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עדשים שחורות כתומות

31 Aug

היום אנחנו חונכים תת-פינה בבלוג האוכל שלנו שהיא גם בעברית וגם לא כוללת ביקור במסעדות. לאחר שסידרנו (בעזרתו האדיבה של בני, אבא של ענבר) את המזווה שלנו היום, החלטנו ללכת על פינה חדשה ששמה “המזווה”.

כתומות ושחורות

כתומות ושחורות

לאחר הניקיונות והסידורים התפננו להכנת ארוחה שהמרכיב העיקרי בה הוא מצרך מהמזווה – עדשים. מה זמן עומדת אצלינו במזווה צנצנת שדחפנו אליה חצי עדשים שחורות וחצי כתומות, פשוט כי נשאר. החלטתי לנסות לעשות איתם משהו בסנגון סלט עדשים. הבעיה (שהפכה ליתרון מאוחר יותר) היא שככל הנראה הזן הכתום דורש פחות זמן בישול מהשחור. התוצאה הייתה שחלק מהעדשים בסלט היום רכות וחלק קצת יותר קרנצ’יות – דבר שלדעת תרם לתוצאה הסופית.

אזהרה: חלק מהמרכיבים בתמונה זו לא הגיעו מהזווה

אזהרה: חלק מהמרכיבים בתמונה זו לא הגיעו מהזווה

התחלתי מבישול העדשים – קצת שמן עם כוס של עדשים שטופות. טיגון קל ולאחר מכן הוספת שתי כוסות מים רותחים. הגעה לרתיחה ובישול על אש קטנה במשך שלושים דקות.

בסיר

בסיר

במקביל טיגנתי בצל הוספתי לו עגבנייה וקצת במיה – זו הייתה התוספת החמה לסלט. לאחר ההקפצה לקחת את הבמיה וחתכתי אותה לחתיכות. זה הופך את העסק לקצת יותר “רירי” אבל רציתי שהבמיה תהיה בגודל של שאר התוספות בסלט (ושתדבר באותה שפה כמו שאומר אייל שני).

התוספות

התוספות

בצד התוספות הקרות היום שלוש צנוניות קטנות חתוכות, בצל סגול קצוץ, עגבנייה חתוכה לריבועים וקצת שום. כשהעדשים סיימו להתבשל הכנסתי את הכל לקערה וערבבתי עם שמן זית, לימון ובלסמי (עוד מצרך מהמזווה).

בלסמי: עוד מצרך מהמזווה

בלסמי: עוד מצרך מהמזווה

וככה זה נראה במרפסת שלנו בצהרי יום שישי.

סלט עדשים במרפסת

סלט עדשים במרפסת

אם אהבתם את הפינה החדשה – ספרו לנו (וגם אם לא).

The hottest spot in Tel Aviv – Café Europe

25 Aug

This week we had a date with Yael and Yoni at the (currently) trendiest place in Tel Aviv – Café Europe. In Tel Aviv, where new restaurants open on a daily bases, every new restaurant has its 15 minutes of fame and since their lifetime is so short one should use it wisely. If last summer it was the Mizlala, this year (not very far away by the way), on the trendy Rothschild Street, it is Café Europe turn.

The trendiest place in Tel Aviv – Café Europe

The trendiest place in Tel Aviv – Café Europe

When I say trendy I mean that anyone who is “someone”, should find himself drinking wine on their bar. It also means that three days before our meeting, when Yael called to make reservations the hostess “did us a favor” and “pushed” us between 21:15 to 23:15 (Gee, thanks). And it basically means that they can over-charge for anything (scroll down to the menu or stay tuned). Oh and yes, they don’t have an online menu so you won’t know that in advance.

