapuz, Moshav Bazra

2012-01-10T10:24:00.000+02:00

Cafe Tapuz
Nehalim St, Moshav Bazra
Tel: 09-7469322
Kashrut: Rabbanut Baztra

Open Sunday - Thursday 9:00am to 11:00pm. Friday 9:00 - 4:00pm. Closed Shabbat.

What fruit is the Sharon area famous for? If you said strawberries you were right, but not on this test. On the Cafe Tapuz test the answer is orange groves (tapuz = orange).

Cafe Tapuz is situated in the middle of an orange grove in the quiet hamlet of Bazra, which is just north of Ra'anana. Bazra abuts the better known Beni Zion. Follow the signs on route 4 to either Bazra or Bnei Zion and you will find the restaurant. Look for the large orange on the side of the road and of course the sign.

When you visit Cafe Tapuz you will be struck by the rural yet cultivated surroundings. The restaurant is in he middle of landscaped gardens, a fish pond, and a wonderful lush orange grove. There is both indoor and outdoor seating, covered and uncovered, that wraps around the outside of the main restaurant. This is a very unique atmosphere and especially pleasant even in the winter, on a sunny day.

Bring your appetite when you visit Cafe Tapuz. The owner, Ran, takes pride in his fresh home-made dishes, which include simple pleasures like sweet potato ravioli with cream and stir fried tofu. Or go for the house special - a “jacket potato” prepared with mushroom cream sauce and served with smoked salmon.

We enjoyed the eggplant musaka, a generous square of a baked eggplant dish in a tasty tomato sauce brought to the table in a hot frying pan. My companion chose a special of the day, a pasta dish mixed with vegetables and nuts, baked and covered in a cheese sauce. Each of our meals came with a side bowl of salad. The quiche dish is a large round individual pie with salad. All of the dishes were generous and delicious. A single dish is quite filling. Desserts such as a sizable wedge of three layered chocolate cake will round out your meal. Whenever you go, don't pass up on the orange juice - it's freshly squeezed from the oranges in the grove! A main, a coffee and a shared dessert is a substantial meal at Cafe Tapuz. This can come to about 175 shekels for two.

Not only does this restaurant take pride in its menu, it is a living tribute to the community of Bazra. Note the black and white photos on the walls and on the menu that trace the history of Bazra from its infancy.

In the office there is a picture of a baby girl in a crib surrounded by settlers in tents. That girl is now almost 60, still lives in Bazra, and is a regular at Cafe Tapuz..

Trocadero Gourmet French restaurant in Tel Aviv

2011-12-11T10:06:00.000+02:00

If you want to meet a man who loves his work, meet Gerard, owner, manager, and your host at Trocadero Gourmet French restaurant in Tel Aviv. Gerard has been a restaurateur most of his life, founding and building successful gourmet kosher restaurants in Paris and Montreal. Now he and his wife have made Aliya and have founded yet another fine kosher restaurant, this time in Tel Aviv.

Trocadero dominates a corner on Nahalat Binyamin Street. Glass walls on the two sides of the corner give you a great view of the lovely restaurant interior from the street. The lights, the black, white and pink color combination, set tables placed alongside the windows covered in starched white linen and set for your arrival, make this a very attractive and enticing venue.

This is a French restaurant that specializes in quality meat dishes, European hospitality and a big dose of atmosphere. The specialty is the Foie Gras – goose liver – prepared in different ways. The elegant menu is modeled after Gerard’s very successful restaurant in Paris, with the addition of several meat dishes made with cuts available kosher only in Israel. This gives Gerard an opportunity to serve dishes at Torcedera that are not available in his Paris restaurant. Though you will be inclined to pass on the dessert after the delicious appetizers and main courses, don’t miss the culinary theater performed for you for dessert. We’ll tell you more….

First the hospitality. Gerard welcomes each diner personally, at the door. You won’t see this everywhere. His eye is always watching, and each time the front door opens he is there to welcome the new guests. Though there is a staff of well groomed and well trained waiters, Gerard gives each table his personal attention.

After we decided on our meal for the evening, we were served an amuse bouche: a plate of specialty French-style dips with thinly sliced bread. Shortly after whetting our appetites on these unique dips, our starters were served. My companion didn’t hesitate before choosing the pate de foie gras terine and, with Gerard’s help, I chose the Mediterranean salad with strips of seared Barbounia fish. Both dishes were nicely presented and very tasty. My companion enjoyed his thick slice of foie Gras served with a sweet pear, sweet sauce, and two slices of toast. Additional rounds of bread from the dips were brought over to have with this dish. After the entrees our hunger was abated and we were ready to savor the rest of the meal.

My companion opted for the duck main course and I chose the fish. The melt-in-your-mouth duck was served with candied figs and onions, potato puree grilled vegetables and asparagus. A very nice portion of fish was served with the puree and the grilled vegetables. Unusual in Israel, the plates themselves were hot, and were brought to the table held by napkins. As you would expect in a fine French restaurant, there is a good selection of wine. Labriyut.

The menu offers several desserts. But the highlight is the classic Crepes Suzette. Gerard wheels a cart to your table where he prepares a sweet sauce with orange peels and liquors and ignites the crepes before your eyes. Very French. Good theater. Good fun.

Your exquisite dinner at Trocadero comes at a price. Entrees: average NIS 80 (with some less expensive alternatives), Mains: Average NIS 100 (with chateaubriand NIS 125 and lamb chops NIS 145) Crepe Suzette dessert: NIS 40.

Note that rest rooms are up a flight of stairs. There is a netilat yadayim stand on entry level. Street parking is tight but there is a reasonably priced public parking lot just before the restaurant at 26 Nachalat Binyamin.

The restaurant can host parties of up to 60 people on the second floor level. A fixed price party menu is available.

Sigaliyot, Ramat Gan

2011-12-11T10:05:00.000+02:00

Sigaliyot is a restaurant that stands out in the crowd. First, it is in the lobby of the Paz building, a sky scraper in the area of the Ramat Gan diamond district. This tall building stands out on the skyline and you can see it from miles around. There is pay parking in the underground lot but you may find street parking at night.

This is a dairy restaurant with stand-out kashrut supervision. Not just mehadrin, this restaurant is under the hashgacha of the Badatz, Hatam Sofer, Petach Tikva. I think you can eat there.

Serving foods that are both delicious and that meet these stringent kashrut requirements is a challenge. Owner and manager Yael and Italian chef Tamar work hard to find substitutions for many of the standard ingredients that do not have the required hashgacha. Their ideas are often very creative and the dishes are at least as tasty as ones made with foods that carry less stringent kashrut certification.

Look at the menu and you will see how Sigaliyot continues to stand out. Come hungry because they have what to eat. For those who are more makpid, the restaurant also offers non-gluten dishes and low fat breakfasts.

The menu opens with breakfasts served with eggs, quiches, or yogurt and granola. Later in the day, choose from appetizers that include roasted eggplant and tasty soups, like onion or potato seasoned with pesto. Then you'll want to try one of the fish specialties, like salmon steak, or opt for a pasta dish, like ravioli. This winter they are adding a good number of soups to the menu, but trust me, this menu needs nothing extra.

The Sigaliyot décor is light and charming. The atmosphere is neat, pleasant, and attractive.
We loved the colorful chairs and the purple theme. There is seating in the main area of the restaurant and more intimate seating in an alcove.

When choosing our meal we took our leads from the attentive waitress with the help of owner Yael. The menu is in flux and there are daily specials, so be sure to ask for some guidance when you choose your meal. The staff will be very helpful, as the hospitality gets very high marks at Sigaliot.

When we placed our order we were served a lovely fresh hot roll with several dips. A good way to start. Netilat yadayim is tucked into a corner in a separate section of the restaurant.

When I go out to a restaurant I like to enjoy the foods that are too big a “patchkaray” to prepare at home. Sigaliyot specializes in stuffed vegetables, which falls into this category, big time. We enjoyed the grape leaves stuffed with rice served cold and the warm stuffed red pepper, a real star at this show. The pepper is stuffed with Bulgur wheat and is served with a delicious tomato sauce. The generous portion and the delicious flavors make this a dish worth coming back for.

Wine? Most of the wines are from the Teperberg winery. At this restaurant we were introduced to Haor Haganuz wine, a boutique winery in Amuka. Everyone working at this winery is shomrei mitzvot, the kashrut meets the standards of this restaurant. We enjoyed a generous glass of this thick red wine. L’chayim.

For our main courses, I chose the highly recommended gnocci dish. Gnocchi is a heavy carb and you should be prepared when you order this dish. Sometimes it is cooked with a vegetable, but the gnocchi at Sigaliyot contains cheese, which makes it very filling. The restaurant will package up the remainder of your portion and you can reheat it at home. My companion chose one of the fish specials: a fillet in a filo dough. This was a very original dish that combined Buri and Salmon, on top of a mushroom base wrapped in fluffy dough. He was thrilled with his meal.

Cafe Gidi in Ramat Gan

2011-11-09T13:21:00.001+02:00

Cafe Gidi in Ramat Gan is a delightful place to enjoy a coffee, light meal, and relax at a table or on one of their comfortable seating arrangements. There are sofas, conversation groups, as well as chairs and tables. So when you are looking for somewhere with a special ambience , interior design and good service then Cafe Gidi is the place for you.

The waiters who are actors from the near by Beth Tsvi Acting School will be glad to offer you anything from the daily dishes which include breakfast (served throughout the whole day), great coffee, delicious sandwiches, pasta's, daily specials and other warm meals.

Breakfast's include the classic Israeli breakfast with eggs, sliced salad, dips and a soft drink. Other breakfast meals include Shakshukot , a health breakfast and a combination coffee with your choice of pastries.

Some of Cafe Gidi's specialties are the home made soups and the pastas, made fresh in house. Choose from a variety of pasta dishes that include pesto, tomato sauce, mushrooms and more. There is also a variety of other dairy dishes including lasagna , quiche, pizza , fish and more. Every day brings its special, and your waiter will be sure to let you know.

Breakfast served all day
If you prefer a smaller meal then choose from a variety of sandwiches or salads with tuna , cheeses and more.

Make sure not to miss Gidi's delicious desserts, which will finish your meal with a bang - such as apple cake, mousse , chocolate souffle and other great desserts.

The business lunch ranges from 49 to 69 shekels. The eLuna discount coupon does not apply to the business lunch.

Racha restaurant- Jerusalem

2011-11-01T11:00:00.001+02:00

Meet Gruzini (Georgian) cuisine at Racha restaurant on Havatzelet street in the heart of Jerusalem, The restaurant is housed in a British Mandate period building. The decor and the ambiance reflects the old world elegance and the Georgian tradition.

Racha is the name of the area in the former Soviet Georgia where the owners were born and raised. The restaurant is a testament to this part of the Balkans, from the decor to the authentic Georgian menu. The chefs themselves are from Racha, and all of the foods are Georgian recipes.

The Georgian kitchen is rich in colors and flavors. Some may be new to you but you will delight in the unexpected mix of ingredients. All of the foods at Racha are authentic Georgian, so come to this restaurant for an ethnic culinary experience.

"In a Georgian home," says the menu, "It is customary to start the meal with a variety of salads and Georgian pastries." And what a variety it is!
Appetizers have unpronounceable names but enticing descriptions. Take for example the Ishpenakhis, which is described as a spinach tapenade with walnuts in wine and vinegar. The appetizer Badrijani is described as layers of eggplant in a nut and herb mixture. Sounds good to me. The restaurant recommends that a half table - whatever that is - share 7 appetizers (118 NIS) and a full table go for 14 dishes at 224 NIS.

There is a short list of delicious sounding Georgian pastries served with tujemali sauce - green plums. Most of these are meat-filled, though there is one vegetarian pastry. There is Georgian bread and several soups, all with challenging names, and great descriptions.

Then there is a list of main courses. The recommended main course is the chanhi which is lamb strips with potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes and rice. Tolma is described as cabbage stuffed with beef and lamb served with salad. Other Main courses include various Georgian styled beefs, lamb chops, baby chickens and steaks. The very non-adventuresome diners can choose from the restaurant's grill menu, including the standard entrecote steak, lamb kebab, and lamb chops, as well as two grilled fish dishes.

End your meal with a cup of tea and a selection of traditional Georgian cookies. .
hazel nuts and wine.

Racha has two bars that are well stocked with wine, liquor and beer. One of them is a smoking bar with Georgian tapas where you can enjoy the free atmosphere of the bar.

Events:
* Every Wednesday evening enjoy an authentic Balkan evening with live Georgian music.
* Friday afternoon from 12 noon enjoy a traditional Georgian Kabbalat Shabbat.

Minato- Sushi Bar and Japanese Restaurant

2011-11-01T10:58:00.000+02:00

Minato is a new Japanese restaurant in the Herzlia Pituach high tech park. This charming stylized restaurant is located in the cluster of restaurants on Hamenofim Street, perpendicular to Maskit. There is a small parking lot at the entrance to the cluster and street parking on Hamenofim in the evening. Minato sits snugly on the right as you enter the cluster, furthest from the street. There is both indoor and outdoor seating, bar seating and traditional Japanese seating on pillows.

If the name Minato sounds familiar to you, you may know the Minato dairy sushi bar in Ceasarea. This Herzlia restaurant is also under Matan Rosenthal and Kobi Ninio's management, yet it is a much larger and more stylized restaurant with a full meat menu.

Minato specializes in delicious authentic Japanese dishes. The restaurant is adamant about utilizing cooking techniques and methods used in Japan, Part of the skill is their ability to create pure traditional Japanese cuisine using local seasonal ingredients.

We enjoyed a delightful dinner at Minato Herzlia. Stepping into Minato restaurant is stepping into a quieter and more serene world. The muted colors, indirect lighting, and quiet atmosphere set the stage for the Oriental food ahead. The minimalist decor combined with the relaxing color scheme set this restaurant apart from the others.

Minato is modeled after a Japanese Izakaya. Rather than ordering your entire meal up front, in an Izakaya the dishes are ordered sequentially as you finish each dish, and the meal ends when you are satiated. Each of the courses is small, and you continue to order the food and drink as desired, throughout the meal. Frequently the courses are shared between the diners at the table. Two or three small dishes will generally comprise a meal, but if you want to go for broke you can just keep ordering.

Izakaya dining starts as you would guess in Japan - with hand washing. When we sat down we were given wet towels for our hands. We got these before starting the meal, rather than after.

Till you get the hang of it, it is best to take direction from your waitress. Three dishes were brought to our table to start, and we shared all three. Harusame Salad is an attractive mix of Harusame noodles, thinly sliced cucumbers, carrots and seaweed in a sweet and sour marinade. This is served in a soup bowl. There was more than enough in this bowl for the three of us to share. Tuna Tataki is a small plate of pan-seared tuna served with ponzu sauce (with a citrus scent), teriyaki, and spicy mayonnaise. The tuna was thinly sliced which made it convenient for sharing. Though I am not a fan of seared tuna because it always seems not well done enough, this dish was perfect. Certainly one of my favorites of the evening was the Tempura Panko, which was 5 pieces of fish served with a light tempura coating.

One cannot visit a sushi restaurant without ordering sushi from the open sushi bar. Out came a beautiful presentation of veggie inside outs, just the way I like them. Credit for the amazing sushi bar goes to Chef Aki Tamura of Tokyo. Aki Tamura comes from a long line of sushi chefs, and has worked in some of the top Japanese restaurants in Israel.

While I savored the sushi my dining companions shared two portions of skewered meats. These were elegant mini-skewers of Entrecote with asparagus and Entrecote with leek. Each dish included two delicate skewers where the sticks were long wooden toothpicks,

In addition to the great selection in the printed menu, specials of the day are posted on a blackboard. If you want to try just about every dish on the menu, go for their chef's special tasting menus Omakase Ume, Take, or Matsu, At this time the Omakase platters are served only at the bar.

I usually do not comment on the drinks, but drinking is an essential part of the Izakaya and are worthy of mention. The restaurant offers a variety of the usual drinks plus several Japanese drinks. We had two different beers from boutique breweries. The Butterfly Sunset - Israeli Boutique Beer from the Dalton people and the Japanese Asahi beer, refreshing, clear and dry. Both of these beers were unusual and noteworthy.

For dessert we recommend the tapioca. This refreshing desert is made in an ice crusher with tapioca beads and pomegranate seeds. It is served at your table in a large martini glass. It is a pleasant change from high fat puddings and pastries.

You can enjoy wonderful Japanese dishes and sushi in the intimate atmosphere at Minato restaurant or you can order Minato take-away. De;ivery is not yet available but stay tuned.

Minato is pleased to cater sushi and other Japanese dishes at your event. Call for details.

Ahuzaleh Cafe/Restaurant

2011-08-21T15:15:00.000+03:00

Open Sunday - Thursday: 8:00am - 12:00 midnight. Friday 8:00am - 1 hour before Shabbat. and Motzei Shabbat from 1 hour after Shabbat till midnight. Closed Shabbat.

August 2011
Ahuzaleh Cafe/Restaurant takes the space of Cup O Joe restaurant in the inner courtyard off Bar Ilan St. This is a new restaurant in the heart of Ra'anana serving good dairy foods and excellent coffee.

Ahuzaleh is located in the small shopping center at the corner of Bar Ilan and Ahuza Street, across from the Kupat Cholim Maccabi building. The restaurant does not face Ahuza Street. Thus the restaurant has a quiet and intimate ambiance even though it is in the heart of the city.

The best place to park at this busy corner, is in the underground parking lot. Enter the lot from west side of Bar Ilan Street and take the elevator up to street level. Ahuzaleh will pick up the first hour if you ask for a parking slip.

Dining:
Ahuzaleh offers very comfortable indoor and outdoor seating. The indoor area has tables of different sizes, inviting chairs and banquets. The restaurant is bright and pleasant and it is a welcome place to dine. At Ahuzaleh you can enjoy a range of foods from just a drink to a full dairy meal. The restaurant does a very nice job with the usual selection of dairy fare. Platters are generous, meals are very nicely presented, the food is tasty and the service is good.

A friend and I enjoyed a lovely mid-day lunch at Ahuzaleh. The restaurant was busy but not packed and we found a very comfortable table for two in a good location inside the restaurant. The air conditioning was purring at just the right temperature, the decibels were bearable, and we were quite comfortable.

We were impressed by the creative menu. The restaurant offers imaginative salads, pasta dishes, fish and chips, quiches and many other items. The menu is quite tempting and before we ordered our fist dish we were already talking about our next visit to the restaurant.

Sitting at the restaurant was so pleasant that we decided to dally over a cup of coffee and dessert.
"What's for dessert?" we asked, and the waitress recited a list that could have been a separate menu. We decided to share one piece of cheesecake which turned out to be super creamy and delicious, and great with the cafe hafuch.

A full write up will appear in this space. Stay tuned.

Ahuzaleh

2011-08-14T21:23:00.000+03:00

Ahuzaleh
Ahuza 128, Ra'anana
at the inner court
Tel: 09-740 0056
Kashrut: Rabbanut Raanana Mehadrin

Open Sunday - Thursday: 8:00am - 12:00 midnight. Friday 8:00am - 1 hour before Shabbat. and Motzei Shabbat from 1 hour after Shabbat till midnight. Closed Shabbat.

August 2011
Ahuzaleh Cafe/Restaurant takes the space of Cup O Joe restaurant in the inner courtyard off Bar Ilan St. This is a new restaurant in the heart of Ra'anana serving good dairy foods and excellent coffee.

Ahuzaleh is located in the small shopping center at the corner of Bar Ilan and Ahuza Street, across from the Kupat Cholim Maccabi building. The restaurant does not face Ahuza Street. Thus the restaurant has a quiet and intimate ambiance even though it is in the heart of the city.

The best place to park at this busy corner, is in the underground parking lot. Enter the lot from west side of Bar Ilan Street and take the elevator up to street level. Ahuzaleh will pick up the first hour if you ask for a parking slip.

Dining:
Ahuzaleh offers very comfortable indoor and outdoor seating. The indoor area has tables of different sizes, inviting chairs and banquets. The restaurant is bright and pleasant and it is a welcome place to dine. At Ahuzaleh you can enjoy a range of foods from just a drink to a full dairy meal. The restaurant does a very nice job with the usual selection of dairy fare. Platters are generous, meals are very nicely presented, the food is tasty and the service is good.

A friend and I enjoyed a lovely mid-day lunch at Ahuzaleh. The restaurant was busy but not packed and we found a very comfortable table for two in a good location inside the restaurant. The air conditioning was purring at just the right temperature, the decibels were bearable, and we were quite comfortable.

We were impressed by the creative menu. The restaurant offers imaginative salads, pasta dishes, fish and chips, quiches and many other items. The menu is quite tempting and before we ordered our fist dish we were already talking about our next visit to the restaurant.

Sitting at the restaurant was so pleasant that we decided to dally over a cup of coffee and dessert.
"What's for dessert?" we asked, and the waitress recited a list that could have been a separate menu. We decided to share one piece of cheesecake which turned out to be super creamy and delicious, and great with the cafe hafuch.