Lamb Tortellini

Lamb Tortellini

The menu is divided to 3 sections. One would expect that the graphical division will hint for the difference between the dishes size (Or their role in the dinner) – appetizer, starters and main courses. But it didn’t. Café Europe does not have any real “large” size courses. All of them are between tiny and medium (if you are lucky) and I’m saying it while taking the dish price under consideration. Take the Lamb tortellini with dry fruits “main course” for example that contains five tortellinis and cost 69 NIS. It was a good dish but way too small to share. But first things firsts, let’s go back to the starters.

Tomatoes salad that every restaurant in Tel- Aviv must have

Tomatoes salad that every restaurant in Tel- Aviv must have

Dreams about Thailand - Shrimps Cutlet

Dreams about Thailand – Shrimps Cutlet

The tomatoes-salad-that-every-restaurant-in-Tel-Aviv-must-have was executed as expected – several types of tomatoes, some grilled and some fresh, with a lot of garlic and goat cheese. It was good as the opening dish. Another dish we took was described on the menu as “Shrimps Cutlet, coconut milk and dreams about Thailand”. Well, they were right. In 3 weeks from now we will leave on a jet plane for a short vacation in the land of shakes and Pad Thai.  Until now, the longing was repressed. After eating this dish (and the Seafood plate later) – we cannot wait anymore. Thailand, here we come!

Polenta

Polenta

Back to the table in the humid Tel Aviv – We took to additional starters that were on the specials board –“Polenta with asparagus” and “Labneh, Matbuha and Red Mullets”. Both of them were good and tasty.  The Polenta was yet another very little dish. The Fish were fried and had a deep “sea” taste which Yoni didn’t like but we found as good.

Labneh, Matbuha and Red Mullets

Labneh, Matbuha and Red Mullets

Hanger steak

Hanger steak

While we were still eating the fish Yael mentioned she was pleased with the timing of the dished arrived to our table. At that exact moment, Shahar’s main dish had arrived to the table, too early to its time in the game. The waitress accused the kitchen for the mistake but took no responsibility for the failure. Shahar took the Hanger steak and while he was eating his dish we were towards the end of the starts. The Hanger Steak itself was very nicely cooked, medium-rare in the inside while still burned and crunchy on the outside.

Seafood Plate

Seafood Plate

For the so-called-main-course I took the seafood plate that I have already mentioned. I think it was the most surprising dish in the dinner. I wasn’t expecting to have more Thai tastes in this meal and this was a good surprise alongside with a crab that I managed to eat without making a mess on my shirt. Yael took that tiny tortellini dish and Yoni took Meatballs in Pita Bread. According to Yoni, the Pita wasn’t fresh and contained too much onion.  Judging according to the leftovers, it wasn’t as good as he expected.

Meatballs in Pita

Meatballs in Pita

We ended our dinner with Savarin cake (Rum baba) which was nice and a bit retro in my opinion.

Savarin cake

Savarin cake

When we got the bill we thought it was a good dinner but it did not justify the price. On our previous post was about Elba, we had pretty much the same amount of dishes and paid equal price to the one at Café Europe. However, we could not escape the feeling the Elba was much more value for money, in the dish size perspective as well as taste. Nevertheless, at the end of the day we are all fashion victims. We meet at Café Europe because we wanted to know what everyone is talking about. Café Europe is just using their 15 minutes of fame.

The Check Please (4 people)

Bread – 13 NIS
Red Mullets with Matbuha – 45 NIS
Polenta – 32 NIS
Tomatoes salad – 43 NIS
Shrimps Cutlet – 42NIS
Seafood plate – 89 NIS
Hanger steak – 85NIS
Lamb Tortellini – 69 NIS
Meatballs Pita – 49NIS
Savarin cake – 32NIS
Coke – 12 NI
Diet Coke – 12 NIS
Traminer Wine – 168 NIS
Stela – 26NIS

All in all: 743 NIS

Summary

Food: Mediterranean (Were was Europe during this dinner?)
Price: Very expensive
Location: Rotchield street

The Cizer Kobrinsky Scale

3.5 Forks

 

Contact details: Café Europe

Address: 9 Rothschild street | Phone: 03-5259987 | Online menu not available

An Island – Elba

29 Jul

Once every few months, a new restaurant opens in Tel Aviv creates a massive buzz around it, with promising chef, some fine reviews and intensive PR. Elba, opened just a few months ago has created just that. It helped that Elba was founded at the floor of one of the new meant-for-rich 20 stories at the corner of Ibn-Gabirol and Shaul Hamelech.

Looking at Elba from the outside it does reminds an island (Elba is an Island in Tuscany, Italy), and not necessarily in a good way. Ibn Gabirol is somewhat a hectic street and the large glass windows showing the white table cloths make it feel almost as an aquarium. But on the other hand, this whole tower is some kind of an unrelated island in the middle of the City. Maybe the outside seating planned soon would combine Elba with the street a bit more.

Roasted Bread and Adyghe Cheese Salad

Roasted Bread and Adyghe Cheese Salad

In a way Elba’s food seems also as a unique scene in the city. It’s not that it is extremely original as it simply manages to step out of the city’s trendy-but-boring dishes. Take the roasted bread and Adyghe cheese salad. It is very easy to go with types of tomatoes as many other restaurants would do. Elba has decided to put white and greed asparagus with it, which along with the unique cheese gave it great crunchiness. Perfect.

Pickled Mackerels with White Wine and Avocado

Pickled Mackerels with White Wine and Avocado

Calamari Bruschetta with Mustard Leaves and Salicornia

Calamari Bruschetta with Mustard Leaves and Salicornia

Pickled Mackerels with white wine and avocado, as well as Calamari bruschetta with mustard leaves and Salicornia were both unique dishes but ones that did not rise above OK. One would still appreciate the originality and fearlessness of choosing such dishes for the menu. The Calamari a la plancha, was unfortunately slightly disappointing, especially after the other starters.

Calamari a la plancha

Calamari a la plancha

Even though, we didn’t stay disappointed for much long as the main courses soon arrived. A Seabass on top of tomato cream sauce with semolina and roasted green onions was executed perfectly. Eating that dish with a spoon, absorbing the sauce in the semolina that, in its turn suited well with the fish, was exceptional and showed what can be done with simple ingredients.

Seabass on top of Tomato Cream Sauce with Semolina and Roasted Green Onions

Seabass on top of Tomato Cream Sauce with Semolina and Roasted Green Onions

The other main courses were not far behind as well. A burnt Tuna steak with lemon vinaigrette and Kale salad was dreamy. The Tuna was bloody red inside and quite thick, which made it feel as a real fleshy steak, while the sauce had great sour taste in it (though one needs to like lemony sauce). Another dish of fried Sweetbreads with Zucchini pure was extremely “corrupting” and fatty and reminded me how much I like sweetbreads.

Burnt Tuna Steak with Lemon Vinaigrette and Kale salad

Burnt Tuna Steak with Lemon Vinaigrette and Kale salad

Fried Sweetbreads with Zucchini Pure

Fried Sweetbreads with Zucchini Pure

Two heavenly desserts of sweet & bitter oranges with coconut ice cream and Panacotta with watermelon ice cream concluded a great dinner we would definitely remember.

Two heavenly desserts

Two heavenly desserts

The Check Please (4 people)

Bread – 13 NIS
Water – 13 NIS
Calamari a la plancha – 47 NIS
Calamari Bruschetta – 45 NIS
Pickled Mackerels – 57 NIS
Roasted Bread Salad – 53 NIS
Burnt Tuna Steak – 95 NIS
Seabass – 93 NIS
Sweetbreads – 77 NIS
Sancerre whine (bottle) – 160 NIS
Panacotta – 37 NIS
Sweet & Bitter oranges – 37 NIS

All in all – 727 NIS

Summary:

Food: Mediterranean
Price: Expensive
Location: Ibn Gabirol / Shaul Hamelech

The Cizer-Kobrinsky Scale:

4.5 Forks

Contact Details: Elba
Address:  36 Ibn Gabirol st. Tel Aviv | Phone: 03-5467905 |
Daily (currently evenings only) |
no webpage

Pampering – Delikatessen

15 Jul

R2M group opens a new place, an event that food lovers like us will never skip. It’s true, it took us a while and a lot of recommendations from the people around us (usually we are the recommending side), but we got there and we will be back.