A full write up will appear in this space. Stay tuned.

Pasta Centro

2011-08-11T17:05:00.003+03:00

Revised August 2011
Successful restaurateur Daniel Goldwater, has opened Pasta Centro, a quality dairy Italian restaurant in Pardes Hannah. With several successful dairy restaurants behind him, Daniel is doing it again, in this out of the way location. Folks from all over the country who know a Daniel Goldwater restaurant have made their way to Pardes Hannah to enjoy Daniel's specialty foods.

Nothing is store-bought at this restaurant. At Pasta Centro you will find only foods made in house. From the breakfast to the ice cream dessert, all the foods are original. Daniel even prepares his own pasta. There is nothing like hand made fresh pasta, which is another food entirely from the dry packaged pasta that we buy in the supermarket. Daniel's fresh pasta can be purchased at the restaurant by the kilo. You might also ask about the pasta sauces.

Pasta Centro is happy to cater your next affair.

From August till Rosh Hashana (September 28,2011) Pasta Centro offers a 15% discount (not including breakfast and the business lunch). The discount applies to take away foods as well. Break up your 3-day Yom Tov with a dairy meal from Pasta Centro. Order take away by phone in advance to make sure you get your order for Rosh Hashana.

See what our readers say about Pasta Centro.

From Our Readers:
Submitted By: The Five-Towns Newsgroup.Joe W. Date: January 2010
En route back home from a foray to Rikmat Elimelech this afternoon, we decided to have lunch at Pasta Centro in PH. We have been reading their praises on this website and hearing the same from our friends, hence the big step / stop today.

It was marvelous. The place is immaculate, the menu chock full of nice choices, the serving staff and the owner / Chef most helpful and congenial. We decided on a slight variation of the business lunch offerings and they immediately agreed to honor our request.
Even the music was 'right', pleasant American jazz at a comfortable non-Israeli listening level. The owner is from New Zealand and speaks passable English...
Roni and I give the place our coveted 'Two Forks' rating.
Give it a try, you'll like it. Joe

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.Liz L. Date: November 09.
Just come back from a delightful meal at the Pasta Center in Pardes Hana. Delicious food, good service and a charming host (Daniel).
See you there!!

Submitted By: The Five-Towns Newsgroup. Kym BY. Date: November 09.
Just want to say that I bumped into Liz at the same restaurant last night and also had a wonderful meal. The food is fresh and you can see that care went into it's preparation. The service is wonderful. The atmosphere is nice. I haven't found a little gem like this in our area for a long time. Let's support them. Enjoy!

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

Submitted By: The Five-Towns Newsgroup. Micha E. Date: November 09.
i can highly reccommend"pasta centro" a new {halavi} italian restaurant in paedes hanna, 103 dekalim next 2 hadar phermacy. the food is great so is the service. daniel, the owner and the chef, was the owner of [a restaurant] in jerusalem. both he and the waitress smile a lot and the music is quite in the background so you do not suffer and can talk and hear your friends and enjoy the meal.

Submitted By: The Five-Towns Newsgroup. Rhonda. Date: November 09.
We just had a lovely meal at Pasta Centro in Pardess Hanna (beside Hadar pharmacy and Sporting Life) and was informed that they have received their kashrute certificate! They are open from 8:00-22:00.....We highly recommend this nice little resterant.

Pasta Centro

2011-08-11T17:05:00.001+03:00

Bleecker Bakery

2011-08-07T19:58:00.001+03:00

August 2011
Bleecker Bakery has come a long way. First known for its delicious desserts, you'll find sweets from Bleecker in restaurants throughout the country. But the desserts are only the first part of the story. Bleecker Bakery is now a chain of dairy restaurants in cities throughout Israel offering a full menu from breakfast through dinner and even a midnight snack.

We welcome the new branch of Bleecker Bakery on the Jerusalem's downtown Midrachov. This (mehadrin) restaurant is beautifully decorated. The space is elegant and comfortable and the staff is obliging. Here, in the heart of the capitol of Israel, you will feel like you are dining in an old-world European cafe. Hence the slogan:
"Bleecker Bakery—A matter of good taste"

Sit outside and watch the world stroll by or sit inside at a booth or table and watch the outdoor scenes from the comfortable indoors. There is plenty of space for your group or your party. Everyone will enjoy the convenient location, the ambiance and the great food.

Something delicious is cooking at Bleecker Bakery any time of the day. The breakfast menu is varied and enticing. There are light options a\s well as shakshuka plain or with eggplant. Both dishes come with a side salad, bread, and a choice of hot of cold drinks.

My companion and I stopped at Bleecker Bakery for an early dinner. The restaurant was about half occupied, but the room was bustling. We found a comfortable table in a quiet corner and before we knew it there were menus on the table. English men? No problem.

Perusing the menu we were first impressed with the variety. There are many vegetable dishes, which we appreciated. There is a full choice of salads and sandwiches. Then there are the chef's specials which are the most enticing. My companion chose the Portobelo mushrooms stuffed with cheese. He tried to encourage me to go for the rolled eggplant dish, which was very attractive, but I was in a powerful mood for lasagna, which was winking at me from my first glance at the menu.

The two huge crisply mushrooms on my companion's plate were topped with slightly sweet mushrooms marinated in Teriyaki sauce. My lasagna was a sizable square cut off from what I guess is a large sheet of lasagna. It was covered in a creamy tomato sauce. Each of these dishes was served with a side salad. A request for salad dressing (though the salad was already lightly dressed) was answered with a boat of amazing creamy citrus dressing.

We were impressed with the large number of servers on the floor at all times. Someone was available to help us if our primary waiter was out of earshot. We also appreciated the pace that the dishes came out of the kitchen. There was very little waiting for our meals, which was especially impressive because in addition to other couples, there was a large party at one end of the restaurant. This did not seem to effect the pace of the kitchen and our meals were served promptly. While we were waiting we had a chance to enjoy the restaurant ambiance. The furniture, the wall paper, and the design gives Bleecker Bakery a pleasant old-world feel.

Call me "yachner" but I like to glance at the other tables to see other dishes. We saw a large number of salads and sandwiches, but we were most impressed with the drinks. Those tall glasses filled to the brim and condensation on the outside never fail to excite me. The famous "I'll have what she is having" comes to mind.

Though I was very pleased with my choice of lasagna and my companion was delighted with his mushroom dish, I really wanted to try one of the pastry-based foods. The menu offers a fine selection of quiches .These are individual round pies about the size of a dessert plate, served with salad. To make the Bleecker Bakery flavors last a little longer and to give me a chance to try a pastry, I took an order of quiche home for lunch the next day. It was not easy deciding between the mushroom quiche with basil and olive oil and the Mediterranean quiche with goat cheese, peppers, parsley, and olives. There are also sweet potato and broccoli quiches. I went with the recommendation of our waiter, who suggested the mushroom. And so it was. They package it up nicely and it is ready to pop into my oven for tomorrow's lunch.

Bleecker Bakery's fine reputation starts with its desserts, and I was sorely tempted to indulge in one of these amazing looking creations. The fresh pastries filled with chocolate and fruit looked especially inviting. But the lasagna and the salad were enough for me so we agreed to come back another time for a dessert.

Our two main courses, a cup of coffee and my take away quiche came in under 200 shekels. Desserts can come to 30 shekels, so with a dessert we would have crossed 200 shekels.

Bleecker Bakery on the midrachov will take you back to the old world bakeries of Europe, with a fresh Israeli twist.

Breakfast meals ( NIS 32 to NIS 54). Something small and sweet (NIS 23 to NIS 32). salmon filet (NIS 68) mushrooms with cheese (NIS 48). quiches (NIS 41) quinoa with lentils, dried blueberries, and vegetables (NIS 48).

Marinado Banamal (Marinado at the Port)

2011-08-05T19:46:00.000+03:00

Open Sunday - Thursday 12:00 noon – 12:00 midnight. Friday from 12:00 noon – two hours before Shabbat. One hour after Shabbat – 1:00 am. Closed Shabbat.

July, 2011
Marinado Banamal (Marinado at the Port), is a new kosher meat restaurant located at the entrance to Kibbutz Ein Gev. This location on the Kinneret is magical. From your table you can gaze at the hills of the Galil and the mountains of the Golan. Marinado Banamal, at the port, is surrounded by moored fishing boats and cruise boats. The restaurant offers indoor seating, tables outside under the pergola, and tables along the boardwalk.

The rich menu offers tender, juicy, and premium quality meats with original side dishes and fresh salads. Start your meal with grilled eggplant accompanied by homemade tehina, tomatoes, peppers, and pine nuts. Then try the thinly sliced sirloin flavored with Dijon mustard, goose liver bruschetta, or bruschetta with forest mushrooms sautéed in wine and herbs. The signature dish is homemade falafel and chicken skewers. Highly recommended.

Continue your meal with a variety of surprising and creative dishes such as stuffed chicken thighs, grilled fillet of veal with chunks of foie gras, Asian de-boned Asado, Entrecote with Chimichurri sauce, veal kebab flavored with mint and pine nuts or veal hamburger. There are also many choices for non meat eaters.

Marinado Banamal offers special combinations for families and groups. See the meat meals for two or four diners. Children will enjoy kid favorites like burgers with the round Port chips, chicken nuggets, and steak.

Finish your meal with a delightful dessert. Try the chocolate stones with slivers of pistachios coated with dark chocolate cocoa powder, parve ice cream with homemade jam, or a slice of pie - a perfect way to end a hot day at the seashore.

Dinner runs in the range of NIS 60 to NIS 120 per person, not including service.

Churrasco In Gedera

2011-08-04T16:52:00.000+03:00

August, 2011
Churrasco is a meat lovers paradise! Check out the buzz in Gedera. You will not be disappointed. This is a great restaurant that should not be missed.

Habiluim Street, named for the Bilu aliya in the 1880s and early 1900s, is in the historic section of Gedera called Hamoshava. Enter the town on the main drag, Rechov Herzl (what then?). Habiluim is one way the wrong way from Herzl so turn up Weitzmann Street (there is a sign pointing to Hartzfield) and then take another right on to Svartlov Street. There you take another right turn on to Habiluim. You will be at the top of the hill. Drive down a bit and look for street parking. The restaurant is on the left hand side of Habiluim Street, across from a bank. A bit further down on the left side there is an unpaved parking lot. If you can’t find street parking try the lot.

The old Moshava, including the lovely tree-lined Habiluim Street, is being preserved as a historic landmark. The old homes are being refurbished in their original style and are being converted into charming restaurants, boutiques, flower shops, and more. Somewhat reminiscent of the old part of Zichron Yaakov, this small street is enchanting with colorful appealing shops that take you back about 150 years to one of the first aliyot.

Churrasco restaurant is in one of these preserved Bilu homes. Its romantic design and soothing atmosphere, together with the fine meat and premium Israeli boutique wines, gives you an out-of-the-ordinary culinary experience.

The modest entrance to the restaurant, a few steps up from street level, belies the spacious restaurant inside. There is outdoor seating in the front, indoor seating in the comfortable air conditioned house; and out back in the covered patio and deck under lazy ceiling fans. All told, there are quite a large number of tables and chairs, pleasantly spaced so that you don’t feel at all cramped. The indoors is comfortably air conditioned, but the outdoor seating is so attractive that your first decision — even before looking at the menu — will be where to sit.

Meat eaters will be delighted at Churrasco. Think entrecote, rossini beef fillet with goose liver, fat cow sirloin, milk-fed veal chop on the bone, onglet steak, lamb kebabs, lamb chops from the Golan Heights, lamb spare ribs, asado of milk fed veal, or mallard.

Fish eaters will also find a nice selection, The children's menu offers a choice of schnitzel or hamburger with the mandatory chips on the side.

No meal is complete without dessert, and at Churrasco, chocolate is the word. The menu—chocolate roll (a strip of chocolate filled with crème brulée and sprinkled with chocolate crumbs), chocolate soufflé, or bueno (a trio of crispy rolls, filled with bitter chocolate cream, chocolate ganache and nuts, and served with hot chocolate sauce). Choices also include apple pie, sorbet, and more.

The wine and liqueur menu is quite extensive, with a choice of sparkling, white, and red wines, in addition to some interesting cocktails. Each wine is special and unique,and carefully chosen for the menu.
Open Sunday - Thursday 12:00 noon – 12:00 midnight. Friday from 12:00 noon – two hours before Shabbat. One hour after Shabbat – 1:00 am. Closed Shabbat.

Pundak Haim (Haim's Inn)

2011-07-17T06:21:00.000+03:00

Pundak Haim (Haim's Inn), generally know by its patrons as Haim's, is located in the Shaaraim neighborhood of Rehovot, just off of Herzl Street, Rehovot's main drag.

Haim's was established in 1966 by Haim Gafla. He called the restaurant Gafla, and his wife did all the cooking. After his death, his son, Menashke and daughter-in-law, Tami, took over, and changed the name to Pundak Haim Gafla in his memory. Menashke and Tami are amiable people who do their best to make you feel welcome and comfortable.

The menu (in both English and Hebrew) including a large selection of appetizers including home made salads and hot hors-d'ouvres. There is a wide variety of stuffed vegetables and several soups. Main dishes include a wide variety of meats including lamb chops. Several side dishes, such as beans in sauce, are offered. Desserts include chocolate mousse, Bavarian cream and baklava. (I wonder how the first two came to be part of Mid-Eastern cuisine.)

Annice G. visited this restaurant and reported....Hot toasted pitot, a dish with pickles and olives and a small dish of schug (hot sauce) were placed on the table. My partner had a glass of red wine, which he said was quite good. I stuck to water. (After all, I was driving!) I started my meal with the kubbeh, which is one of my favorite Mid-Eastern appetizers. I was presented with four nicely-browned kubbeh balls along with half a lemon. The balls were crisp and non-greasy, with a very tasty filling. My partner had the bone marrow soup, which was a large bowl of rich meat broth with small pieces of marrow and a large piece of bone in it. For my main course, I had the chicken liver skewers, which consisted of eight livers, well-done on the outside but pink and juicy within. It came with a large serving of rice (my choice) and Israeli salad (chopped tomatoes and cucumbers) on the side.

My partner (whose appetite far exceeds mine) ordered the mixed grill. This consisted of skewers of kebob, chicken, turkey and chicken livers. These are served with fries and salad. The kebobs were tasty, the chicken moist and tender and the livers excellent.

I didn't manage to finish my livers and rice, and asked the waitress to pack the livers up so I could take them home (with a hard-boiled egg and some sauted onion we'd have ourselves a nice little Shabbat appetizer). She asked if I wanted them for my dog, and I pointed to my partner and said that they were for him. She explained that for an animal they would just put the food in a bag, but for people they would wrap it in foil (which she did). Our waitress was very sweet and obliging, and the service was excellent. We finished off our meal with mint tea.

None of our food was particularly spicy, and that was just fine with us. (We didn't try the schug!). I guess they heard our strong American accents and correctly guessed at our preferences. But you can request that the food be prepared more "harif," if that is your predilection.

Yakota

2011-07-14T16:42:00.001+03:00

Yakota
27 Mordei HaGataot, at the corner of 18 Anilevich, Be'er Sheva
Tel. 08-6232689
Kashrut: Rav Yisrael Yakov Landau from Beer Sheva

Open Sunday - Thursday 12:00 noon until 12:00 midnight. Friday 11:00 a.m. until one hour before Shabbat. After Shabbat until 12:00 midnight. Closed Shabbat.

June 2011
Yakota is an authentic Moroccan restaurant in the heart of downtown Beer Sheva. The restaurant is in a red stone building at the corner of Mordei Hagetaot and Anilevich Streets (A Polish intersection for a Moroccan restaurant?). Street parking is available. The name is from a restaurant that was opened in 1965 and means pearl or diamond in the Morroccan language.

Entering this restaurant is like entering a villa in Marrakesh. The interior is beautifully stylized with blue painted walls and delicate gold accents. There are upholstered sofas with colorful fabrics. Ethnic Moroccan ceramics and glassware are displayed on open shelves. Beautiful lighting adds to the ambience. The service staff is dressed in authentic costume and the tableware again reflects the Moroccan style.

Yakota is a total experience. From the ambiance, to the menu, to the famous Moroccan hospitality. You will be greeted at the door by manager Bebe, and welcomed personally into the restaurant. Bebe himself will explain the menu and the days specials. A charming host, Bebe will guide you through the unique selection of foods.

Yakota is primarily a meat restaurant with a very rich variety of beef and organ meats. Choose from steaks, fish, and lamb dishes, or the chef specialties of oxtail and tongue. Unique dishes include the slow-cooked Moroccan kidney.

Your meal starts with authentic Moroccan salads, such as two kinds of eggplant, matbuha, grilled peppers, or best of all, the house specialty—humus. These are served with Moroccan bread.

The signature Moroccan dish is couscous, baked with vegetables and meat in a Tangine ceramic pot. Couscous is also prepared without meat, and those who prefer veggie dishes will enjoy this deliciously flavored veggie dish. The restaurant serves generous portions and nobody will be hungry.

We were charmed by the Yakota dessert, which is a selection of sweet Moroccan pastries beautifully presented on a multi-tiered tray. This is served with a pot of hot Moroccan black coffee or sweet Moroccan tea.

Mashu Tov

2011-07-13T16:52:00.000+03:00

Mashu Tov
48 Ben Gurion Avenue, Herzlia
Tel: 09-9566916
Kashrut: Rabbanut Herzlia
Open Sunday - Thursday, 9:30 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. Friday from 8:30 a.m.until 2:30 pm. Closed Shabbat and Motzei Shabbat.

Mashu Tov, as its name suggests, is something good. In fact there are many good things about this restaurant. The setting is good, the food is good, the service is good, and the location is good. In fact, a visit to Mashu Tov is a very good time indeed.

The restaurant is on Ben Gurion Avenue, a major artery linking Herzlia and Ramat Hasharon. This wide avenue has shops on either side, in corrals off the road. Driving south on Ben Gurion Avenue (from Herzlia toward Ramat Hasharon), pull into the first corral after Rav Kook Street and park in one of the parallel spaces in front of the shops. Mashu Tov café/restaurant is at the far end (southern end) of this corral.

Mashu Tov is a very small and quaint café/restaurant. The end shop, the café has the advantage of privacy and greenery. The café is a mixture of retro, nostalgia, and modern healthy eating. The charming table settings and the retro Naaman tableware speak to the nostalgia. Books (Hebrew and English) are on sale as well as packaged and fresh take away foods. There is free WIFI so feel free to have a seat with your laptop or pick up a book and relax over a cuppa. You couldn’t find a nicer more relaxing atmosphere in the heart of the city.

The calling card of this restaurant is its gluten-free foods. The gluten free menu offers modern healthy dishes that do not compromise the taste. In fact, you will not be able to tell, in most instances, that the foods are gluten free. Mashu Tov is one of the only restaurants in the area that offers a complete menu of gluten-free dishes that can be enjoyed in the restaurant or prepared for take out.

The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating. On the breezy late summer afternoon that we visited the restaurant, we opted for the outdoor seating under cover of an awning.

We got in just under the wire for the lunch deal, available till 4 p.m., which includes a starter and a main course for the price of the main course. My companion and I started with salads and then we each had a pasta dish. I started with the grilled vegetable salad, which was a delicious dish of grilled root vegetables on a bed of crispy lettuce flavored with balsamic vinegar. My companion chose the "colorful " fresh salad topped with shredded cheese. Both were very nice dishes, attractive and tasty.

We usually share different dishes so we can taste several menu items, but this time we ended up with the same main course, the sweet potato ravioli in a yummy rich sauce. How do you make gluten-free ravioli? The Mashu Tov people are the experts. The ravioli dough was a bit lighter than gluten-rich dough, but delicious none the less. The menu also offers fish, pizza, and other pasta dishes. There are also fairly priced children's meals.

Mashu Tov has cleverly turned their small quarters into a theme. This quaint restaurant is a romantic piece of nostalgia to Eretz Yisrael Haktana shel paam, the once small Israel. The nostalgic patterned naaman dishes, the cute accessories, all reflect this theme. Mashehu Tov is a charming change from the large chain dairy restaurants, which are so prevalent on the restaurant landscape.

How can you pass up dessert in a lovely little dairy restaurant? In a unique and clever system, the restaurant places photos of the desserts on the tables. My companion and I split a delicious piece of gluten-free sweet cheese cake.

Our total including two lunch deals (2 courses each) + one dessert, came to 200 shekels.

In addition to the meals, this restaurant also offers packaged and freshly made gluten-free take away foods. Order during the week for Shabbat and pick up on Friday.

Etnika, Herzlia Pituach

2011-07-06T16:22:00.000+03:00

7 Shenkar Street, Herzlia Pituach
Tel: 09-9511177
Kashrut: Rabbanut Herzlia
Open Sunday - Thursday, 12:00 noon until 12:00 midnight. Friday from 12:00 until two hours before Shabbat. Saturday night one hour after Shabbat until 12:00 midnight. Closed Shabbat.