The new place is located in Yehdua HaLevi street, not really the hottest street in Tel Aviv, despite the “5 minutes walk from Rothschild”. Nevertheless, Ruti and Maty manage to bring this boring street to life.

Cold Coffee

Cold Coffee

We got there on a late morning Friday, after training at the gym, and we enthused to get back all the calories we have burnt. R2M specialty is pampering – immediately after ordering our dishes we got  a complementary basket of bread and pastry alongside with butter and smooth strawberry jam.

Pasya

Pastya

Shahar took Pastya – puff pastry filled with spinach and cheese and served with goat yogurt, hard-boiled egg and olives. Shahar liked the dish and especially the olives. Yet, he felt that the pastry had a bit too much spinach that really controlled the dish.

Under these eggs hide guilty pleasure

Under these eggs guilty pleasure is hidden

Inbar took French Crockett – Which is kind of Crockett Madam – two layers of puff pastry filled with Emmental cheese and ham, on which you get two eggs sunny side up style. Pure guilty pleasure.

The brunch was definitely good  but the highlight of our visit (and the place) is the deli inside. A real deli that makes whatever you want to start cooking (though you just finished eating). The place is full of goods – meat, cheese, baked pastry, bread, special canning and “homemade” food you can take home and much more. Without a doubt, when R2M group creates a new project – you know it will be the best in town.

The Check Please (2 persons)

Pastya – 46NIS
French Crockett – 49NIS

All in all: 95NIS

Summary:

Food: Deli
Price: Medium
Location: Yehdua HaLevi

The Cizer-Kobrinsky Scale:

4 Forks

Contact Details: Delikatessen
Address:  79/81Yehdua HaLevi  Tel Aviv| Phone:  03-9681010 |
info@delitlv.co.il | Sunday-Thursday 07:30-20:00 | Friday 07:30-17:00| Saturday 08:00-17:00 |  http://delitlv.co.il/

Saturday Sushi – Sushi Bar Bazel

2 Jul

Update July 2013: The place is closed.

Getting crave to fishes @the see with our underwater camera

Getting crave to fishes @the see with our underwater camera

Every year, when the spring is in the air, we are getting re-addicted to the beach. And every time we return from the beach we have a strong crave for fish…  This time we were in a bit of a hurry so we decided to go for a quick sushi meal in Sushi Bar Bazel.

One time Adi told us that Tel Aviv has one of the highest ratio of Sushi places per resident in the world. Some of them are exceptional, some of them are good and some of them are bad. Sushi Bazel is somewhere on the middle of the scale – good with reasonable (a bit high) prices.

Quiz: Which of these salads is tasteless

Quiz: Which of these salads is tasteless

We started with two salads – Tuna salad & Wakame salad. The Tuna salad was actually pieces of Tuna fish with a good sauce.  The Wakama was just tasteless.

Inside-Out Tuna Avocado

Inside-Out Tuna Avocado

Inbar took inside-out tuna avocado sushi role – 6 piece role, exactly what you would expect, nothing less nothing more. Shahar had to wait until we finish eating to get his main course – Toro Skewer – one of the day’s specials, which was actually a fine Tuna Skewer. We waited so long for the skeweer, that the waitress volunteered to give us the dish on the house. Shahar thought it was worth waiting because he really liked its taste.

Tuna Skewer – Worth waiting

Tuna Skewer – Worth waiting

All in all Bazel is a nice place for by-the-way sushi, nothing fancy.

The Check Please (2 persons)

Wakame Salad – 21 NIS
Tuna Salad – 45 NIS
Inside-out Tuna Avocado – 27NIS
Toro Skewer – 0 NIS (On the house)
Soda water – 11 NIS
Coca – 12NIS

All in all – 115 NIS

Summary:

Food: Sushi and more
Price: Medium-Expensive
Location: Bazel

The Cizer-Kobrinsky Scale:

3.5 Forks

Contact Details: Sushi Bar Bazel

Address:  20 Ashtori Haparchi, Tel Aviv|
Phone:  057-9442906 | Daily 12:00-00:00 |
http://www.rest.co.il/RecordPage.aspx?RestID=1383

Japanese BBQ – Yakinuki Tenka

21 Jun

This time we decided to buy a coupon for a restaurant we wanted to check for a while – Yakinuki Tenka.  A yakinuki is a traditional Japanese grill, on which meat, fish and seafood are grilled. Each of us paid 159 NIS for dinner full of dishes that usually costs 320NIS. I would have written down all the courses but it was too long so I decided that this post will be all about the photos. I would say this – it was definitely worth it and the experience was quite unique. Good idea when you want to celebrate with a private atmosphere.

Sake

Sake

appetizer

appetizer

appetizer

appetizer

Meats waiting for the grill

Meats waiting for the grill

Meats waiting for the grill

Meats waiting for the grill

Meats waiting for the grill

Meats waiting for the grill

Yakinuki - The Grill

Yakinuki – The Grill

Desert

Desert

The Cizer-Kobrinsky Scale:

4 Forks

Contact Details: Yakinuki Tenka

9 Maskit Street, Herzliya |
Phone: 09-9580322 | Sunday to Friday 19:00-Late |
http://yakinukitenka.rest-e.co.il/

Beer Heaven – Porter & Sons

12 Jun

You can’t find many American style diners in Israel. There’s probably a reason why the diner style never caught for real outside of the US and it’s probably the lack of quality, in any perspective. Even though, few diner style restaurants are trying their luck in Tel Aviv while bringing some message stating food quality doesn’t have to suck. Porter & Sons is one.

70 Different Kinds of Beers

70 Different Kinds of Beers

Few places I’ve been to around the world offer more than a few draft beers. “Porter & Sons”, located in the Harba’a Street offer no less than 70 different kinds of them. Wow. Belgian, American, Israeli, German, English and many other draft beers decorate the bar along the restaurant. There’s even a small chalkboard guiding you how to find your desired beer. After checking out the Chimay Triple and the St. Bernardus we definitely approve.

Market Salad

Market Salad

The owners of Porter & Sons didn’t stop their investment at the taps. The Menu is fully combining with the beer options and varies from Cheese or Charcuterie plates to Fish & Chips and Rib Eye Steak. Though the food isn’t the cheapest it’s quite value for money and it surly feels there’s a chef behind the bar.

House Sausages

House Sausages

Other than the Market Salad, that wasn’t special and didn’t leave a mark, we checked out the House Sausages – 3 types of homemade sages with beans. The sausages were fat, juicy and very much fulfilling along with the beans. You wouldn’t find many better sausages out there. The Spare-Ribs continued with the same line that shows the chef doesn’t have to be creative to execute well. The classic Pork Ribs were served with an (again, classic) barbeque sauce and corn on the cob.

Spare Ribs

Spare Ribs

Porter & Sons is perfect – if you know what you expect. It isn’t a romantic place neither much of a trendy one or with the most original food. As an American Style diner, having an amazing selection of Beers and a well-executed menu to match, it is one of the best.