June 2011
June 2011 was a great month for meat eaters in Herzlia Pituach. This month, Etnika restaurant opened on Shenkar Street (in place of Mifgash HaSteak). Come hungry to this ethnic family restaurant. There is lots of lamb and beef served in unusual and exciting ways as well as meals for the children (served with chips, of course).

At this Middle Eastern style restaurant you will find entrecote steak (400 or 250 grams) served in chimichuri sauce. When you are really hungry, try the 500-gram prime rib entrecote on the bone served with sweet potato home fries.

You and your date can share the 750-gram mixed doubles platter, which includes entrecote, the house kabobs, spring chicken, and lamb chops served with wild rice, herbs, and almonds.

As for side dishes, try the Etnika Platter with caviar eggplant, house-style mutbuka, roasted peppers, pomegranate tabule, pickled carrots, fennel, Middle Eastern olives, and so much more.

Etnika also offers an extensive menu of high quality wines chosen personally by the owner. There is also a wide range of beers, whiskeys, vodkas, and more.

So, head out to Herzlia Pituach for a filling and delicious meat meal with your date or with your family. Etnika is the place for you.

Ringelblum

2011-07-05T17:45:00.000+03:00

Ringelblum
86 Ringelblum Street, Beer Sheva
Tel. 08-6491001
Kashrut: Mehadrin, Rabbanut Beer Sheva

Open Sunday - Thursday 9:00 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. Friday 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. After Shabbat until 11:30 p.m. Closed Shabbat.

June 2011
Ringelblum is a restaurant full of contradictions. On the one hand Ringelblum is a gourmet dairy restaurant with an outstanding chef and an amazing menu. The restaurant, however, is located in a makeshift shack in the heart of Beer Sheva’s Shikun Daled. Daled, it was explained to us, is now the Florentine (Tel Aviv yuppie neighborhood) of Beer Sheva. Not long ago Daled was one of the lowest socioeconomic and highest crime neighborhoods of Beer Sheva.

Enter “Tor Hamidbar”. This organization was founded by a group of idealistic post army friends with a goal to enact projects to improve the Negev. One of their projects became Ringelblum. (Named for the street where it is located, ironically Emanuel Ringelblum was a member of the Jewish Social Aid organization that helped people in the Warsaw Ghetto.)

The concept was to give at risk high school students a place to learn a skill, develop responsibility, and be able to get a respectable job in later life. The project, fueled initially on idealism, only took shape when Allan Barkat and the Dualis Social Venture Fund (also of the Liliyot group) brought their business acumen to the table. Together with the founding organization they made Ringelblum a quality restaurant and a thriving business. This creative concept that involves business in social change has captured the imagination of some of the top names in the restaurant industry who have contributed to the success of the venture. This year, Ringelblum’s second year running, they are hoping to at long last turn a profit.

Ringinblum seats about 50 diners. There is indoor seating and additional seating on a patio outside. About half the staff is professional and the other half are trainees. The trainees comprise the service staff, the cooking staff, and so forth. They are paid by the hour and are given an amazing opportunity to learn from some of the best in this business.

Chef Kim Naveh heads up the kitchen. Naveh is a professional chef with experience at well known restaurants such as the famous Rafael. Originally a consultant at Ringelblum, Naveh was so taken by the project that he has made this his full time job. The restaurant also has an on-site business manager from the Dualis group. This winning combination makes for a truly excellent restaurant.

We stopped in at Ringelblum for lunch on our way south, through Beer Sheva. The restaurant has a large parking area in front. The indoor area was a comfortable and well-cooled refuge on the hot summer day. At noontime the restaurant was hopping with an unusual mix of students, couples, and sitting at a table next to us, a business meeting in Arabic.

The menu is two pages (Hebrew only at this time) protected by a plastic holder. I wish more restaurants would use these washable holders. The business lunch includes a starter and a main course for the price of the main course. My companion started with a cold soup while I went with the antipasti. The soup, they warned us, was slightly spicy, but I would not agree with that. It was thick like porridge and very tasty. The antipasti was a very attractive selection of root vegetables, nicely grilled and very tasty. The presentation of both dishes was excellent. We were off to a good start.

If you didn't know the background story of this restaurant, after a little while you would begin to suspect that something is unusual. The service staff is so charming and attentive it seems more than just a job. The restaurant subtitles itself “Food. Home. Coffee.” For many of the trainees it is home, in lew of any other home.

For the main course, I chose the salmon filet while my companion chose the recommended cannelloni. The main courses followed our starters promptly, and it was nice to finally be at a restaurant where we didn't have to wait forever between courses. The fish was served on a stylish platter with potatoes and salad. The portion was reasonable, the foods were tasty and I consider it a perfect dish. The cannelloni was a wonderful choice. The wrapping was soft like a blintz, and filled with lovely vegetables and topped off with cheese. This reminded us of lasagna, which when done well, is a favorite.

We never pass up dessert at a dairy restaurant. I thought to try the Tiramisu, but our waitress directed us to the cheese cake, the restaurant's signature dessert. Many restaurants buy their cakes from dessert suppliers. At Ringelblum, for teaching purposes, all food is made in house. People come in just for this cheesecake, we were told. After tasting it, I bet that people come for that cheesecake all the way from Tel Aviv.

Prices range. You can enjoy a very nice pasta dish for about 50 shekels. At lunchtime your main dish will come with a starter. Fish dishes are 80 – 90 shekels, which is what you would expect in a good dairy restaurant.

So visit Ringelblum restaurant in Beer Sheva. Take a left turn and a left turn from the northern entrance to the city. Set your GPS. There is a very big sign on the restaurant, which makes it easy to find.

Mendelson Restaurant

2011-06-30T15:54:00.001+03:00

Not long ago a kosher restaurant could not be found on the Shimon Ben Shetach Midrachov. Lead by the prominent Gabriel restaurant, there are now three fine restaurants on this block.

Mendelson restaurant is the newest kosher restaurant on Shimon Ben Shetach. This is a classic café/restaurant offering lovely pasta dishes as well as a host of wonderful salads, sandwiches, and great desserts. Mendelson is an informal café/restaurant, easy on your pocketbook. It is a good place for a light meal, a nice break from your downtown activities, and just the right location for a meeting with friends or just a comfortable relaxed stop in downtown Jerusalem.

The Mendelson menu is in both Hebrew and English. The menu includes a nice selection of salads, lasagna, quiche, and pasta. Shakshuka tops off the dairy menu. The restaurant signature dishes are the Penne with cream and pine nuts and pasta with herbs and vegetables. The pasta dishes are served with a side salad. Shakshuka is served with bread and tehina.

Mendelson also offers a nice selection of dairy desserts, and if you are not in for the full nine yards, a coffee and dessert can be just the thing.

Stop in at Mendelson restaurant for a light dairy meal or just a cuppa with a nice dessert. There is seating both indoors and outdoors. Weather permitting, the outdoor seating is the place to be.

Salads: 40 shekel range, Pasta dishes range between 44 and 48 shekels. Shakshuka NIS 32

Hanaot Ktanot. Small Pleasures

2011-06-29T16:29:00.000+03:00

Hanaot Ktanot. Small Pleasures
Coffee Shop, Bakery & Catering
13 Oppenheimer Street, Neve Avivim, Tel Aviv
Tel. 03-6420660
Kashrut: Rabbanut Tel Aviv

Open Sunday - Thursday 7:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Closed Shabbat.

May 2011
In 2003 Revital Efrati decided to turn her love of cooking for others into a small business. This venture quickly grew and has become a favorite among the residents of the Neve Avivim neighborhood in Ramat Aviv.

Hanaot Ktanot, or Small Pleasures, provides great pleasure to visitors from near and far, whether they come to the coffee shop to enjoy a drink and pastry or to buy from the tempting selection of dairy products on display. Enjoy breakfast, morning coffee, or lunch inside the shop, or indulge yourself at an outside table as you watch the world go by.

The extensive menu offers full breakfasts (NIS 25 – 46), and à la carte soups, sandwiches, toasts, salads, and pasta (NIS 25 – 50), There is a nice selection of hot and cold drinks including beer and wine. Complete your meal with a delicious hot chocolate soufflé, cake, or ice cream.

Hanaot Ktanot cafe will be happy to cater your event, be it a small family affair, a large occasion, or a business meeting. You cannot do better than to have Small Pleasures as your partner. From their reliability, efficiency and adherence to a timetable, to their tasteful and beautifully presented food, Small Pleasures will make your event a big pleasure for all.

Caffit Restaurant The Botanical Gardens

2011-06-26T16:35:00.001+03:00

June 2011
It all started more than 12 years ago in the German Colony. Now a chain of 4 restaurants, you can now enjoy the delicious Caffit dairy menu in Jerusalem's German Colony, the Malcha mall, in Kiryat Ganim Petach Tikva, and at Jerusalem's Botanical Gardens. Anyone who is anyone is at a Caffit restaurant. So take your choice.

The branch restaurant at the Botanical Gardens has a lovely pastoral setting. Enjoy outdoor seating on a patio overlooking the lake, or comfortable indoor seating.

The menu is rich in dairy dishes. There are the predictable pastas, salads and sandwiches. In addition there are original "ktanot" (small dishes) and several signature dishes which have put Caffit on the map.

One of the Caffit signature dishes is the Leek fritters from the "ktanot" section of the menu. The fritters are served with whilte cheese, to be drizzled over the fritters. This is a nice way to begin your meal- not too much, just enough to get started.

The menu offers non-beef burgers made from salmon, portabello mushrooms, or Halami cheese. These burgers are served on a toasted sesame bun with either potatoes or a green salad.

Finish your meal with a piece of hot apple pie or a slice of decadent chocolate cake as you enjoy the view of the botanical gardens and the calming lake scenery.

If it's just the delicious food you crave, takeaway is always an option.

Golan Brewhouse Express

2011-06-23T14:14:00.001+03:00

In the mood for a beer and a good meal with friends? Well, the Golan Brewhouse Express on Hillel Street in Jerusalem is the place for you! This brewhouse is the Jerusalem franchise of the popular Golan Brewhouse. It offers a high-class bar and restaurant styled after the Brauhaus Breweries.

This pub offers a menu of "chef specials" and four specialty beers, made fresh in the Golan. Choose from the Galil Beer, a dark, rich beer with a "cloudy" presence; the Golan Beer, a red lager beer with the rich flavor of roasted barley malt; the Emek Beer, a light Pilsener lager best known for its lightness and fine flavor; or Beer Baselet, a Double Dock lager beer, dark and rich in flavor and color. A mug of beer will run you from NIS 20 to 30. Or, try a 200 ml sampler of each beer for NIS 44.

Don't think that this is just a pub with nothing good to eat but pretzels. Well, you could order pretzels, but they wouldn't be the kind that come in a plastic bag. At the Golan Brewhouse Express, they are served with olive oil and za'atar (hyssop) (NIS 18). Or, how about these pretzels--with slices of corned beef, BBQ sauce, lettuce, and tomato (NIS 29).

The menu at this restaurant is varied and unique. For the main course, try grilled spring chicken marinated in beer, served with Silan (date syrup) sauce, vegetables, and french fries or mashed potato (NIS 48). Try the house steak--330 grams of Grilled Entrecôte (NIS 79).

Just want a quick bite or something to hold while you are watching the various events that the brewhouse sponsors, try the Brewhouse sausage sandwich (NIS 24) or a 200 gram Carpaccio Entrecôte sandwich (NIS 44). Dress the sandwiches with a choice of regular toppings like chimichurri, thousand island dressing, or the house special--a sweet chili sauce.

Golan Brewhouse Express

2011-06-16T11:40:00.000+03:00

May 2011
In the mood for a beer and a good meal with friends? Well, the Golan Brewhouse Express on Hillel Street in Jerusalem is the place for you! This brewhouse is the Jerusalem franchise of the popular Golan Brewhouse. It offers a high-class bar and restaurant styled after the Brauhaus Breweries.

This pub offers a menu of "chef specials" and four specialty beers, made fresh in the Golan. Choose from the Galil Beer, a dark, rich beer with a "cloudy" presence; the Golan Beer, a red lager beer with the rich flavor of roasted barley malt; the Emek Beer, a light Pilsener lager best known for its lightness and fine flavor; or Beer Baselet, a Double Dock lager beer, dark and rich in flavor and color. A mug of beer will run you from NIS 20 to 30. Or, try a 200 ml sampler of each beer for NIS 44.

Don't think that this is just a pub with nothing good to eat but pretzels. Well, you could order pretzels, but they wouldn't be the kind that come in a plastic bag. At the Golan Brewhouse Express, they are served with olive oil and za'atar (hyssop) (NIS 18). Or, how about these pretzels--with slices of corned beef, BBQ sauce, lettuce, and tomato (NIS 29).

The menu at this restaurant is varied and unique. For the main course, try grilled spring chicken marinated in beer, served with Silan (date syrup) sauce, vegetables, and french fries or mashed potato (NIS 48). Try the house steak--330 grams of Grilled Entrecôte (NIS 79).

Just want a quick bite or something to hold while you are watching the various events that the brewhouse sponsors, try the Brewhouse sausage sandwich (NIS 24) or a 200 gram Carpaccio Entrecôte sandwich (NIS 44). Dress the sandwiches with a choice of regular toppings like chimichurri, thousand island dressing, or the house special--a sweet chili sauce.

Find them on Facebook.

2011-06-14T11:23:00.001+03:00

April 2011
Yama, the sea restaurant, could not have a more appropriate name. This meat and fish restaurant is on a stretch of beach in a quiet and almost uninhabited part of northern Netanya. How did this prime section of Netanya escape the high-risers and commercial centers? The space seems to be surrounded by Moshavim and single-family dwellings. This makes for an adventurous and unique area to explore.

The restaurant is located on Blue Beach, which is on the southern side of the Blue Bay hotel. Driving south, pass the hotel and take the first right turn on to a narrow access road that goes down to the beach. Park at the base of the hill, where you will see the restaurant. There is a large ramp up to the entrance of the restaurant, which makes it handicapped friendly.

In addition to a sizable indoor dining space, the restaurant has an enormous patio overlooking the sea. The sea breezes on that patio are delicious and will be an excellent escape in the hot summer. Once a party hall, the Yama Restaurant outdoor patio continues to be an outstanding venue for either individual diners or parties for up to 300 guests. There is also, they told us, rooftop access for larger parties.

On the windy day that we visited the restaurant, we chose to sit indoors and enjoy the view through the glass partition. The décor is pleasant and simple, with walls and floors that evoke the sea and sand.

Yama describes itself as is a meat and fish restaurant. Meats are mostly shipudim (skewers) of different meat types, burgers, and two high end choices: Entrecote steak and lamb chops. There is a good selection of fish, and a short selection of pastas. There is also a children's menu with items under 40 shekels. Starters include humus with different combinations, and if you prefer you can have the classic table full of salads with pitot and the house bread. The salads are Nis 15 with a main or NIS 30 if ordered without a main course. There is also a selection of beers and alcoholic drinks.

We started out meal with one order of humus with mushrooms for the two of us, a beer and a cola. Out came a very generous portion of humus with a basket of warm pitot. Generous is the operative word at Yama. All the dishes brought to our table were plentiful, with more food than we could eat. The humus starter could easily be shared by two or more diners. The beer was served with pretzels and mini-crackers.

For his main, my companion chose shipudim. The platter came with two skewers and a bowl of salad, and a separate heaping plate of chips. The chips are fresh, not industrial, and especially tasty. My main dish was a whole fish on a platter with a large quantity of chips and salad in a small bowl on the platter. The fish was nicely prepared and all the food was very tasty. The dishes were aesthetically presented and was so plentiful that despite it all, we both left food on our plates. The restaurant was not busy at lunchtime and the service was attentive and cordial. We certainly did enjoy our meals, the lovely view, and our excursion to this part of the city that was new for us.

The bill came to approximately 200 shekels. The restaurant offers a business lunch for 70 shekels per person. No need to concern yourself with the size of the portions of the business lunch. My bet is that there will be plenty to eat.

Humus with mushrooms NIS 20. Burger NIS 49. Shipudim NIS 25 each. Entrecote NIS 85 - 120. Fish Nis 55 - 81. Pasta NIS 39. Childrens menu NIS 39.

2011-06-13T22:09:00.000+03:00

Heleni is a downtown Italian meat bistro restaurant on - you guessed it - Heleni Hamalka Street. This Italian meat restaurant is an especially welcome addition to the restaurant landscape because while most Italian-style restaurants are dairy, Heleni is meat. Visit Heleni Bistro and Bar to see just how delicious Italian meat cooking can be.

Heleni offers a rich and varied Italian menu with a host of spaghetti and pasta dishes that combine Mediterranean vegetables and meat. For something really different try the Kebab San-Marino: a kebab served on a bed of fine green leaves, parsley, pine nuts, and white rice.

Vegetarians will find their way at Heleni. There are pasta dishes with mushrooms and many other dishes with fresh local vegetables. Tofu is a favorite on the menu as is Greek Kalamata olives.

Heleni prides itself on its authentic cuisine. To achieve the genuine Italian flavors the chef avoids modern equipment in favor of old-world cooking methods. And it makes a diffrence! All the foods have a unique and special flavor.

Out on the town a bit late? After 10 pm the bar becomes the focus at Heleni. The well-stocked bar offers a list of world-class beers on tap, vodkas, whiskeys, and other alcoholic drinks.

At Heleni’s you will find a tastefully decorated interior in addition to relaxing and comfortable outside seating. Upstairs is a VIP area for hosting events of up to 30 people. Most dishes are in the NIS 30 to NIS 40 range.

Montefiore restaurant

2011-06-12T12:38:00.000+03:00

Montefiore restaurant offers a fine combination of gourmet food, a great location in Jerusalem's Yemin Moshe neighborhood and a taste of Jerusalem history. Centrally located yet quaint and picturesque, Yemin Moshe is a perfect location for a quality restaurant. The landmark windmill with Moses Montefiore's carriage on display, is a perfect short outing and meeting place.

Montefiore is a restaurant for folks who appreciate a total dining experience. With its soothing interior and captivating menu, Montefiore is an excellent addition to Jerusalem's "important' restaurants. It is the perfect place to host an event or enjoy a quiet, private dinner.

Montefiore dining is a combination of delicious flavors, outstanding presentation and service. Starters include several hot and cold salads, Polenta with Parmesan cheese and risotto balls in fresh tomato sauce, a must have in quality dairy restaurants. The salmon carpaccio is the highlight among the starters. The extraordinary flavors come from the citrus wood used in the smoking process. Crisped foccacia dusted with sea salt is served with all starters.

For your main course, the restaurant offers gourmet pasta dishes and fish. Pasta dishes include exotic Linguini, Ravioli, Gnocci, and a very nice Canneloni with goats cheese. There is a good selection of pizzas baked in a stone oven. Fish dishes include baked salmon, pan-seared Cod and sea fish of the day. Fish dishes are served with humus, and hot and cold salads.

With your meal, enjoy Israeli wine from the extensive restaurant's wine cellar.

Desserts--always exceptional in a good dairy restaurant - are a treat at Montefiore. Enjoy the home made Creme Brulee with real cream, Chocolate mousse with real cream. Chocolate Volcano, Cheese Cake, or Strudel with a scoop of real ice cream.

This is a place where you will want to linger, either in the comfortable dining room or on the outside verandah, both overlooking the Old City. We would also suggest that during your visit you make sure to see the art gallery downstairs.

Appetizers NIS 38-58, Pasta NIS 68 - 78 , Pizza NIS 48 - 52, Fish 110 Dessert NIS 38.

Business Lunch served weekdays 12 noon - 5:00pm, 30% discount off the regular menu. The eLuna discount does not apply to the business lunch.

The restaurant can host events for up to 100 guests. The events menu offers meals that are unusually fresh, high quality, and creative.

Parking: Available in front of the restaurant. Drive all the way down the hill and park in front.

2011-05-18T12:53:00.000+03:00

Maalot Restaurant in Jerusalem.

Last night, Fran and I and our son Yitzi had dinner at Maalot restaurant in Jerusalem.

We had bid on an eluna.com auction and won the dinner voucher valued at 200 NIS. When we called to make a reservation we were told that the regular chef Gad Yaari was away and that it would be worth our while to wait for his return. So a couple of days ago, we called the restaurant and after determining that Gad was back, we made a reservation for dinner.

First a few words about the restaurant and the chef.

Maalot is located at 7 Maalot Street, which is a small side street that runs off King George just north of the Yeshurun Synagogue and just south of the Bezalel/Shatz Friday craft market. Many years ago, the building used to house Agas V'Tapuach (now at Kikar Safra) and is just west of the parking lot for the Red Heifer.

The restaurant is small, with a few tables inside and a few on a fenced patio facing the street. It is simply furnished and has a very relaxed atmosphere. If you were looking for a very elegant place to eat, this is not the place for you. But if you are looking for good food and good service, you have come to the right place.

The chef Gad Yaari, looks very young, so we were kind of surprised when he told us that worked for many years at 1868 (the meat branch) as the sous chef and then as the head chef before moving to NY and working for a number of years at leading New York eateries. Along the way, he was "chozer b'teshuva" and returned to Israel. He laughingly told us that at that time, he had more hair on his head than on his beard, while today he sports a beard and a closely shaven head of hair beneath a very large kippah.

And now the important part...the food. The restaurant calls itself a "Bistro and Tapas Bar". For those who are wondering, "tapas" is a Spanish word for small snacks and if you have enough of these, you can create a very nice "tasting menu" which will not break the bank. There are between 15 and 20 of these on the menu and are priced between 15 and 25 shekels each.

Because it was after Pesach when we were looking to get rid of some of what we had gained during the holiday, we decided to sample many of the tapas and not order any main courses. I might say that there were a number of items on the menu that were tempting, especially the tasting dishes where you could sample portions of different kinds of fish or meat. We were kind of worried that sticking to tapas might not be filling enough for the three of us, but in retrospect, it was a very good decision; one that gave us enough of a sampling to want to return and have a real main course in the future.

We stuck to meat and vegetable tapas (and try the fish on another visit) and ordered about 12 different dishes including blanched asparagus, stuffed mushrooms with olives and sun-dried tomatoes, lamb kebabs, entrecote (probably the juiciest cut of steak that I have had in Israel), beef and leek meatballs, duck breast skewers, eggplant soup, and lamb and pomegranate stew. We began with freshly baked bread accompanied by 4 small dips which were all tasty. We really enjoyed each dish; each of us had different favorites but every dish was done well.

We still had room for a dessert and we chose a nut tart with a passion fruit parfait (outstanding).

At the end of the meal, Gad came out to speak with us and we asked him whether his Friday offering (which is take away Shabbat meals) were of the same gourmet standard or whether they were typical Shabbat fare? He said that it was similar to what we had eaten and from his description of the pricing, it seemed to be quite affordable. He also told us that everything is prepared fresh; nothing is sitting and then re-heated.

The hashgacha is Rabbanut Yerushalayim, tho' Gad told us that all the meat that he uses is glatt/chalak, the fowl is all mehadrin, the veggies are all chaslat and it is all bishul yisrael.

In short, the three of us ate for under 300 shekels (including the voucher) and including the tip. We left very satisfied and will definitely return. We are adding this restaurant to our list of favorites in Israel.

Maalot is happy to host your next simcha.

Agas V'Tapuah

2011-05-11T11:55:00.001+03:00

Agas V'Tapuah
(Pears & Apples)
6 Safra Square, Jerusalem
Tel. 02-623 0280
Kashrut: Rabbanut Yerushalayim. Mehadrin OU

Open Sunday - Thursday 11:00am till 11:00pm. Saturday night till 12:00 midnight. Closed Friday and Shabbat.

Pera e Mela is located in Safra Square, which is the Jerusalem City Hall complex at the end of Jaffa Road, before the Old City. This area, with its unique architecture is one of Jerusalem's new corners of culinary kosher cuisine.

Pera e Mela translates from the Italian as "The Pear and the Apple" or "Agas V'Tapu'ach" in Hebrew. This restaurant at Safra Square is the second Pera E Mela restaurant. The original restaurant at 7 Ha'malot Street is still in operation but with a much smaller selection than the Safra Square restaurant. Pera e Mela presents a comfortable, warm setting and a very friendly atmosphere. Wherever you look, the attention to detail is apparent. My favorite is the salt and pepper shakers in the shape of, you guessed it, a pear and an apple. With any luck you might catch Gionatan, the owner, singing (very professionally I might add) in Ladino, as he quality-tests the food in the kitchen. That's what I call atmosphere.

Now this is real Italian. Homemade in the kitchen, using the recipes from the owner's grandparents. Magnifico!

Pera e Mela offers a wide selection of appetizers, including antipasti and soups. Among the antipasti, there is foccacia (that great bread), bruschetta (that greater bread topped with garlic-flavored tomatoes), funghi portabello (those incredible mushrooms soaked in white wine), crostino (toasted bread with anchovies and mushrooms).

There is also a nice selection of baked potatoes served with your choice of toppings: mushrooms/cheese, garlic/bechamel sauce, broccoli or spinach.

The soups are thick, plentiful and delicioso - try the Onion au gratin and Minestrone,.

The main entrees are created with care. The names of the pastas and the names of the sauces/toppings do not do justice to the dishes. Each dish is a real creation.

Pera e Mela offers spaghetti, penne, fettuccine, gnocchi and ravioli. The sauces/toppings (a very long and delicious list) include tomato sauce with olive oil and basil; spicy tomato sauce; garlic, parsley and chili peppers; pesto; mushrooms, tomatoes and cheese; tuna; fried eggplant; broccoli with garlic and olives and optional chili peppers.

The fettuccine, in particular, comes with sauces like Alfredo, Rosa (tomato and vodka!), salmon, cream and parmesan, tomato/basil/ricotta.

Did I mention the lasagna or the eggplant Parmesan? Baked to perfection. Polenta? They have it - home made and wonderful.

Polenta is the yellow corn flour, grits-like stuff from which you can make it 'loose' like oatmeal, or 'thick', almost like corn bread. Here they make it thick and they top it with garlic, tomatoes, and more. Risotto? Yep, they got that too. Better than rice, and very well done, risotti is meal unto itself.

There are many more items on the menu - pizza (which is great when you bring the kids along - and they are welcome at Pera e Mela). There is also fish - salmon with white wine and rosemary. Just came for a salad? OK - 7 kinds - all freshly made.

Maybe you just want coffee and cake? That's OK, too! Over 20 kinds of desserts, including their very famous sweet crepes (my favorite: the banana and chocolate one).

Dinner for two should come in at about NIS 200. Wine is extra.
Pera E Mela is a popular venue for parties so it is wise to reserve places in advance.

Crespella della Casa - a baked smorgasbord of spinach, ricotta, tomatoes, mozzarella. Exquisite.

By the way, Pera e Mela is ideal for groups - there are several dining rooms, and any-sized group up to 70 people can be accommodated (even more in the summertime, or for a stand-up buffet affair!).
email directly: 6230280@gmail.com

Papagaio Prime

2010-12-28T14:41:00.003+02:00

The new Papagaio Prime, formerly Market Arena, is my kind of restaurant.

The restaurant is located in the Arena mall at the Herzlia Boat Marina. Park your car in the underground lot as close to the yellow section as you can and elevator up to the first floor. Parking is free. With the exception of one or two low steps you can consider this a wheelchair friendly restaurant. Rest rooms are on the dining level.

Everything at this restaurant is as you like it, including the seating. There is indoor seating and outdoor seating overlooking the Marina. Inside the tables suit the size of your party, whatever it may be. There are bar stools of every height: standard tall bar stools and more comfortable bar chairs on an elevated platform alongside the bar. There is also a private room with glass doors that can seat about 50 people comfortably. Keep that in mind when you make your next party.

This new restaurant is vintage Papagaio with Brazilian music and atmosphere. The restaurant offers three options: the Brazilian menu, an a la carte menu, and the Juntos, their specialty, which is a mix of meats that you can order by weight. How does the Juntos work? You can order a platter of either 800 grams or 1200 grams (nis 245) of grilled meats. Your order is delivered to the center of your table in a sizzling pan, to be shared by your party. The quality of the meat, they tell me, at Papagaio Prime, is the best that they have ever had. Try it and find out.

When you take your seat you will be offered a refreshing grapefruit juice cocktail with herbs. The menu (in Hebrew and in English) is a one page affair with a short list of starters and a long list “from the Butchery.” Tacked on to the menu is a list of small dishes that you can order for nis 15 each.

We were still trying to figure out the strategy for the evening when the waiter approached our table with a tray of these small dishes. We chose 3 vegetarian salads that were substantial enough to share, and one order of focaccio served with 4 dips. Choosing the starters live, from an actual tray (the way they do with desserts at some restaurants), and not from the list on paper, was very nice. Being able to try several small portions and get explanations from the waiter was fun.

My carnivorous companion struggled to choose his main course from among the many meat dishes. They range from the less expensive hamburger to the rib eye and sirloin steak. You will never guess what he chose! Thankfully the meat dishes come in two sizes: 300 grams and 500 grams which is probably good for sharing. I was up for a modest main course that evening and I was please to see that the fish dish could be ordered with two fillets or with just one. The one expertly prepared and totally delicious fillet was served on a bed of roasted vegetables in a tin pan right out of the oven. Speaking of right out of the oven, my companion’s rib eye steak was served on a sizzling platter-size skillet with crispy chips and roasted onions and tomatoes. The dish was so large he could not finish all the chips – a first for him.

All of these dishes were served up by a delightful waitress who is clearly enthusiastic both about the concept and the food.

We were treated to an ice cream dessert with toppings of your choice. Again, you choose. On a tray at our table, a half-liter container of parve ice cream was placed on a cold metal sheet. We chose from 6 different toppings which were then cut and blended into the ice cream before our eyes. The blended result was then distributed into two dessert bowls so that we could both enjoy this creative dessert.

The menu and all the foods are under the skillful hand of Chef Guy Harel who comes to this restaurant with a great culinary background. He launched his career with Chef Kadosh, went on to receive a culinary degree in France, experience in two well known French restaurants, work with Chef Ezra Kedem back in Israel, and more.

In conclusion: my companion and I enjoyed a lovely dinner on the outdoor deck overlooking the boat marina. It was a beautiful evening. The food was delicious. The service, excellent. It was a “what a wonderful world” moment. B’teavon!

O'Connell

2010-12-28T14:34:00.003+02:00

O’Connell is an Irish pub with a warm and friendly atmosphere in the center of town. This pub is both a neighborhood hangout and a place where people from different parts of town congregate for good food, drink, lively atmosphere and good company.

O'Connells is part of the trend of late night kosher pubs. So enjoy, but make sure to get there early because they do fill up.

O'Connell has both a full meat menu and an extensive drinks menu. O’Connell boasts one of the largest selections of beer on tap, of course the Irish staples of Guinness and Kilkenny are prominently featured but so are beers from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Mexico, and the USA. Expect to find Stella Artois, Hogeaarden, Leffe Brown, Kasteel Rouge, Carlsberg, Tuborg, Weihenstephan and 20 types of bottled beers.

The full menu of meat dishes at O’Connell includes decidedly refined dishes for a pub. No pretense either, just good food made right. They have fish and chips, and whole array of wraps, and many different hamburger choices. One of the best dishes is a trio of sliders (mini hamburgers) that each come with their own toppings and sauces. There is a spicy burger, an all beef burger and a lamb burger. Their fries are considered by many to be the best in the city.

Armando

2010-12-28T14:32:00.001+02:00

Armando fish restaurant on the Tel Aviv boardwalk offers the perfect combination of fresh fish, a rich selection of wines, and an intoxicating sea view. The restaurant's proximity to the Mediterranean sea and the Mediterranean menu which centers around fresh fish and local produce, create a lovely mix of quality Israeli dining.

Your meal at Armando starts with freshly baked house bread, and a selection of spreads and salads. Then go on to enjoy an appetizer like fish or beef Carpaccio, chicken wings, several types of pasta and soups.

The fish dishes are the focus of the menu. There are many different types of fish including Bass, Red Mullet, Salmon, and more. Each fish meal is served with the house salads, a green salad, and potatoes prepared Mediterranean style with rosemary garlic and olive oil.

The signature dish of this restaurant is the fish stew. The slow cooked dish is placed in the center of the table for all to share. This dish is Moroccan style, and is inspired by Armond's mother's kitchen. Note that this dish must be ordered a day in advance.

In addition to the fine fish menu, Armando also has a meat menu that includes kebabs, fillet steak, entrecote, and lamb chops, Something for everyone at Armando Restaurant.

Le Rendez Vous

2010-12-28T14:16:00.002+02:00

We celebrate the great French aliya of the last few years, and welcome the delicious foods that they have brought with them. The French olim are teaching us an appreciation for quality foods and expert cooking. Le Rendez Vous in Zichron Yaakov is the newest addition to the collection of French kosher restaurants in Israel. How great it is to finally have a quality French restaurant in the Five Towns area.

There is nothing simple on the Le Rendez vous menu. All the foods are elegant and unique. The menu starts with dishes like the Salmon Carpaccio and the Chicken Liver Flambe. It continues with the meat menu that contains some indulgent delights like the Goose Liver with onions, What would a French restaurant be like, without its Goose Liver Pate? Entrecote Steak with wine sauce, and 14 spice pargit. There are also fish options like the Salmon “Givat Eden” served with julienned vegetables.

For a lighter meal try one of the wonderful salads like the Chicken Salad with Caesar dressing. This is a family restaurant with a nice selection of dishes for children.

Plan to rendez vous with your friends and family at Le Rendez Vous.

Maalot

2010-12-28T14:15:00.000+02:00

HaMaalot is small street in downtown Jerusalem, just off King George Street below Shatz,. This area is peppered with restaurants, but few as quaint as Maalot. This cozy restaurant offers a warm family environment and a European atmosphere.

Chef Gad Yaari brings 12 years of experience to this restaurant from some of the best kitchens in the world. The focus and the specialty of this restaurant and what makes this restaurant unique is its Tapas menu. The word Tapas is Spanish and refers to small snack-like tasting dishes. Creating a meal out of several Tapas gives you a delicious variety and an opportunity to try many different dishes. The Tapas menu offers more than 17 different items that can be ordered in amounts of 1 or 4. This is great for friends dining together. Some of the highlights include Poached Asparagus, Artichoke Hearts, Lamb Kebabs, Fish Tartar, Seared Tune Skewers, Duck Breast Skewers and much more.

Main courses include the enticing Entrecote Steak, Lamb Chops, and Duck Breast along with all the classic meats that we all like. In addition there are tasting courses for fish, lamb and meat. The menu also has a nice selection of sandwiches and salads like Duck Breast Salad with lettuce and fresh vegetables.

Maalot is happy to host your next simcha.

Gzuztra

2010-12-08T13:35:00.003+02:00

Gzuztra is a fun restaurant that will wow you from the start. Gzuztra, the name of the restaurant, means "patio" or "balcony" from the Aramaic and in Eliezer Ben Yehudah Hebrew. This is a word that you will not hear often in everyday speech, but it is on the books and Talmud scholars reading this won't need our translation.

Gzuztra is a perfect name for this restaurant whose calling card is a sprawling patio facing the Herzlia beach.

Not to worry, the restaurant is glass enclosed in the winter. Even enclosed you will enjoy a great view of the sea. A piece of the patio is open, even in the winter, for nice sunny winter days.

Chef Eytan Mizrachi has brought his culinary philosophy to Gzuztra restaurant. The menu is not divided into courses. The menu is a list of dishes, from which you can select your favorites to make up your meal. The dishes are placed in the center of the table and the diners are encouraged to share.

The best strategy is to visit this restaurant with friends. The more people in your party, the more dishes you will be able to taste. The restaurant recommends two to three dishes per person. You do the math.

Dishes range in price from nis 40 - nis 60. Each dish has its own unique look and flavors.. Some of the highlights include the Antias Carpaccio with avocado, salad and wasabi vinaigrette dressing. Try the Artichoke Seviche with crusty brioche tehini tomatoes, and edamame. They also have some classics like Fish & Chips served in paper, and Spicy Chicken Wings. Add to that a selection of skewered meats and pasta dishes and there is nothing not to like about the restaurant.

Gzuztra is a meat restaurant with many fish options. A big item at the restaurant is the sushi menu. The trained sushi chef creates wonderful combinations like the Salmon Sakin with cucumbers, carrots, wrapped in avocado and served with crispy salmon chips.

"Be sure to mention the desserts" they said, at the restaurant. Indeed, the desserts are outstanding and are in no way compromised by the parve limitation.

Gzuztra is an excellent venue for smachot. They handle parties of all types and sizes including weddings. For very large parties they must close the restaurant to the public so be sure to call in advance and make reservations before setting out for Gzuztra restaurant.

Mamila Deli

2010-12-08T13:32:00.003+02:00

Mamila Deli is the restaurant for folks who like it simple, pleasant and affordable. Mamila Deli offers simple and unpretentious food that is high in flavor and easy on the pocket book. The restaurant is located on Shlomzion Hamalka Street, amid a stretch of restaurants that we come back to again and again like old friends.

If you like a good sandwich, well, you've come to the right place. The Mamila Sandwich is made of smoked turkey with vegetables and house dressings.

Hungry? You won't be, after you've had the Mamila Mix, a monster sandwich of smoked turkey and smoked beef with all the toppings.

Mamila Deli also has a nice chicken menu. Sure you can order chicken nuggets, but you could also order their special chicken, baked golden brown and served moist, and falling off the bone.

Looking for a finger food fix? Try the chicken wings with one of their unique sauces like the Bordeaux; red wine and sweet shallot dressing, or the Crispy Sour, with ginger and lemon. Each of the meals comes with your choice of fries, salad or the potato crunch (a breaded and deep fried baked potato). For the lighter eaters the menu offers salads, with or without meat.

Best Sellers

2010-11-29T13:41:00.002+02:00

In the Jerusalem Area
High End Jerusalem Restaurants
(Dinner for 2 over nis 300)
1) Papagaio, Jerusalem
2) Hachatzer
3) Keyara
4) Gabriel
5) Angelica

Jerusalem Restaurants
1) Luciana
2) RYU
3) Village Green
4) Gabriela
5) Little Italy
6) The Spaghettis
7) Joy Restaurant
8) Kedma
9) Olive
10) Sheyan
11) Sushi Bar Rehavia
12) La Boca
13) Taiku
14) Black Bar n'Burger
15) Little Jm at the Anna Ticho

In Gush Dan
1) Bistro56, Herzlia
2) Lilith, Tel Aviv
3) Prime Grill, Tel Aviv
4) Mifgash Hasteak, Herzlia
5) El Gaucho, Netanya
6) Osaka, Raanana
7) Neumans Rotisserie, Raanana
8) La Trattoria, Raanana
9) Alternative, Tel Aviv
10) Cafe Nitza, Netanya
11) 11th Floor, Tel Aviv
12) Goshen, Tel Aviv
13) Papagaio, Tel Aviv
14) Borchov 88, Raanana

2010-11-29T13:40:00.002+02:00

MODERN restaurant, at the newly renovated Israel Museum, is filling the big shoes of its location. With smart architectural elements, its style matches the new design of the museum. The restaurant is located at the entrance but outside the museum so it is not necessary to enter the museum to enjoy the restaurant. Also, the restaurant's opening hours are not related to the museum hours. Though an independent entity, the restaurant handshakes with its setting and incorporates some of the works of art from the museum.

The meat menu is modern Israeli, marrying classic flavors and modern techniques. Try appetizers like the Salmon Sashimi served with Lentil salsa, fresh lemon, and baby arugula. Or try the Veal sweetbread, with chard, chickpeas, in a wine sauce.

The main courses run the gamut from vegetarian to fish, and meat. We love the Mushroom Pappardelle with champignon, and Portobello mushrooms. The Fillet of Salmon is beautifully presented with Lentil ragu, and pickled lemons. For the meat eaters out there they have Entrecote steak with potatoes and fried eggplant.

The restaurant boasts a fine wine list, and a terrace that offers panoramic views of the Valley of the Cross and the Knesset building.

Make your simcha at MODERN restaurant. The restaurant offers catering on and off-premise.

A full write up will appear here.

Cafe Rishonim

2010-11-29T13:39:00.002+02:00

Café Rishonim, a dairy restaurant in the Jordan Valley (Emek Hayarden) is located in the Rishonim Courtyard of Kibbutz Degania Aleph. Historically Degania Aleph was the first Kibbutz in history, hence the name, which means the firsts. Degania is the birthplace of several famous Israeli figures among them Moshe Dayan. Founded in 1910, the kibbutz is now 100 years old. I think that warrants a visit.

Rishonim Cafe is a little slice of Israeli nostalgia. The cafe is in a pastoral setting nestled between great expanses of greenery and luscious plants and flowers. This is a very child-friendly restaurant with plenty of outdoor space and menu items sized and priced for the restaurant's young guests.

The dairy menu is full of filling homemade dishes which include; salads, pastas, quiche toastim and more. Try their breakfast meal with eggs the way you like them, salad, bread, and spreads galore.

In an Italian mood? The menu offers three types of ravioli, two types of lasagna, and more. One of their specials is the Thai Salad with noodles, roasted nuts, and sprouts. Add to that one of the fine desserts like cheesecake, or apple pie, and you have a meal fit for a king.

The cafe invites you to make your simcha at Rishonim. Tours of the kibbutz are offered for groups, by advanced reservations. Rishonim also offers a lovely selection of local wines.

A full write up will appear here.

Shibolet

2010-11-29T13:38:00.002+02:00

Shibolet in the Industrial park of Raanana is part of the revolution that is gaining a world-wide following. Shibolet is a fully vegan restaurant. Naturally there is no meat or fish on the menu. More than that, no animal products are used in the food preparation. That means that no eggs, milk or cheese are used in the food preparation.

Sound like there won't be much to eat?

If you think so, you are in for a surprise. The foods are plentiful and delicious. The menu is huge with variety and choices. There is a wide selection of burgers, burritos, tortillas, quinoa sushi, quiche, pizza, lasagna, stir-frys, pasta, raw dishes and a wonderful selection of fresh smoothies.

Shibolet restaurant is located on Hamasger street, across from several well known Raanana restaurants. There is a large parking lot in front of the restaurant, closed with a bar to non-residents of the building. There is ample street parking. Shibolet has a modest presence on the block, so keep your eyes peeled for the restaurant,

The restaurant has one main room and a very comfortable outdoor deck. Place your order at the counter and then choose your seat. Along the counter, bowls of fresh fruit entice you to ordering a Shibolet fruit smoothy. Don't resist the temptation. These are delicious, and for the smoothy alone I would return to this restaurant..

I am not sure whether it was the correct order of things, but we started our meal with smoothies, a thick frothy fruit malted (no milk). Shibolet offers a large variety of combination smoothies, and choosing was not easy. This attractive drink is served in a tall malted glass with a straw.
"Chew it" I was told.
Chew the drink?
It is healthier. Oh.
When you chew the liquid the flavor of the parsley bursts in your mouth. This is quite an experience.

The restaurant offers a host of mock-meat dishes like veggie burgers, veggie steak and vegan roast beef. The Classic veggie burger is made with lentil sprouts, mushrooms, celery, walnuts, onion, whole grain sesame seeds, tahini,and basil. There are also variations on this recipe. All the burgers are served on a whole wheat bun with lettuce,tomato, onion, chives, vegan cheese, vegan 1000 island dressing and mustard. The burgers are wrapped in paper, McDonalds style, and are served without side dishes. We were impressed with the flavor of the burger, though the sandwich was flat and not the full round rich-looking meat equivalent. Though the sandwich is definitely reminiscent of a meat burger, I would have preferred that the dishes have their own identity and not try to evoke their meat equivalents.

My companion and I also shared an eggplant lasagna served with a salad. I did not taste any pasta in this dish, so I am not sure why it is called lasagna. The plentiful serving of eggplant casserole was warm, tasty, and very pleasant thick comfort food.

The restaurant offers frozen foods prepared in house, that can be purchased to take home. The most popular foods to take away are the set of 5 veggie patties, each a different flavor. Take them home, warm them up, and you have a nice parve main course.

You can't beat the prices at Shibolet. Menu items run about 35 shekels each. Our dinner of two smoothies, one classic burger, one order of lasagna and one order of veggie patties came to 100 shekels (after the eLuna discount).

There are also many gluten free items on the menu.

The restaurant has room for 30 diners and more outside on the porch.

Tsunami

2010-11-29T13:36:00.001+02:00

Tsunami is an Asian restaurant with a full meat and sushi menu, across from Jerusalem's Mamila Center. The restaurant offers a whirlwind of Asian flavors and textures.

The menu consists of creative sushi rolls like the Shitaktak, a roll filled with shitake mushrooms avocado and cucumbers. They also serve a vegetarian sweet potato maki. For fish lovers try the yellow tail roll, and the Spike a tempura of salmon avocado sweet potato and fried onions. They also serve Nigiri, and Sandwich sushi.

They also have a full menu of meat, noodle, and rice selections.

Off the Square

2010-11-29T13:34:00.001+02:00

Who remembers Off The Square restaurant when they were located just off Kikar Zion?
If you do remember this restaurant from those days, you must be following the Jerusalem restaurant scene for a while.

About 15 years ago, Off the Square was one of the best kosher dairy restaurants in Jerusalem. It was also one of the only ones. The restaurant had levels, and party rooms, and they were often the venue for bar and bat mitzva parties, sheva brachot, and what not.

Enter the Intifada and exit Off the Square. The restaurant remained closed for almost 10 years. In 2010 this restaurant reopened, this time on Mesilat Yesharim St., at the other end of the downtown area. The new Off the Square is a quaint restaurant with room inside for up to 42 diners. They serve up a wonderful array of dairy and fish dishes, all prepared as they say “ala minute”. The menu is full of soups like French Onion, and Vegetable. Off the square is also known for its fish delivered market fresh every day. They also have many fresh salads, pastas and Italian dishes. The restaurant is now under the hashgacha of Rav Rubin.

Off the Square is happy to cater smachot of up to 42 people.

A full write up will appear here.

Mike's Place Jerusalem

2010-11-03T16:16:00.003+02:00

Mike’s Place on Yaffo street in Tel Aviv, is now kosher and bringing you all of their finest menu dishes. From the festive Tex Mex menu, to Mai Tai Mondays, and Ladies Night this is where the party is at every day of the week. They have over 10 big screens so you can watch the game in style. In fact you can watch several games at once. The menu is very detailed and ranges from finger foods to salads, and steaks.

Raphael Israeli Bistro

2010-11-03T16:04:00.003+02:00

Our favorite restaurants are the ones that we discover by chance. We come to the restaurant without expectations and each element is a surprise.

So it was with Raphael Israeli Bistro. Late one evening, we found ourselves on Jabotinsky Street in Ramat Gan, not far from the Diamond Exchange, when we saw a row of restaurants set back off the street. It was a pleasant evening and the outdoor seating in front of each restaurant looked inviting. There was one last parking space on the block, right in front of the restaurants, so we decided to take it. Some things just have your name written on them.

We took the few steps up from the street level (there is also a ramp) past the statue of the bull (is this Wall Street?) and the fountain, and before us was Raphael Israeli Bistro, kasher L’mehadrin. We were in the right place.

A group was seated on the outside patio of the restaurant. The staff found us a comfortable table in a quiet corner. Set back and away from Jabotinsky Street, the noise of this busy thoroughfare was not at all bothersome. The menu at Raphael Israeli Bistro is eclectic. It ranges from salads to full meat dishes, with pastas and a selection of Israeli favorites in between. The Israeli hit parade includes the favorite shakshuka, humus, and of course shwarma.

Salad works best for me as a late night snack on a summer evening, but my companion hasn’t eaten unless he has dug his teeth into some serious meat. We ordered the house bread while we studied the menu. The bread came with olive oil and garlic. Finding all the salads attractive I finally settled on the mushroom and tofu salad. After much deliberation and consultation my companion chose the Entrecote steak.

Although the restaurant was far from empty we didn’t have to wait long for our meals. The salad was served in a large bowl piled high with cold vegetables and topped with warm stir-fried mushrooms and tofu cubes. Sweet Teriyaki sauce topped it all off. I like that mixture of cold crunchy vegetables and warm sweet full-bodied mushrooms. Delightful.

The entrecote was a thinly cut, soft piece of meat cooked to a medium rare,just as my companion had ordered it. It was lightly seasoned with pepper and herbs, and accompanied by a green salad, so it was not too heavy and perfect for a late night meal.

The food was lovely, but the atmosphere sold us on this restaurant. The combination of good food, pleasant service, in the relacxing outdoor night made our visit to this restaurant. I believe that we will do an encore soon.

Regina

2010-10-13T14:17:00.002+02:00

Regina is a restaurant located in the newly renovated Tachana complex in Tel Aviv. The building is a historical landmark from 1900, and is decorated with beautiful wrought iron fences and colorful flowers. The design is truly classic, and very authentic.

The menu is meat and focuses on classic Israeli flavors while retaining some of the traditions from the cultures that helped to build the country. Start with an appetizer like Smoked Salmon, or Maatjes a pickled fish dish from Holland. The salads and soups are fresh and you cannot go wrong with Kibbe soup or the Antipasti Salad served with baked vegetables on a bed of lettuce with apricots and nuts.

The main courses are full of down home comfort foods like Hungarian Goulash, and Fillet of Sole. And that just continues on the dessert menu with Compote, Strudel, and more.

Mul Hayam

2010-10-13T14:13:00.002+02:00

Mul Hayam, is located just off of the central promenade in the heart of Netanya. Translated as “Beside the Sea”, this mehadrin restaurant is taking advantage of its coastal proximity in order to provide some of the freshest fish in the country. The dairy menu boasts seven different types of fish like Trout, Salmon, and St. Peter’s. Try the trout baked to perfection with garlic butter.

The restaurant also boasts a taboun oven out of which comes their foccacia breads and pizzas. If you have never had taboun pizza then you are in for a major treat. The oven bakes the crust crispy on the outside and moist within.

On Fridays enjoy the all-you-can-eat buffet for NIS 55. Choose what you want from their special menu of eggs, salads, breads and more. Mul Hayam also has a wonderful dessert menu.

Gourmet

2010-10-13T14:10:00.002+02:00

Gourmet, located in Nachalat Shiva on Rivlin street in Jerusalem is a French restaurant with Mediterranean influences. The meat menu is certified Badatz Beit Yosef, with many creative ideas and dishes to get your palate going.

One of the appetizers, on the menu is the Rotulo, a pasta roulade with ground lamb, served on a bed of spinach and pumpkin. They also have an authentic Caesar salad with anchovies. The main dishes on the menu include Prime Rib, Lamb Chops, and other meat dishes. There are also fresh fish dishes made to order.

The desserts are created at the hands of noted pastry chef Chemdat Goldberg.

Lara

2010-10-13T14:03:00.003+02:00

Lara, the new Jerusalem bistro, invites you to enjoy their warm homelike atmosphere. Chef Lior Hafatzdi has worked in restaurants like Arkadia, and Canela. He also worked in the Italian Michelin star holding restaurant Restorente De Vitorio. Chef Lior’s menu focuses on Israeli flavors made with the best and freshest ingredients. The risotto and ravioli are made by hand, and the fish is smoked on the premises.

The restaurant, located in central Jerusalem is decorated in the classical Jerusalem style. Beautiful stone walls add to the effect of light, and the dark wood provides a nice contrast.

The menu starts with wonderful appetizers like the Beef Sashimi with mushrooms nuts and greens. Or try the Polenta Carnival served with shallots, and garlic confit.

The sophistication continues into the main courses. Try the chicken breast and mushrooms with garlic sauce, Savta’s stew is slow cooked to perfection with spinach, potatoes and garbanzo beans. There are also steaks, and some wonderful fish dishes like the Fun Salmon served with lemon cream, and polenta with bok choi.

Uno

2010-10-13T13:54:00.004+02:00

Uno restaurant is the most recent talk of the town, and the town is Tel Aviv. The restaurant is located on Weitzman Street at Shaul Hamelech, just across from the court building, The dairy menu explores the concept of modern Italian cooking prepared with local Israeli ingredients. This great menu is served in a gorgeous modern stylized restaurant that is both comfortable and elegant.

The restaurant provides a wide range of dishes including antipasti, salads, handmade pastas, fish and pizzas. There is something for everyone at every price range.

The interior of the restaurant was designed by Yaron Tal, the design and style is colorful and modern with the emphasis on comfort.

The restaurant offers some fabulous Italian style dishes. The Cordo is a fish tartar with pesto, tomatoes, green peppers and mozzarella. The Salmon Como is served with pesto, pine nuts, and beets. Or try the creative Izvela salad with caramelized pears, Roquefort cheese, endives and a lemon honey vinaigrette.

The menu section entitled Secondi Piatti Italian (second plate) lists the main courses. Here you will find wonderful pastas like the Ravioli Di Formagi, stuffed with ricotta cheese and pecorino, served in a cream sauce with cherry tomatoes. Or try the Papardella Fungi with Portobelo mushrooms, sherry confi, pecorino cheese and truffles. The fish options are also lovely like the Grilled Denis, with gnocchi, potatoes, artichoke confit, and lemon sauce. They all sound so good you will be pressed to choose.

Herzl

2010-09-13T11:56:00.001+02:00

Herzl, located in the lovely Mamilla mall is a steakiya of the highest quality. The interior is reminiscent of the style of the Ottoman empire, and reminds us of that one night in history when Theodore Herzl himself spent a night in Jerusalem.

The menu is meat, with many different choices, as long as it is on a skewer. There are also as many as twelve house salads available all made fresh daily. We loved the house salad with chicken, and chicken livers.

The restaurant is situated on three levels with seating both indoors, and outdoors.

Shmil

2010-09-13T11:53:00.001+02:00

Shmil At The Lab bistro is located near the old Jerusalem train station. It is also right next to the Maabada - the lab - one of the premier cultural performance centers in Jerusalem. The restaurant is housed in one of the warehouses that once serviced the railroad. The rustic setting gives the restaurant a relaxed and informal, off beat and young atmosphere,

The restaurant's owner and chef Shmil Holland, is a true foodie. With a penchant for histrory, Shmil started out as a student of history, and was working on his doctoral thesis when he took a job as a guide for the “Yad Ben Zvi” Institute. As a guide, he had the opportunity to wander through some of the less-trodden places, where he discovered some of the cullinary secrets of the city. The rest is history. For many years Shmil ran one of the finest catering services in Israel. The restaurant was a natural second step for Shmil.

The restaurant menu is dairy Mediterranean, with Eastern European influences. The Matjas Herring, for example, is based on his mother’s recipe. The wild rice salad is a personal interpretation on the kasha dishes of Eastern Europe, the root soup is a delicate version of borscht, the cheese dumplings were actually gombotz before they landed in Shmil’s hands, and even the fettuccini and pasta are an upgraded recipe for LOKSHEN (Shmil uses dorum flour)..

Try the tart tatin with tomatoes and goat cheese, or the mushroom cheeseburger on briosh bread with mozarella served with fresh vegetables green salad and aioli dressing.

There is a special Friday menu with sandwiches, eggs, salads, smoked fish and much more.

A full writeup will appear here.

Click here for a 10% discount coupon on your next order at Shmil. Print out this coupon and present it at the restaurant.

Quarter Cafe

2010-09-13T11:51:00.001+02:00

Nestled into the heart of the Old City, the Quarter Café has been serving their excellent dairy menu and catering events since 1975. This is a dual-function restaurant. During the day they offer a fresh buffet, reservations not required. In the evenings they are open for parties of up to 65 guests. Uzi and Alon are the second generation owners having taken over from their father Yehuda Amidor.

An interesting historical side note: In 1977, Walter Cronkite broadcast his “CBS Evening News” show from the restaurants balcony as it was one of the highest points in the old city at the time, and offered beautiful views of the city. Cronkite may be gone but the views remain as gorgeous as ever.

The menu includes a bevy of dairy dishes, some handed down over generations. The morning brunch buffet includes salads like the Israeli corn salad with red peppers and dill, and carrot & sesame salad. There are also different types of cheese and a fresh assortment of omelets, quiche, bread and bagels.

For the Lunch buffet they have 10 different kinds of salad including those mentioned above among other choices like tuna & celery salad, and their homemade humus and tehina. The main dishes include fish, pasta, rice and more.

The restaurant was recently renovated with new air conditioning and better handicap access. Quarter Café is happy to host your events up to 65 people.

Besarim

2010-09-13T11:43:00.001+02:00

It started as a butcher shop in Zichron Yaakov. Then the butchers had the ingenious idea of opening a restaurant on the premises. Besarim restaurant is the first kosher butchery/restaurant of its kind in the country.

The restaurant is located in an enchanting and intimate spot in the Neve Habaron section of Zichron Yaakov. There is comfortable indoor and outdoor seating. The restaurant faces the sea, and outdoor diners will enjoy sea breezes.

Visit Besarim for quality fresh meat served up in a delightful setting. Meats go straight from the butchery to the grill so you can count on fresh and delicious dishes.

The menu starts with veal carpaccio , salmon seviche, and more. Primarily a meaty restaurant the hits just keep on rolling with main courses like entrecote, veal sirloin, veal fillet, kebabs, hamburgers, chorizos and a selection of chicken dishes. Vegetarians need not apply.

There is a sizable parking lot next to the restaurant.

2010-08-31T12:17:00.001+03:00

The folks who run the very successful Gabriel restaurant bring their expertise to the dairy kitchen in the new Gabriela restaurant.

The dairy Gabriela restaurant is located on the Shimon Ben Shetach walkway, next door to the original elegant Gabriel meat restaurant. The new sister restaurant Gabriela is a lighter, less expensive restaurant than its big sister. The day starts early and runs late, with delicious dishes cooking all day.

Mornings start at 8am with breakfast. This is no coffee, pasty and hit the road kind of place. There are many unique dishes. Start the day with Borick, a breakfast pastry with leaves of Filo dough filled with eggs and mashed potatoes, seasoned with herbs. Borick comes with a chaser of arak and red grapefruits. How about Green Space Iraqi herb pancakes made from spinach. For the conventional breakfast folks there is also home baked pita bread, a selection of Mazzetti, and a chopped vegetable salad served with natural juice and a hot beverage.

The menu is full of great salads, sandwiches, pizzas, and some amazing appetizers like the Figs Stuffed with goat cheese in red wine sauce on a bruschetta, and the Tomato Carpaccio Mozzarella cheese with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

There are a nice selection of enticing fish dishes. Like the Seared Buri, served with wild rice and white rice, cranberries and toasted almonds in Roquefort and cream sauce. And the Forell (Trout) Stuffed with feta cheese and spring onions wrapped in pâte feuilletée (flakey dough).

Bottom line...
If you enjoyed Gabriel restaurant (and who didn't enjoy Gabriel) give the new Gabriela a try

Papagaio Tel Aviv

2010-08-31T12:14:00.002+03:00

Been to Brazil recently?
No need for a passport when you visit Papagaio restaurants. The Papagaio restaurant chain has been around for about 10 years, but their two new kosher branches are open only a few months. Visit the kosher Papagaio restaurant in the Azrieli Center in Tel Aviv.

Papagaio is a South American meat restaurant with the emphasis on meat, meat and more meat, sizzling on the grill and brought to you in abundance. Meat lovers, take a look at the rotisseries on top of large gas fires at the cooking range near the entrance to the restaurant. It is impressive, even fun to watch. .

This is a restaurant with a lot of action. Waitresses are up and about between the tables carrying lovely looking trays laden with food and drinks. Grill men scurry about the restaurant wielding sword-length skewers of meat. There is bouncy South American background music and a houseful of guests. Not your quiet romantic hide-away, Papagaio is a hub of activity, as its name suggests.

Before you start the meal you will be offered cocktails. The waitress does not rattle off a list of drinks, she brings a display tray to your table, places it on a frame in the center, and you choose. These are alcoholic and non-alcoholic ice-cold sweet frothy fruit drinks. This is a very pleasant way of starting your meal and even though it will add a few shekels to your bill, we recommend that you indulge. The strawberry rum drink that I had was not very alcoholic and was a very pleasant opener to our dinner.

Now for the food. Papagaio specializes in Churrascaria, an "all you can eat" menu of meat or fish (NIS 125 meat, NIS 90 fish per person). There are smaller meals and standard one-plate dinners, but you have come to Papagaio for the variety, so go for it.

Your meal begins with bread served with vegetable dips. There is a cute Netilat Yadayim station not too far, so enjoy the bread. A tray of six marvelous vegetable dishes follows. There is a yummy sweet potato dish, and whole small aubergines in techina. There are onions cooked with garlic, a red pepper concoction, and others. You'll want more of everything, but don't do it! There is so much more to come.

And here it comes - two meat dishes to whet your pallet: barbequed chicken wings, and an attractive chopped meat dish. We had just tasted these when the waiters started the flow of grilled meat, brought to our table on sword-like skewers filled from top to bottom, fresh from the grill. You are invited to take as much meat as you want from the skewers and more whenever you want. But remember, there is always something else coming.

Officially there are 12 different meat choices in the Churrascarias dinner, but in practice there are more. The order is not pre-determined. It all depends on what comes off the grill when you get there. In our case, grilled chicken livers came first , followed by kebab. After that came barbecued chicken legs. So far everything was really very good.

Grilled chunks of white chicken meat in sweet sauce came next. Then came skewers of chorizo, spicy small piquant South American sausages. By this time I realized that, no matter how good they look, I must not take more than one small piece. More dishes kept coming. Be picky, you can afford to.

When they came with skewers of goose hearts, I passed. Organ meats are just not my style. I passed again on the Entrecote steak because it was well done and I prefer medium rare. A minute later they came again, this time with medium rare, just the way I like it. This was followed by sinta steak, also medium rare. They had learned how I like my meat.

If you need time to let the food settle before the next dish, flip the signal on your table to red. When you are ready for more, flip it to green. But you'll have to forgive the enthusiastic waiters. If they have a fresh batch of something that you haven't tried, they come over anyway. They keep track of which dishes you have not had yet. You can have as much of any as you want. If you want more just ask.

After the steak there was more steak, this time in garlic sauce - an extra, not part of the 12 dishes. Just when I thought this could not be topped, out came skewers of moulard. The meat was incredibly soft and buttery, and in my opinion, was the best dish of all.

"You have to try the ribs!" the waiter exclaimed as he brought out a rack of beef ribs, which he carved to order. I didn't think I could eat another thing but he knew a good customer when he saw one. The ribs were excellent, soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. I should mention that in between the waiters kept offering more of the meats that I had already tried, but I was close to bursting and tried to take only the meats I had not tried yet. I don't think I left anything out, but I might have.

By this time I was ready to waddle back to the car, but I had to have a small second helping of moulard. The truth is that I could barely eat it. But it was delicious.

While I was making my way through the grill, my companion set out to prove that you don't have to be a carnivore to enjoyed Papagaio. While her fish was grilling, she enjoyed the vegetables and the salads, and the "tasting" of outstanding grilled salmon that was given out to like jewels to select tables. The whole grilled Denise served with green salad made a very lovely dinner with a dish of potatoes that were served separately.

Finally, six amazing looking desserts were place in the center of our table for us to choose from. We looked at the desserts with desire in our eyes, but had to pass. We could not eat another thing.

Papagaio is a meat lovers paradise, and an experience not to be missed. Come hungry.

E-Zugi

2010-08-31T12:12:00.001+03:00

E-Zugi - the odd numbered restaurant, is anything but odd. If anything, it is a bit unconventional. Get ready for a new concept in dining.

E-Zugi restaurant is so named for the odd number of dishes that you will be ordering.
We explain...
Your dinnner at E-Zugi consists of several individual-sized dishes. These are not defined as appetizers, starters, mains, etc. They are each about the same size, and a selection of 3 or 5 of them - odd numbers only - make up a meal.

Following this concept, the menu is not divided into the conventional courses, but is one list of dishes. Choose whichever dishes you want as long as you are choosing an odd number.

For dinner, each menu item costs 39 shekels. This gives you the opportunity to try 3 or 4 dishes that will add up to a reasonably priced dinner.

The restaurant is located in the Leonardo hotel, on Habarzel St, in the Ramat Hahayal high tech park. Unconventional? That's a start.

Maxin

2010-08-31T12:01:00.000+03:00

Maxin Restaurant (formerly Yossi Peking) is a fine Oriental restaurant with a rich and diverse menu. The interior is modern and comfortable with soft dark colors and pleasing fabrics. At Maxin you will find a unique culinary experience with a relaxed and elegant atmosphere.

The menu contains many attractive dishes. Start with soups such as wonton, or hot and sour. There are also enticing appetizers such as Sesame chicken, fried wontons, chicken wings and something we are dying to try, Asian pizza.

Main courses are in four main groups. Chicken, beef, fish, and vegetarian. Chicken dishes include chicken with garlic Szechwan sauce, and Thai chicken. The beef entrees have many wonderful combinations like beef with onions and ginger. Or try the beef with garlic and coriander. The fish dishes are built around Amnon fish (tilapia) and are prepared in similar ways to the beef and chicken. Of course special consideration is taken to properly cook the delicate flesh of the fish. We were especially pleased to see a host of vegetarian dishes for the veggie lovers.

Maxin, it is reported, has the best sushi in Jerusalem. With all the competition in Jerusalem today you will have to make that decision yourself. Let us know.

Maxin is happy to host private events of up to 120 people..

Neuman's Rotisserie

2010-07-21T13:57:00.001+03:00

One look at the menu of Neuman’s Rotisserie and you can clearly see that this journey from Brooklyn to Israel was anything but direct. With a stop off in Paris and a nod to the 1962 Fiat 1100, this is a sandwich shop with broad appeal and extensive influences.

Just look at the starters. Slow roasted Chorizo sausages from Argentina, while chicken wings are an American classic.

Meat salads are unique, like the Roast Brisket salad, sliced and served with tomatoes, onions and red peppers on a bed of romaine and arugula lettuce with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. There is also a Chicken Caesar Salad, and a grilled vegetable salad.

Sandwiches include the The Argentinean Chorizo sausages, basted with Dijon mustard and mayo, roasted red peppers, red onions and Arugula lettuce. This is a fine blend of Northern and Southern American flavors. Non meat eaters will enjoy the Vegan sandwich with grilled vegetables; served with a medley of lettuces and drizzled with chimichurri and balsamic vinaigrette. The most popular is the Smitten Chicken made from their sliced rotisserie chicken combined with smith apples, radish and arugula lettuce dressed with jalapeño lime and curry mayo.

Don’t let the sandwiches fool you Neuman’s Rotisserie comes alive at dinner time. They specialize in juicy roast chickens, beef and chorizos all slow roasting in the special ovens in the back of the restaurant. If that was not enough to get your mouth to water, try the roasted potatoes. These sit at the bottom of the oven marinating all day in the rotisserie flavors. Try the ½ or ¼ roast chicken. These are cooked so that the meat is perfectly tender and are served with your choice of the house sauces like Curry Mayo, Jalapeno Lime, Chimichurri, Chipotle BBQ and more.

The restaurant is located just across the street from the Renanim mall in Raanana.

Deliveries of orders over NIS 60 are free.

Restaurant News and Specials

2010-07-13T13:15:00.007+03:00

Restaurant News and Specials

SIMON is a new solid meat restaurant in Petach Tikva. Just opened (in the high tech area), Simon welcomes eLuna members with a 15% discount from now through the end of July. The restaurant reserves the right to pull this offer any time so don't wait. Simon says. Click here for the more info.

Selina restaurant on Emek Refaim is offering 15% off from 5 - 7 pm daily. Take a discount coupon and enjoy.
Click here for the coupon.

KEDMA meat restaurant in Mamilla offers eLuna members 15% off from now through July 31st with this coupon.
Click here to get the special coupon.

THE SPAGHETTIS dairy restaurant in Mamilla offers eLuna members 15% off from now through July 31st with this coupon.
Click here to get the special coupon.

Add 1 shekel to the price of your main course and get a glass of Cava Sparkling Wine. This offer can be used together with the eLuna 10% discount coupon.
Click here to get the special coupon.

Add 1 shekel to the price of your main course and get a glass of Cava Sparkling Wine. This offer can be used together with the eLuna 10% discount coupon.
Click here to get the special coupon.

1+1 Breakfast at Luciana! Buy one breakfast and get the second (less expensive one) free. Valid from 9:30 am - 12:00 noon . This offer is valid Sunday through Thursday and cannot be combined with any other discount.
Click here to get the special coupon.

Add 1 shekel and get a free dessert of your choice from the menu. This offer is valid with the 10% eLuna discount but cannot be combined with other offers. More about this restaurant

Sushi Special at TAIKU
Sunday, Tuesday and Friday afternoons.
NIS 69 per person buys you a sushi platter that will be refilled till you say STOP! The platter includes the restaurant’s choice of sushi rolls from the Taiku specials.

Sunday & Tuesday 12 noon – 5pm. Friday from 11:00 – 3:30pm
Does not apply to take out and cannot be combined with any other offer.
More about this restaurant

Cafe Cafe

2010-07-12T13:19:00.003+03:00

Café Café is a proper coffee shop/dairy restaurant, spacious and elegant, with something for everyone, young or old, married or single. The Tel Aviv port branch of this restaurant chain is kosher, under the hashgacha of Rabbanut Tel Aviv, Mehadrin.

The restaurant menu includes fish, pasta, and more. Americans will appreciate the home-fries and everyone will love the newest addition to their menu: pizza. So bring the kids and the kids at heart. Don't miss the Cafe Cafe breakfast. There are many fine special meals, such as the salmon risotto with a cheese sauce, the quintessential comfort food, tasty and plentiful, nicely served in large bowls with enough to share. Life couldn’t be better.

The menu also offers a tempting selection of “nishnushim” and “tortillas.” These are enticing looking inexpensive dishes that are unique at Café Café restaurants.

The drinks at Café Café are worthy of mention. They offer a nice variety of hot and cold whipped drinks. Don’t miss the hot vanilla Swiss white chocolate drink. This is a delicious way to top off a Café Café dinner.

Villa Galilee

2010-07-12T12:58:00.003+03:00

Bistro Villa Galilee restaurant is tucked into the charming Villa Galilee boutique hotel, in the Canaana Mountain section of Safed . The hotel and everything about it including the restaurant, is very European. No wonder. The family who owns and runs the hotel and the restaurant came on Aliya from France and the European influence is pronounced.

Bistro Villa Galilee was originally a non kosher restaurant but from Pesach 2010 the restaurant became kosher under the hashgacha of the Safed Rabbanut. The family member who manages the restaurant is himself dati, and there is a full time mashgiach kashrut.

The restaurant is on the lobby level of the hotel. Once you make it to the pool/spa level (about 30 steps or up a serpentine ramp from the parking) you can hop the elevator up to the lobby.

The bistro is open for dinner only, Sunday – Friday from 7pm. In the evening the restaurant has a lovely romantic atmosphere. Tables are beautifully set with cloths and tableware, making it most inviting. Along with the rest of the hotel, the restaurant is decorated with an eclectic collection of plates, pictures and reproductions of classic French art. Wall lighting gives the restaurant a very pleasant glow, and indeed you will feel like you are in a beautiful European restaurant.

When we visited this restaurant at 8:00pm mid week, it was at least half full. We found a cozy table in the corner, blocked from the kitchen by an impressive massive dark wood screen. The pleasant waiter addressed us immediately bringing us menus in both Hebrew and English. In Bistro fashion, this is a one-page menu (in a civilized plastic holder) with starters and main courses. There were just a limited number of very appetizing dishes.
To work!

As I am using my restaurant reviewing opportunities to do a comparative study of gnocchi in restaurants throughout Israel, my choice was obvious, It was to be the gnocchi starter followed by the only fish main course on the menu. There was a full array of meat dishes, and if I have one suggestion for this restaurant it would be to add at least one good vegetarian main course. My companion, in his usual fashion, could not disagree with me more. He chose both a beef starter and a beef main course.

Out came the munch-on-this-while you-wait house foccacia served with a light mustard and a pesto dip. The bread was a simple plate of squares of cake-like bread. No fancy baskets and no fancy rolls. Just delicious, warm, and definitely freshly baked bread. Ziiing! Control, I said to myself (and to my hungry companion) hoping that I would be able to abide by my own warning. A full dinner is ahead of us.

I like a restaurant where the starters are just that, and are not so massive that they rival the main dish. This is especially true for gnocchi, which is a heavy carb. The starter was a very reasonable but not overwhelming portion. The gnocchi at Bistro Villa Galilee is potato based, and is served with a sauce of diced fresh tomatoes seasoned with fresh herbs and topped with scallions. The gnocchi pieces are oblong rather than the usual round shape. The flavors were very pleasing and it was a good choice starter. This gnocchi gets a perfect 10.

My companion was served a very beautifully presented roast beef starter. These were slices of cold entrecote meat raosted medium (brown on the outside, red on the inside) sliced thin with a smear of Dijon mustard (mustard with horseradish) on one side, grilled pepper slices on the other side and sprinkled with a garnish of garlic and scallions. This is not at all an Israeli dish, but very tasty. Recommended.

The fish and the meat main courses were served on different types of plates. This is a popular trend at restaurants today that gets my rousing approval. The different plates add variety and visual interest to the table. Though plated differently, both my dining companion and I were served the same vegetables, he with meat and I with fish. No complaints on that score. The fresh green beans were perfectly cooked. The slices of seasoned and baked potatoes, glazed onions (I would not have complained if there were more of those on the plate), and one slice of beet were delicious. The fish fillet was breaded and baked, soft and tasty. This was a very satisfying, hearty and delicious meal.

My companion chose the spare ribs, thinking he was going to get a dish out of the Western US, with bones and barbeque sauce. Wrong part of the world, but he was not disappointed. The spare ribs (three double thick pieces of veal) were off the bone and cooked in wine sauce. French, not Western, but great nonetheless. The meat was cooked medium again, red in the middle and brown on the outside. The menu promised chili and soy sauce, but if so, they were blended perfectly into the wine sauce. The sides on this dish, as mentioned, were the same as for my fish, except for a smear of Dijon mustard on the side of the plate. The meat was set off perfectly by the half-bottle of Carmel Rekes Adom (based on Carignan) wine provided on the house. .

From our experience I must conclude that the kitchen at Bistro Villa Galilee must be very well managed. We were served almost immediately and there was no dilly dallying between courses. The restaurant was pretty full, the dishes were coming out of the kitchen at a clip and all the guests were being served. This is a rare phenomenon at restaurants and a feature that we appreciated.

Dessert?
Who could say no.

There were three choices. We passed on the malabi and chose instead the chocolate mousse and the apple pie. The generous slice of apple pie had a very home-made feel without compromising on the professional presentation. The chocolate mousse was nice for variety, but it is possible to pass on this.

The bottom line:
A perfect ten for Bistro Villa Galilee. Great food, great atmosphere, service, and all the rest. This is one of the excellent meat restaurants in Israel, and certainly one of very few high quality restaurants in Safed. We recommend it highly.
B’teavon.

Keshet Hachurva

2010-07-12T12:54:00.001+03:00

If you have not yet visited the rebuilt Churva Synagogue in Jerusalem's old city you now have one more reason to go. A new restaurant, Keshet Hachurva, has just opened adjacent to the Churva Synagogue. Keshet Hachurva is a dairy French restaurant with a diverse menu. They have pastas, sandwiches, salads. pizza, and a nice selection of fish. They even have some specialty stews.

Keshet Hachurva has 40 seats inside and another 40 outside. The menu is full of dairy dishes with Israeli flair. They have soups, salads and different kinds of omelets. Try the smoked salmon omelet, or the King David salad with fresh vegetables, mozzarella cheese, and sundried tomatoes. Or try the pastas, pizzas, and bagels. There are also many delicious dessert options like cheesecake, and hot pies.

The restaurant and the entire building was designed as a community center. The restaurant hosts kiddushim and Bar Mitzvot on Shabbat.

2010-06-21T12:11:00.002+03:00

Recommendations are best when they come from the locals. Who knows better than the people who live in the area? Beef Bahar was recommended to us by people who live in the north. You can't get a better recommendation than that.

Yaara is a northern yeshuv about as close to the Lebanese border as you can get without being on the other side. We drove up to Yaara from the center of the country in just under two hours - a time frame that was disturbingly close, to say the least.

The economy of the Galil rests largely on tourism, so you will see restaurant and zimmerim wherever you turn. Beef Bahar was recommended to us by one of the locals "in the know" so we drove past several promising establishments on our way to this restaurant.

You’ll have to look a bit to find this restaurant. Enter the main street of Yaara and keep on driving, following the signs to Beef Bahar. Just before you give up you will see the restaurant on the right hand side of the road.

A wooden deck and a good few steps will take you down from street level and out back to the restaurant. You'll notice as you enter, the full glass wall showing a totally wow view of the mountain that is the restaurant's namesake. Now for the rest of the namesake: the beef.

The menu is short and to the point. There is a short list of starters, all meat based, though I believe that some can be ordered without the meat. Main courses are largely meat offerings, but there are also fish options. When our order was taken, the table was filled with 12 small plates of salads and a large round loaf of flat bread. These were all vegetable based salads and were quite tasty indeed.

My companion, hungry from the drive, chose a starter of a whole roasted eggplant covered with a large portion of ground veal. In this dish the ground veal substituted for the tehina which usually comes with this dish. The portion was very generous and could easily be shared by two diners.

For our main courses my companion again went with the meat and I, the fish. Whole and grilled is what you get, no matter what fish you order, I chose the Denise which was indeed served whole and charcoal grilled, with a large mound of salad. The fish was quite tasty and the meal was satisfying. My companion had the chicken breast platter that was served with rice, grilled peppers of all colors, vegetables, and fresh rocket leaves. All of this was served with a huge bowl of crispy fries that come with the order.

Your shekel goes a long way at Beef Bahar restaurant. The portions were so large neither of us could finish them and here is a first - we actually left several fries at the bottom of the bowl. Take our advise and order one dish less than you plan. The portions are so big you will never be able to finish them.

I dare you to be able to eat a dessert after a 2-course meal at Beef Bahar. Though we generally like to try one dessert between the two of us for the write up, there was no way that we could even consider another dish. The meal is so filling were not able to think about food for several hours.

Our bill for salads, one meat starter, two mid-priced main courses, one beer and one cola came to nis 214.

There is an ante-room, several dining areas and an outdoor seating area, All are clean and comfortable, air conditioned (except the outdoor area of course). There is a large flat screen TV. If you sit in the enclosed porch facing the mountain, you will have a fantastic view, but you might have to share the area with smokers. Our smokers were courteous and took their smokes outdoors before coming in to be served.

Simon

2010-06-21T12:04:00.002+03:00

eLuna.com is pleased to introduce Simon a new chef meat restaurant in Petach-Tikva. This restaurant is brought to you by the owners of the sucessful Borchov 88 restaurant in Raanana. Now the young men who made that dairy restaurant so popular are trying their hand at a classy meat restaurant..

Simon is a fine restaurant with a lovely atmosphere and delicious food. The decor is fresh and lovely and the ambiance is pleasant and relaxing. The culinary adviser was the famous Ronen Dovrat, known for his work at some of the best restaurants in the country.This level of dining is new to Petach Tikva, and we welcome the initiative. What awaits you at Simon is a great dining experience and a lovely evening.

Red Heifer Steakhouse

2010-06-21T11:56:00.002+03:00

The Red Heifer Steak house is one of the legendary grill restaurants in Jerusalem. This restaurant is famous for its excellent meats and for the kashrut, Rabbanut Yerushalayim and OU glatt. The restaurant's central location on King George St makes this a convenient place to dine..

The menu starts lightly with several nice fresh salads. The Market Fresh Salad with romaine lettuce, mixed baby greens, tomatoes, and onions topped with peppers & carrots can be topped off with chicken or beef. The appetizers include the Red Heifer Sizzlers: battered breast of chicken strips served with spicy red sauce. Or try the Smoked Turkey Porto bello sliced smoked turkey served on grilled porto bello mushroom with garlic-basil sauce.

Then comes the steaks. They have the Red Heifer Classic Rib eye Steak in several sizes, they also have steaks served in Whiskey Sauce, or the special Barbeque sauce. There is also a nice selection of main courses like Beef Stroganoff and Ranch Chicken strips of breast of chicken served with lightly grilled vegetables in house garlic-basil sauce served with roasted potatoes. For fans of a less meaty approach there are fish options.

Visit this restaurant with your spouse, your friends or with the whole family. You will be pleased to find a very nice children’s menu with dishes sized and priced appropriately for the junior generation..

Red Heifer Steak house is pleased to cater your next event.

Ben Ami

2010-06-21T11:53:00.002+03:00

Ben Ami began humbly in the pastoral village of Kfar Vitkin. Master baker, Ben Ami would take orders from the locals for his specialty cakes and baked goods. Ben Ami expanded and opened a professional industrial kitchen where he could produce enough to meet the growing demand from his fans. Ben Ami cakes became a known quantity, carried by fine (dairy) restaurants and coffee shops throughout the country.

Some years ago Ben Ami opened coffee shops under his name. The newest addition to his family of bakery/coffee shops is on Jerusalem's Emek Refaim. The menu offers a wonderful selection of made to order dairy dishes. Start with breakfast. Ben Ami offers a wonderful array of light pastries and sandwiches like the Croissant sandwich a butter croissant, with scrambled eggs & fresh herbs. Or try the Pesto brioche served with garlic confit, grilled tomato, goat cheese, and pine nuts. The lunch and dinner menu opens into a unique and swirling mix of Mediterranean flavors and French ideas. Try the Salmon Quiche Lorraine filled with smoked salmon served with green salad, or the Tomato & Shallot Tatin with caramelized tomato and shallots served with green salad. They also have salads, sandwiches, pastas, pizza and a whole lot more.

Ben Ami also has a catering and delivery service.

Market Arena

2010-06-09T11:43:00.003+03:00

The new Market Arena is my kind of restaurant.

Here’s what I love about Market Arena:
This is a restaurant where you can have your food the way you like it. You can have small or large portions, “tasting” dishes and large “sharing” dishes. This is a serious meat restaurant but non meat eaters will find a great variety of veggies and fish dishes to enjoy. Their unconventional approach to dining is great fun. The foods are delicious. The location could not be better, with parking and easy access. And the price is right.

Let me tell you more…..
The restaurant is located in the Arena mall at the Herzlia Boat Marina. It occupies the space of the former Papagaio restaurant. Park your car in the underground lot as close to the yellow section as you can and elevator up to the first floor. The restaurant is on the opposite side of the elevator, from Bistro 56. Parking is free. With the exception of one or two low steps you can consider this a wheelchair friendly restaurant. Bathrooms are on the dining level.

Everything at this restaurant is as you like it, including the seating. There is indoor seating and outdoor seating overlooking the Marina. Inside the tables suit the size of your party, whatever it may be. There are bar stools of every height: standard tall bar stools and more comfortable bar chairs on an elevated platform alongside the bar. There is also a private room with glass doors that can seat about 50 people comfortably. Keep that in mind when you make your next party.

The design of the restaurant suites its concept. Here you will feel that you are enjoying the freshest foods from the market. Forget the crowded smelly shuk. This is the "upmarket" version. Baskets of gorgeous vegetables are scattered here and there and the menu items are named for the theme.

When you take your seat you will be offered a refreshing grapefruit juice cocktail with herbs. The menu (in Hebrew and in English) is a one page affair with a short list of starters and a long list “from the Butchery.” Tacked on to the menu is a list of small dishes that you can order for nis 15 each.

We were still trying to figure out the strategy for the evening when “the peddler” approached our table with a tray of these small dishes. We chose 3 vegetarian salads that appeared substantial enough to share, and one order of focaccio served with 4 dips. Choosing the starters live, from an actual tray (the way they do with desserts at some restaurants), and not from the list on paper, was very nice. Being able to try several small portions and get explanations from the peddler was fun.

My carnivorous companion struggled to choose his main course from among the many meat dishes. They range from the less expensive hamburger to the rib eye and sirloin steak. You will never guess what he chose! Thankfully the meat dishes come in two sizes: 300 grams and 500 grams which is probably good for sharing. That very day, the staff told us, there were two tables that ordered the 1 kilo mixed grill that is not currently on the menu. This is great fun for 3 or 4 people at one table sharing. Other meat dishes include the “shuk-shuka” which is shakshuka with sausages. There are also meat balls with eggplant and pomegranate, and many other meat dishes. Non meat eaters can enjoy the gnocchi and several fish choices.

I was up for a modest main course that evening and I was please to see that the fish dish could be ordered with two fillets or with just one. The one expertly prepared and totally delicious fillet was served on a bed of roasted vegetables in a tin pan right out of the oven. Speaking of right out of the oven, my companion’s rib eye steak was served on a sizzling platter-size skillet with crispy chips and roasted onions and tomatoes. The dish was so large he could not finish all the chips – a first for him.

All of these dishes were served up by a delightful waitress who is clearly enthusiastic both about the concept and the food.

What’s for dessert? Let me assure you, nothing standard. Again in the spirit of the marketplace and with a smattering of food theater, we were treated to an ice cream dessert with toppings of your choice. Again, you choose. On a tray at our table, a half-liter container of parve ice cream was placed on a cold metal sheet. We chose from 6 different toppings which were then cut and blended into the ice cream before our eyes. The blended result was then distributed into two dessert bowls so that we could both enjoy this creative dessert.

Who comes up with all these creative culinary ideas? The menu and all the foods are under the skillful hand of Chef Guy Harel who comes to this restaurant with a great culinary background. He launched his career with Chef Kadosh, went on to receive a culinary degree in France, experience in two well known French restaurants, work with Chef Ezra Kedem back in Israel, and more.

In conclusion: my companion and I enjoyed a lovely dinner at Market Arena on the outdoor deck overlooking the boat marina. It was a beautiful evening. The food was delicious. The service, excellent. It was a “what a wonderful world” moment. B’teavon!

batzal Yarok

2010-05-26T12:59:00.004+03:00

Batzal Yarok (Scallion) restaurant is a Netanya institution. The restaurant has been in this location for many years and it has a following of happy customers. The restaurant is an integral part of the Netanya pedestrian walkway. We wouldn't recognize the midrachov without Batzal Yarok. You can sit in the outdoor courtyard, watch the folks walk by, and enjoy the Netanya sea breeze or you can sit in the modern beautifully decorated and air conditioned interior.

The menu at Batzal Yarok is Italian dairy. Here you will find a selection of pasta dishes and pizza. Other dairy delights include soups, salads, omelets, sandwiches, and toasts. For the main course try the pastas like the fettuccini salmon, or the sweet potato ravioli. One of the highlights at this restaurant is the fresh fish, shown in a display case at the entrance. to the restaurant. Fish is delivered every day and indeed, there is nothing as nice as a delicious fish meal enjoyed in a seaside restaurant.

Many local Netanya folks like to visit Batzal Yarok for their popular breakfasts. Try the Israeli breakfast with eggs, salad, spreads coffee and juice. The beauty of Batzal Yarok is that it works any time of day. You can stop in for a cup of coffee in the morning, break for a quick lunch, or enjoy a romantic evening in the beautiful setting. For dessert be sure to try their pastries, all made in house. All of their desserts are out of this world and are part of the calling card of the restaurant.

Batzal Yarok is happy to host private events of up to 100 people.

Moshiko

2010-05-24T13:10:00.002+03:00

"The Castel" is the neighborhood of Mevaseret Zion on the opposite side of the highway where the Harel Mall is located. Exiting Highway #1 going toward Jerusalem, turn right in the direction of the Castel. Follow the signs to The Castel but don't turn off the main drag. Keep going straight and you will see the blue and green sign MOSHIKO on your left.

It is amazing - and a sign of our times - that this historic area has become a busy commercial center with shops and restaurants Throughout history these mountains, overlooking the route to Jerusalem from the coast, have been of great strategic importance, protectng Jerusalem from armies advancing from the west. This area was home to the Biblical city Efron, which bordered the lands of Yehudah and Binyamin. The Romans built a fortress on these heights, the Crusaders built a castle on the ruins of this fortress, and a modern day muhktar built his house on the ruins of the Crusader castle.

Fast forward several centuries to Israel's War of Independence, when, because of its strategic importance the Castel was the scene of fierce battles. Sixty years later, In the vision of the prophet (well, almost), swords have been beaten into... spoons and forks. The area today called The Castel - but not quite at the castle - is a busteling commercial area lined with shops and restaurants.

The main street is called Sderot Hahotzvim, I assume because of the stone quarry that was established in the early years of the state to employ the immigrants living in Mevaseret Zion. Prominent on this street, is kosher meat restaurant. MOSHIKO. You will see the restaurant, with its bright blue and green sign, coming from The Castel on the left side of the road.

Moshiko at the Castel is the flagship restaurant in the Moshiko chain. This branch is a modern attractive well lit restaurant with plenty of comfortable table and bar seating. The cooking happens behind a counter at the entrance to the restaurant. There you will see a healthy slab of shwarma rotating over a flame. The grill is next to this, with burgers, steaks and other meats grilled when they are ordered. Help yourself to the salads and condiments from orderly, clean and well-stocked self-serve bins at the entrance.

The restaurant does a lively take away business. We were pleased to see that when preparing a lafa for take-out the chef donned plastic gloves, wrapped the shwarma in the flat bread and placed it in a paper holder. This is refreshingly sanitary for a grill restaurant.

Finding Moshiko is easy, parking is even easier, seating is comfortable and the classical Israeli style grill food is appetizing.

Art Meat

2010-05-24T13:08:00.002+03:00

Art Meat is one of the new wave restaurants offering the best in quality meat dishes without compromising the kashrut. The restaurant is mehadrin under the hashgacha of Rabbanut Ramat Gan. The meat is under the hashgacha Rav Machphud and the chicken is under the hashgacha of Rav Landa.

Owner Shaul knows his business. He comes from a family of restaurateurs. Chef Yoel Arditi comes to the restaurant from the famous non-kosher Rafael and Rushfield restaurants. He describes the restaurant as a meat restaurant, not gourmet. What this means is that the emphasis is on the quality of the meat, the aging and the cooking, and not on fancy sauces or complicated dishes. The dishes are basic. The foods are presented nicely but simply without too much "handling."

The art of Art Meat begins when the meat enters the restaurant. The meat comes from South America and from local suppliers. It is carefully aged for at least 3 weeks and processed by the restaurant’s expert butchers so that it is absolutely perfect when it gets to your plate.

The appetizers will whet your appetite for the serious business ahead. For starters we enjoyed the vegetarian grilled eggplant and the chicken wings. The chicken wings were crispy and just a touch spicy. We also tried the corned beef starter, paper-thin slices of salt beef on balsamic vinegar with a bit of roquette (arugula) salad. This was a most unique dish, very tasty and nevertheless suitable for people who prefer not to eat Carpaccio. These were served with the house bread, which is coarsely cut dark bread flavored with walnuts. Delicious.

My companion had the fresh Denis fish: two filets baked and grilled to crisp them served with a mound of rice. She was pleased by the flavor (not fishy) and texture. I had the sinte (Sirloin or NY cut) steak, a large piece (300 grams) grilled to a perfect medium as I had requested. This was truly one of the best steaks I have ever had, juicy, soft, not fatty, and perfectly seasoned with coarse salt and coarse ground pepper. Visually it was a picture – dark on the outside with the grill marks that you see on touched-up advertisements. It is a bit pricey at 125 shekels, but an unusual and memorable dining experience.

Other main dishes available are hamburger (especially for the kids), ravioli and pargiot (breast of spring chicken). The downside is that the main dishes do not come with side dishes. These must be ordered separately. Fries are 14 shekels, but they are made in-house and are well worth the price. Desserts are about 32 shekels and are also made in-house. We had the chocolate soufflé with espresso, to top off a lovely and very filling meal.

The restaurant boasts an impressive wine list that they offer at competitive prices. The house wine is the Tishbi Estate. The restaurant also offers some of the favorite boutique wines such as Gush Etzion, etc.

Soya

2010-05-24T13:07:00.002+03:00

Soya is a small restaurant on Rachel Imenu Street in The German Colony, just steps away from Emek Refaim, one of the most hip neighborhoods in the city. The meat menu is Rabbanut mehadrin.

Soya is an Asian-style fast food restaurant offering delicious stir-fried dishes and other Asian specialties. These are prepared for you when you make your order. The meat menu has a nice variety of dishes. Start with snack sized portions of eggrolls or Sata, a traditional Asian dish of marinated meat skewers dipped in peanut sauce.

You will also enjoy great rice and noodle dishes with meat, vegetables or tofu. These dishes come with your choice of sauce, each named after an area in the Far East. The Shanghai is honey soy sauce, and the Delhi is curry and coconut. They also have sandwiches, salads and a number of main courses like Teriyaki Veal, and Bombay Eggplant, with chicken humus and vegetables in curry sauce.

Don’t forget the sushi!

El Gaucho Netanya

2010-05-04T16:12:00.002+03:00

El Gaucho is a nationwide chain of Argentine grill restaurants. All of the restaurants in the chain have the same menu, but some of the restaurants in the chain do not have a Kashrut certificate. Verify the status of the Kashrut when you make your reservation.

The hashgacha in the El Gaucho restaurant in Netanya is Rabanut Netanya.

The restaurant is located in the Carmel Netanya hotel, with a view to the Meditteranean. If you like good grilled meat in a lovely setting you are in the right place.

The meat at El Gaucho is imported from South America. It is then aged and processed to tenderize and increase its tastiness and juiciness. Your meat is prepared fresh by the El-Gaucho grill chef when you make your order.

At El Gaucho you order your meal by weight. Meat portions range from 250 to 350 grams. The El Gaucho menu contains pictures of the foods so you can get your order right the first time.

It is recommended that you order a small first course to temper your appetite while your meat is being prepared.

Your meal is served at your table on an individual mini grill with simmering coals. This keeps your food warm while preserving the special grilled flavor of the meat. Eat your meat as they do in South America, on a "Pariza" which is a wooden platter.

Although the meat is the calling card of this restaurant, fish and vegetable dishes are also available.

Read Sam Orbaum's account of his experience at El Gaucho in Jerusalem.

The Spaghettis

2010-04-28T14:31:00.002+03:00

The Spaghettis is the most recent addition to the restaurants in Mamilla Shopping center. Located in the indoor mall on the third floor, it's a reasonably priced Mahadrin Italian family restaurant. The restaurant boasts a warm comfortable atmosphere with bookshelves built into the walls, a full bar and great music. The outdoor section is a beautiful balcony overlooking the old city.

The menu offers spaghetti with over 15 sauces to choose from. They also serve specialty pastas like gnocchi, ravioli, cannelloni and lasagna. In addition to the pasta they offer a wide selection of pizzas and fish dishes. My partner and I went to check it out this past Motzei Shabbat. All the waiters speak English and are very amiable, attentive and helpful.

For the appetizers we ordered the Portobello Mushrooms with Garlic and the house olives. Both were excellent. Next our waiter recommended the Cesar Salad. It was enough for the two of us to share. For the main course I had the Spaghetti with Pomodoro Alla Panna sauce (also recommended by our waiter) which is a slightly creamy tomato sauce. The portions are generous. My partner had the salmon fillet topped with sun dried tomatoes and garlic cloves next to a side of tangy steamed string beans. We both agreed that while everything was delicious the salmon was our favorite dish.

For dessert I had a hot pear pie served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and my partner had the mousse mekupelet. Dining at The Spaghettis was truly a treat and every dish that we saw around the restaurant looked delicious.

You'll find something for everyone and at reasonable prices. Pizzas are an average of 40 nis, as are the salads. Spaghetti will run you a bit more and fish averages prices at about 90 nis.

Mamilla Shopping Center offers free underground parking for the first 2 hours.Take 1 elevator to get to the ground floor and one from the ground floor in the shopping center up to the restaurant. While there is not a special kids menu they serve Pizza and Spaghetti which is a kids menu in itself and it is definitely a family friendly and wheelchair friendly restaurant. The style is clearly Modern Italian, complete with a paper table cover that shows you pictures of cooking utensils and how to say them in Italian. If its a nice day I recommend sitting outdoors. Since the balcony is also the roof of the shopping center you get a beautiful view of the old city walls.

Kedma

2010-04-28T14:29:00.000+03:00

Kedma restaurant, located above The Gap in beautiful Mamilla, is a fine kosher deli. The restaurant was designed to fit right in to the modern stylized promenade rich in history. Enjoy the view from the restaurant’s porch - one of the best vantage points in Jerusalem. Sweeping across the old city one can see from the Jaffa gate, to the City of David, and on.

Kedma prides itself on its Corned Beef. But there are many other delicious items on the menu. For your appetizer the menu offers items such as beef carpaccio and Caesar salad with chicken. The main courses are also special, with dishes like the entrecote steak and slow cooked beef stew. For dessert try the warm chocolate cake, or the lemon pie.

Business lunch: Add 12 NIS to the price of the main course and get a first course, main course and a drink!

Smachot: Kedma hosts parties of up to 60 people inside, or up to 200 people on our porch overlooking the old city walls and the tower of David.

Private VIP room is available for parties of up to 12 people.

Feel'in

2010-04-28T14:27:00.003+03:00

From Our Readers:
Submitted by:Joanne Haas Barth Date: March 10. Description: I wanted to recommend a brand-new Mehadrin restaurant where myself and a friend dined last night. It's called "Feel'in" and it's a dairy, French restaurant. It's on Yad Harutzim, on the corner of Rivka (it's 4 Yad Harutzim I believe but am not certain of the address).

First of all, the restaurant itself is designed beautifully and tastefully. (The bathrooms were clean and beautiful as well.) There is quiet Israeli music playing in the background. The delightful waitress came immediately to seat us and put fresh bread and 2 spreads, avocado and olive, in front of us while we perused the menu. (She replaced the empty dishes of avocado and olive spread with full ones without having to be asked....) She also offered suggestions, which we took advantage of. We ordered the trio sauce (not sure of the name) noodles, and the salmon with silan and some other sauce (delicious!) with creamy mashed potatoes. We drank water and a grapefruit juice. We shared a banana split full of whipped cream and nuts (divine).

We had a lovely evening and felt like we were treated like royalty. I would recommend this restaurant highly and would love for you to experience it as well.

Joy

2010-04-13T12:52:00.002+03:00

Add one shekel to the price of your main course and get a glass of Cava Sparkling Wine. This offer can be used together with the eLuna 10% discount coupon.
Click here to get the special coupon.

Luciana

2010-04-13T12:49:00.002+03:00

Luciana in Jerusalem has two wonderful offers for you.

Add one shekel to the price of your main course and get a glass of Cava Sparkling Wine. This offer can be used together with the eLuna 10% discount coupon.
Click here to get the special coupon.

1+1 Breakfast at Luciana! Buy one breakfast and get the second (less expensive one) free. Valid from 9:30 am - 12:00 noon . This offer cannot be combined with any other discount.
Click here to get the special coupon.

Bonofait

2010-04-13T12:11:00.003+03:00

Charming BONOFAIT Restaurant that put Kfar Ruth on the map, has moved to a new and beautiful location in the Commercial Center Lev Reut.
For a limited time only: With every purchase of NIS 100 at the restaurant, you will receive 100 grams of cookies free.

Cafe Alexander

2010-04-13T12:08:00.002+03:00

Why Alexander? you might ask.
Cafe Alexander is named for its location on Alexander Yanai Street. No point being on a street with a significant name, and not recognizing its importance.

Who was Alexander Yanai? you might ask.
A Hasmonean King and the great-grandson of Matityahu, the Kohen Gadol from the Chanukah story. Want to refresh your memory? See a full explanation on the Cafe Alexander website.

Another thing that you will learn on the Cafe Alexander website is how they make their coffee. The beans come from Costa Rica, Panama, and Yemen. They roast them on the premises and blend them for exceptional cappuccino and espresso flavors. They also have a coffee center with whatever you need to enjoy a great cuppa at home.

Though the coffee is enough to draw you to Café Alexander, it is not the only draw. The atmosphere is delightful, with its high-acoustic ceiling, oak paneling, marble-top counter, and surround-sound music. All of this contributes to an intimate, cozy and comfortable cafe experience.

Cafe Alexander offers a menu full of freshly made foods like breakfast meals with eggs, bourekas with cheese or spinach, and the Israeli classic; shakshuka. They also offer a number of salads and sandwiches like the Shuk Sandwich with roasted eggplant, tomatoes, tehina and pickles. Or try the Alexander Salad with lettuce, tomato, onion, vinaigrette, croutons, topped with feta cheese.

Don't miss Cafe Alexander's fresh baked desserts like Apple Pie, and Cheesecake.

Prime Grill

2010-04-13T11:59:00.004+03:00

Prime Grill is a new (Mehadrin) steak-house in Tel Aviv.The restaurant prides itself on serving the best cuts of meat, in a great Tel Aviv location. This fine invested restaurant is located just across from the shore in a busy entertainment area of the city.

The menu is... can you guess? Meat. Start with the Prime Meat Sausage, or the grilled goose liver served on a bed of kadaif noodles, date honey and nuts. But it is not just meat at Prime Grill. Don't miss out on the wonderful fish starters like the cold-cured salmon with red salmon caviar, or the ceviche; marinated fish, tabouli salad, tomato seeds and olive oil. You will also enjoy the house focaccia, or a fresh salad.

For the main course prepare yourself for meat and more meat.The menu offers Sirloin Steak, Prime Rib, Filet, Veal, Lamb Chops, and more. They also have some delicious sauces like Chili Pepper, BBQ, 3-Mustard, and Chimichurri. Looking for an alternative Prime Grill also offers several fish options. For side dishes choose from the vegetable menu or the potato menu. There are savory favorites like Chili Potatoes and Fried Potato Skins, or try the Grilled Asparagus, or the Stir-Fried mushrooms.

Oh yeah and dessert. With options like Apple Crumble with ice cream, chocolate mousse and more, this is a great way to top off your meal.

Izy's Chicken Grill

2010-04-13T11:55:00.003+03:00

zy’s Chicken Grill in Beer Sheva offers full meat meals during the day. There are a variety of starters like Liver Pate, Edamame, and Empanadas. For the main course there are steaks, hamburgers and many different types of chicken. There is also salmon for the fish lovers.

Some highlights include the New Orleans Chicken Breast, and the house specialty Fried Chicken. From the Beef side of the menu try the Chili Con Carne, or the mixed grill for 2. This comes with; 4 lamb kebabs, 2 chicken breasts, 2 pargiyot, 2 entrecote skewers, and two side dishes.

Prices range from nis 78 (Steak) to nis 30 for some chicken dishes.

Families are welcome at the restaurant and there is a children's menu.

At 10:00pm the restaurant transforms into a bistro-bar where you can get drinks and tapas.

There is seating for 100 guests inside and for an additional 60 outside.

Soupizza

2010-04-13T11:53:00.002+03:00

SouPizza in Tel Aviv is a quaint neighborhood restaurant with a following. Folks love this restaurant for its informal atmosphere, personal attention, friendly attitude and good food. The menu is a combination of two worlds: the world of soup, and the Italian Kitchen.

The atmosphere is whimsical and traditional with red and white checked tablecloths, and many Italian flourishes. To add to that, the creative menu and competitive prices are an open invitation to new diners, who will find the restaurant impossible to resist.

In the SouPizza soup menu offers a number of fresh soups. Made daily they also change daily so call ahead or be surprised when you sit down.

On the main menu you will find a variety of Italian dishes like pasta and calzone.The thin crust pizzas is one of the very popular dishes, for good reason. The Italian dessert menu includes the traditional tiramisu with other items such as pear tart.

Fridays from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm SouPizza offers a special breakfast with many unique dishes.

Pesach on eLuna

2010-03-16T15:15:00.004+02:00

Click through to view the current eLuna Pesach Restaurant page. You can look at which restaurants are open on Chol Hamoed Pesach and their kitniyuot status. This is an evolving list so please check this list during Chol Hamoed for the most up to date information.
Regarding Kitniyot: please note that we report it as the restaurants tell us. Please check the kitniyot status yourself with the restaurant when you make your reservations.

Olive Leaf

2010-03-16T15:01:00.004+02:00

The Olive Leaf is the classy restaurant in the Sheraton Tel-Aviv hotel. Not to be confused with the Sheraton Moriah, the Sheraton Tel-Aviv is just a few meters south of the Moriah at the traffic circle on Hayarkon Street. The entrance to the underground parking lot is from the rear of the hotel, which is especially convenient if you come from the north.

The Olive Leaf is a beautiful, modern, comfortable restaurant with Mediterranean style decor. The large windows of the restaurant overlook the Mediterranean Sea. As you dine you can watch the white waves lap up against the Tel-Aviv shore. The muted shades of green, suggest ….you guessed it olive trees. The restaurant is decked out in beautiful olive wood trimmed in tile and decorated with natural clay pots and dry plants. The wooden tables which are covered in cloth for dinner but exposed for lunch, have embedded tiles that are painted with olive trees.

The Olive Leaf Restaurant features creative kosher cuisine. This is a sensual, culinary experience rich in colors, flavors and fragrance. Olive Leaf specializes in meat and fish dishes. Vegetarians will find some options and the chef will improvise something marvelous from among the vegetable creations that are part of so many of these dishes.

A full write up of this restaurant will appear in this space.

Primavera

2010-03-16T14:58:00.002+02:00

Now open in the Prima Tel Aviv hotel, Primavera is a classic dairy Italian restaurant (mehadrin). The setting is beautiful with sweeping views of the beach and the surrounding area. This is definitely a wonderful and relaxing place to have a meal.

Led by Chef Roi Cohen, and Avi Brans the restaurant is creative in its approach to a well known style of cooking. Chef Cohen studied at the Tadmor School, worked in a variety of restaurants and founded the Park Side restaurant in London.

The menu includes soups, quiche, salads, fish and much more. Some highlights include appetizers like the Aubergine Cream Roll which is an oven-baked aubergine filled with cream cheese, pesto and pine nuts, served with a sweet red-pepper dip. They also offer Gnocchi, Cheese and Sundried Tomatoes. The gnocchi is filled with ricotta, Bulgarian cheese, parmesan and sundried tomatoes, served in rose cream of tomato and tarragon sauce. For cheese lovers try the Cannelloni and Cheese which are fresh past rolls filled with ricotta and parmesan in a salamander in bechamel and mozzarella sauce.

Primavera can host events up to 100 people in the restaurant or in a private room. They also have a catering service.

Jan's Tea House

2010-03-16T14:55:00.000+02:00

Certain events remind us that life is a process, change can beget betterment and that we may very well be heading toward cosmic harmony. One can feel that way when an longstanding institution makes a major sea change, and that’s just the way we felt when hearing that Jan’s Tea House now has a Teudat Kashrut. Was it possible that that indefinably exotic lair, for years the ideal place to linger over mulled wine while splayed on Oriental carpets and pillows, could open its ambience to a Kosher crowd?

The answer, happily, is yes. Formerly located in picturesque Ein Karem and currently tucked under the Jerusalem Theater, entering Jan’s is to enter another age. It is a hushed carpeted sanctuary, vividly decorated with hangings and a lively assortment of acquisitions,. While you can choose to sit at small bistro tables, the real pull of Jan’s are the pillow-encircled floor-level tables ranged around the restaurant.The message is clear: lounge, enjoy and allow yourself to feel that you are in a totally other time and place.

Jan’s menu, like its setting, can be highly mood-inducing. They are famous for their hot mulled wine with fruit, and hot spiked apple cider, passports to bliss..
Soups, such as an excellent Spinach and Roquefort and Cream of Onion, are rich and comforting.The house bread, encrusted with nuts and laced with black beer, was delicious, inducing an instant sense of well-being.

On the whole, the cuisine at Jan’s aims toward the natural and earthy. The menu favors salads and grain-based entrees, with an attempt at eclecticism. Kattora Salad arrived with sautéed pistachio and citrus fruits. Curry Pot was a melange of rice, onions, raisins, apples, nuts and coconut. There is a heavy emphasis on cheeses- in soups, in salads such Salad with Kashkeval and entrees such as Baked Mushrooms stuffed with Onion and Roquefort; Sweet Potato, Almonds and Cheese. There is also a popular pizza -like dish called the Shiralelah, cooked in a taboun, which is covered with pesto, roasted vegetables and three types of cheeses.

We have since learned that a new menu is also in the process of evolution, which will introduce pastas and other Italian-influenced dishes to the roster. The new menu will hopefully preserve the current dessert list, which includes such luscious options as Forest Fruits with Ice Cream and Nut Cookies, and Ice Cream-filled Puffs with Warm Chocolate and Nuts. Jan’s provides an intimate and unusual backdrop to romantic rendezvous,to family dinners and to friendly gatherings of every stripe, adding just the right touch of the exotic.

More than an eatery, it is an experience and one that Jerusalemites have appreciated for more than 35 years. If you haven’t yet, it’s now your time to savor the experience.

Ugata

2010-03-16T14:50:00.002+02:00

Who would expect a kosher restaurant in Kibbutz Kinneret?
We got on to this restaurant thanks to a very enthusiastic eLuna member who chanced upon Ugata and just had to tell someone. And here we are.

Ugata is a kosher coffee shop and bakery. Owner Dudi Barzilay is a skilled baker, and a true cake and bread artist. One look and you will know. Kibbutz Kinneret is on the western bank of Lake Kinneret just south of Tiberias. There are a number of interesting sites in the area, so you can make a day of it.

The menu offers luscious breakfasts, salads, quiches, a variety of pasta dishes. Some of the specialties are the quiche with cheese and olive, and ravioli with many different fillings like artichoke and eggplant. and desserts.

The super-stars are the desserts and there are certainly many different kinds of sweets here to taste from. They have apple pie, pecan pie, whole wheat carrot cake, and that is just to start. How about tarts in different flavors or rich semifredo with nougat and white chocolate? Yum. Try this on your next trip to the kinneret.

Chocolat

2010-02-01T16:29:00.000+02:00

Chocolat is a European-style chocolaterie and a coffee shop. The cafe is located in Mamilla, Jerusalem's fabulous new commercial center. This charming and unique shop is owner Stefan Ben-Shoshan's brain child. This is a lovely place to enjoy a full start-the-day breakfast or a delicious lunch or dinner. Stop in at Chocolat for a cuppa and something sweet any time of day.

The cafe's classically trained French Pastry chef has introduced many exciting menu items. Try the American Breakfast with, cappuccino, fresh fruit juice, pancakes with Chantilly cream, chocolate sauce, and sliced fruits. How about a French Breakfast? cappuccino, fresh fruit juice, served with a toasted baguette, butter, marmalade and a French pastry.

The Nordic Salad starts with potatoes, and red onions, add lettuce, mushrooms, and your choice of salmon or herring. They also have house specialties like Russian Blinis served with crème fraiche, smoked salmon and herring. There are pastas, quiches, sandwiches and more.

And then the yummy dessert. There are specialties like the Caribbean Island, which is a tart filled with Caribbean ganache, coconut ice-cream and a thin biscuit. There is also an impressive list of Verrines (small layered cakes). Whatever you choose will be a great treat.

L'Entrecote

2010-02-01T16:26:00.002+02:00

L’Entrecote in Tel Aviv is a meat restaurant with French influences. The interior is modern and inviting and the location in the heart of the business district at the corner of Achad Haam and Nachalat Binyamin is convenient for daytime traffic and on the outskirts of Neve Tzekek, a charming location for evening dining.

The main dish that epitomizes L’Entrecote is - let’s see if you can guess it, Entrecote Steak. This comes cooked to your liking in either wine or mushroom sauce. But if you think that this is a one-dish restaurant you are in for a surprise. They also serve starters like the artichoke hearts in olive oil and lemon dressing, and seared tuna in soya and lemon grass marinade.

For entrees try the Grilled lamb chops with herbs, garlic and cumin or the Fillet of Denise (gilthead bream) in olive oil and thyme. They also have a pasta option.

L’Entrecote can accommodate parties of up to 90 people.

Cafe Shlonsky

2010-02-01T16:21:00.000+02:00

Ahuza, the main drag, dominates the Raanana restaurant scene on the one side, and Etgarim, the Raanana industrial zone with the Renanim mall, on the other. Can a restaurant survive not located in either of these restaurant centers?

Cafe Shlonsky, in the heart of a residential area, will not be the first restaurant to thrive in a new location outside the traditional restaurant centers. Cafe Shlonsky is located at the base of Hanesiim Street at the corner of Shlonsky St., thus the name of the restaurant. Take Hanesiim St. north till you are almost at Weitzman and on your left you will see a commercial center at the corner. This building has several functions, among them the restaurant.

Owner Eyal insists that this is a café, but the full menu gave us the distinct restaurant impression. Why café? Eyal wants you to feel comfortable just having something small but you can also have a full meal. The café has a relaxed informal atmosphere. Seating is on modern stylish colorful chairs on cement floors. This is a family-friendly restaurant with several menu items for kids. Push a few tables together and there is seating for a group. The background music is light and pleasant. There is both indoor and outdoor seating.

We visited this restaurant on a cold rainy mid-week evening and to our surprise the restaurant was full. Newly opened but with a word-of-mouth buzz, this restaurant is already enjoying good business and it is wise to have reservations.

A look at the menu (in both Hebrew and English) and you will want to order everything. There are many unusual and attractive options. Breakfast served all day varies from a simple pastry and coffee to a full meal of bread, cheeses and home-made salads. There is also a children’s breakfast for nis 26. And my gosh, pancakes! Served with whoops! Sour cream. Oh well. The menu continues with a fine selection of salads, sandwiches, pasta, and original desserts.

Nothing like a hot bowl of soup on a cold evening. My companion chose the recommended Jerusalem Artichoke soup served with bread. Not a soup fan I usually steal one spoonful of my companion’s soup just to satisfy my curiosity. But this soup was so good that after my first spoonful I could not help but steal a second. My companion was very satisfied as he loves thick, creamy soups.

We then shared an order of lasagna and a quinoa salad.The lasagna was served in a metal baking pan brought from the oven to the table. The pan contained one large square piece of lasagna covered in a very tasty tomato sauce, sprinkled with grated cheese. The lasagna was delicious and a good combination with the very large quinoa salad. Always curious to learn new ways to present quinoa, I was impressed with this salad made of quinoa, tomatoes, greens and slivers of roasted almonds. This salad could easily serve as a side dish for four diners.

A visit to Café Shlonsky is not complete without one of their amazing desserts.
“If I see another chocolate volcano dessert I will cry,” I told Eyal after he recommended the Shlonsky chocolate soufflé. This is not what you are thinking, he assured us. Out came a tray with three mugs: one with the baked fudge chocolate, another mug with ice cream and a third with whipped cream. Your job is to put it all together on one spoon, a delicious challenge indeed. This dessert takes about 15 minutes to prepare so it is wise to order it up front with your other dishes and not wait till the end of the meal as we often do. Just to convince us of the quality of the other desserts we were offered a taste of the chocolate filled cigars and sure enough, we found another delicious dessert.

There is something comforting about seeing the owners sit down to eat at their own restaurant. As we were getting up, Eyal and his family were sitting down to a meal at the restaurant. B'teavon! we said, and indeed we were sure that it would be.

Soup nis 32, Lasagna nis 46, Quinoa nis 40, Souffle chocolate nis 34.

Tanduka

2010-01-27T12:58:00.003+02:00

Tanduka, a stylish and high quality meat restaurant is located in the heart of the Moshav of Yokneam. This is an out-of-the-way restaurant that is worth finding. The northernmost exit on Highway 6 empties into Yokneam. From there it is a short distance to the Moshava. The road to this restaurant takes you through the Moshava, a lovely quiet neighborhood that is worth a visit.

Tanduka is an excellent down-home restaurant. It is a great surprise to find a restaurant of this quality tucked off the beaten path. The menu is centered around prime meats that are aged on the premises, and side dishes made of locally grown ingredients.

Some of the highlights include the lamb fingers; kebabs of lamb tempura on a bed of techina, tomato, and parsley. Try the gravalux salmon, with sea salt, and salad with orange zest. Or try one of the mouthwatering steaks. There are also many vegetarian dishes. There is something delicious for everyone

Alma Lobby Restaurant

2010-01-27T12:16:00.001+02:00

Things are changing at the Daniel Hotel. Always a great hotel with good quality restaurants, things have just gotten better. Yaniv, the new hotel Food & Beverage manager is making changes, among them are changes in the hotel lobby restaurant.

Alma, in the Daniel Hotel lobby, is a full dairy restaurant open to both hotel guests and people from outside the hotel. The restaurant offers a breakfast menu with pastries, salads and sandwiches in the morning. At 1:00pm the restaurant opens the afternoon/evening menu which is much more varied and includes pastas and fish. Alma then becomes a fine dairy restaurant - certainly one of the best in the area.

We visited Alma restaurant for an early evening dinner mid week. We immediately noticed the new lobby decor. There are fresh and new comfortable chairs around full size tables. The tables are nicely spaced for privacy. In the daytime the room is dominated by a gorgeous sweeping view of the sea. In the evening the atmosphere is intimate yet the room is well-lit by overhead table lights. There is live piano music several evenings mid week but unfortunately not on the Tuesday evening when we visited. Live music adds another dimention to the dinner and I was sorryto have missed it.

The menu, in both Hebrew and English, offers a nice selection of starters, main courses and drinks. My companion is partial to hot soup on a cold winter night. He knows his soup. and he just raved about the Alma rich minty pea soup. I was charmed by its presentation in a very modern and attractive bowl. I chose the antipasti brought to the table from the open buffet on the counter . We enjoyed this with a round of the house fucaccia served wtih three dips. Focaccia is made easy at Alma. The Netilat yadayim sink at the counter could not be more convenient. These starters were quite satisfying. The portions were tasty and plentiful.

Alma has an impressive wine menu and a tempting offert to try a wine you may not know. A glass of the wine of the month runs you just nis 15 instead of nis 25 with one of the pasta or fish dishes.

We did as suggested and chose one fish and one pasta dish for our main courses with an excellent white wine. Though all the dishes were tasty, the fish was the star of the show. The sea bream (denis) dish, a lovely plate with two coated fillets served on a bed of cooked vegetables was simply outstanding. This is an excellent dish expertly prepared and highly recommended. The pasta, extra wide long noodles in a mushroom cream sauce was tasty and enjoyable comfort food. There was plenty of both dishes for us to share.

One of the things I enjoy about hotel dining is the service. You can count on having mature well-tarined staff. The waiters dress appropriately. There is a responsible person in charge. So it is at Alma restaurant. The service is respectful and professional.

We rounded off a lovely dinner with an individual size crumb-top cheese cake - a sweet ending to a thoroughly enjoyable dining experience. Highly recommended.

Sekai

2010-01-26T16:47:00.001+02:00

Sekai Sushi Noodle Soup, is a Japanese sushi restaurant located on Even Gavriol in Tel Aviv, across from Migdal Hamea. Sekai is a small restaurant with bar seating inside and planned table seating under the building overhang. The Thai chefs and the other staff work as a team creating a very pleasant atmosphere.

In my years as an eLuna restaurant writer I have had the pleasure of visiting many sushi bars. I can't remember a sushi experience that I enjoyed as much as Sekai. The sushi is large and the pieces are generous. The presentation is impressive, the ingredients are fresh and the combinations delicious. We sat at the bar watching the Thai chef produce this gorgeous sushi, and our mouths watered.

After opening just three weeks, the restaurant was so busy we had to wait outside for a place (that should be solved with additional tables street side). We were given a lamented half page, with the menu on both sides. Taking our cues from Udi, the owner and manager of Sekai, my companion and I started with Agadashi and noodle salad. Agadashi, served in a bowl, is a wonderful vegetarian dish of coated tofu in a warm delicious sauce. The salad, with cucumbers, mushrooms, seaweed and tamago - an egg-based Japanese delicacy, was refreshing. Small individual plates enabled us to share the dishes.

We were offered Chaya, Japanese plum wine (with a hashgacha). It had an interesting taste - a bit like cider, certainly worth trying. But the star of drinks is the Saki - warm rice wine. Sekai offers tine Saki in authentic Japanese serving ware: a miniature decanter and small matching cups.

Afer a short wait we went to the dishes that we were waiting for - the wonderful sushi. Sekai has all your sushi favorites: Maki, Sashimi, Nigiri, and more. We enjoyed a luscious board of vegetable inside-outs and another board of sushi made with cooked fish. This was served with Soy sauce and Teriyaki sauce that is made at the restaurant. The Teriyaki sauce is slow-cooked for two days.

There are many other options on the menu. There are noodle options like Pad Thai with vegetables and chicken. Or Udon; egg noodles and coconut curry. The soups are also great; Miso, Tepura, Ramen and more on the menu. Sekai also offers Agemono which are traditional fried dishes. There are also several non-Japanese entrees such as beef fillet, chicken Salmon and Denis. You are sure to find new dishes and old Japanes favorites. And the dent in your wallet will not be that great as the dishes are priced for every pocket.

The name "Sekai" means world in Japanese. I think they chose this name because it is the best sushi in the world. Pay parking is available in a lot across the street.

Agadashi (nis 22) Noodle salad (nis 18) Saki (nis 20) California sushi - 12 pices (nis 34)

Hadubim

2010-01-26T16:44:00.003+02:00

Hadubim or “The Bears” is a dairy coffee shop and bakery located smack-dab in the middle of the Hameyasdim pedestrian walkway of old Zichron Yaakov. This is a picturesque and historic area with restaurants and boutique shops. Enjoy watching the pedestrian traffic while you dine on the restaurant veranda or on their outdoor patio facing the midrachov.

Avi, the owner of Hadubim opened the establishment in 1987 as a bakery. His skills as a trained pastry chef served him well and his cakes and pastries were sold to restaurants and other establishments throughout the area. Though they are now produced almost exclusively for the restaurants, the bakery items are still produced on site in the lower level kitchen.

In the year 2000 Avi extended the concept of The Bears to a full dairy cafe. Avi's personal hospitality and joyous disposition contribute to the enjoyment of this restaurant. The menu offers Pizza, a variety of pastas and other Italian dishes. Among the recommended dishes you will also find breakfasts, baked goods, and fresh fish.

Highlights of the menu include Mazot Breakfast served with smoked salmon, roasted eggplant and peppers, Bulgarian cheese, labne, and house bread (baked on site). There are a number of salad options like the Mediterranean Salad with lettuce, fresh and roasted vegetables, mushrooms, salted nuts and feta cheese.

There are also fish options like a whole fish with potatoes, cooked vegetables and salad. They also have pizzas, pasta dishes and so much more.

The specialty of the house is still the desserts. You'll see a display of luscious cakes and sweets at the entrance to the restaurant. I overheard Avi recommending the cheesecake and the fruit pies. But the Viennese Apple Strudel is amazing. You'll have to decide for yourself.

Jazz evenings on the midrachov in front of the restaurant in the summer. See you there!

Hafinjan

2010-01-26T16:27:00.002+02:00

The Finjan - the middle eastern coffee pot - is the symbol of warmth and hospitality. The restaurant is aptly named for the warmth and hospitality that you will find when you visit this restaurant. Hafinjan specializes in authentic home cooked, Middle Eastern specialties, with ingredients fresh from the nearby market and prices so low you won't ever want to cook food at home again.
Hafinjan is located at the edge of Nachlaot near the Machane Yehuda shuk, Jerusalem’s central market. The restaurant attracts tourists and Israelis who like a good meal. In addition, many neighborhood residents of Kurdish, Iraqi and Moroccan heritage visit HaFinjan for authentic ethnic cuisine. In many ways Hafinjan is a Nachlaot neighborhood restaurant.

Despite HaFinjan’s reasonable prices the restaurant does not compromise on the freshness and quality of their food. The restaurant takes advantage of its closeness to the market for the best and the freshest ingredients. The menu offers 7 types of Humus, staples like Shakshuka and Rice and Beans as well as delicacies like Fish in spicy sauce, stews and Sofritto. The daily specials are also worth checking out with exotic dishes from a number of Middle Eastern Jewish cuisines

The Food
You will find the requisite Middle Eastern hummus with different combinations of beans, falafel, tahina and meat, at the ridiculous price of 18-22 shekels including pitot. Be sure to try the Masbacha - coarsely ground humus - you may not find that in many restaurants.

The rest of the menu is standard for a Middle Eastern style restaurant. Dishes are slow-cooked on kerosene burners. Since the foods are always ready to serve - there is nothing to prepare or reheat, you can think of this as a kind of fast-food. The service is good but note that a sudden onslaught of lunchers or a tourist bus will take the "fast" right out of the fast-food.

On the menu you will find schnitzel, meatballs, rice and beans and a different special each day. Some Middle Eastern specialties include Sofrito: the Sephardic take on goulash or stew — soul food if you are Sephardic, plain delish for the rest of us.

Not much to talk about in the way of desserts, but for the ludicrous price of 4 shekels don't miss the baklava - the classic sweet Middle Eastern pastry. There is also fresh fruit in season, and of course, coffee (only Turkish) and tea with nana (mint) - is there any other way?

Getting There
The restaurant is two blocks from the shuk. You will find ample parking in the shukcanyon, opposite.

Eucalyptus

2009-12-09T13:01:00.003+02:00

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.