The Check Please (2 persons)
Market Salad – 24 NIS
House Sausages – 69 NIS
Spare Ribs – 86 NIS
St. Bernardus – 30 NIS
Chimay Triple – 36 NIS

All in all – 245 NIS

Summary:

Food: Whatever suits Beef
Price: Expensive
Location: Ha’arbaa

The Cizer-Kobrinsky Scale:

3.5 Forks

Contact Details: Porter & Sons
Address:  14 Ha’arbaa, Tel Aviv| Phone:  03-6244355 |
Daily 12:00-Late
http://www.rest.co.il/sites/Default.asp?txtRestID=10911&txtNavID=3&txtItemID=413824

Turning Tables – HaShulchan (Table)

4 Jun

A while ago, three months ago to be precise, Adi, Elad and I have decided to check the “Table”, the new restaurant of the young and promising chef Omer Miler. I admit, it has been a while but I can still remember the good and the bad.

Though we came time, the restaurant wasn’t ready for us. After several minutes of waiting to the hostess (that didn’t give us too much attention), we were seated in a “Table”.

We start with Egg Schnitzel – the restaurant most famous dish – Eggs coated in bread crumbs and pan fried as a schnitzel. The egg was served with Garam masala, shallots, green onion & lime vinaigrette dressing. I have a weakness for soft boiled egg with liquid yolk; as such this dish should have been the perfect match for me – but it wasn’t. I can’t say the dish wasn’t tasty but in my humble opinion the flavors did not really combine together.

Egg Schnitzel

Egg Schnitzel

In addition we took “Iceberg Salad” – In this case, the chef decided on a broad interpretation to meaning of salad as we were only served Iceberg lettuce with some sauce on it.

Grilled Calamari & Cheese Tortellini

Grilled Calamari & Cheese Tortellini

For main course Elad and I took the same dish – Grilled Calamari that wasn’t very remarkable. Adi took Cheese Tortellini which according to the menu should have contained mushrooms; in practice the mushrooms weren’t there at all. The waitress response was “it’s there – you just can’t notice it”.

Strawberry & Malabi

Strawberry & Malabi

For desert we took fresh strawberries that were served on top of mascarpone cheese; we have received complimentary Roseta Malalbi that was served with date honey, palm and almonds. Both of the deserts were light and tasty.

When summarizing our visit, although it was a while ago, I would say that big disappointments come from high expectations. Omer Miler has set a high bar but in our opinion did not pulled it off.

The Check Please (4 people)
Egg Schnitzel – 28 NIS
Iceberg Salad – 44 NIS
Grilled Calamari – 2X68 NIS
Cheese Tortellini  – 62 NIS
Colombia Gewurztraminer – 110 NIS
Strawberry – 36 NIS
Malabi – 36 NIS (on the house)
Espresso – 10NIS
Cappuccino – 12 NIS

All in all – 438 NIS

Summary:

Food: New Israeli Kitchen
Price: High
Location: Rothschild

The Cizer-Kobrinsky Scale:

3 Forks

Contact Details: Table

Address:  73 Rotchild st., Tel Aviv| Phone:  03-5257171 | Daily 12:00-Late

On the way to Eilat – Korenmehl Farm

17 Apr

Finally, Passover and all its food restrictions, is over.  Except for Matza bread (which we didn’t eat), Passover also means holiday – and this year we decided to explore the Negev and we took Adi and Tomer as hostages.

The Dead Sea

The Dead Sea

We started in the Dead Sea area and then we moved to Sde Boker. We had a quite long trip but this a food blog so we will only focus on the culinary, and coming to describe the culinary side, there was one restaurant that worth mentioning and stopping by – if you’re on your way to Eilat or around the Negev.

Sde Boker - Tzin Creek

Sde Boker - Tzin Creek

Korenmehl Farm is located on road 40, just a bit after Tlalim Kibbutz. It is a lonely farm on a hill top with extraordinary view. The farm raises flock of sheep and serves food that is based on their milk. As such the restaurant is vegetarian. Fortunately, we sat at the best place in the restaurant observing the desert breathtaking view.

Goat Yogurt Drink with Sweet Syrup

Goat Yogurt Drink with Sweet Syrup

We started with a special drink – Natural goat yogurt drink that was served alongside sweet syrup that gave it a nice twist. At this point we were very hungry and decided to share several courses: Tomme Katom – grated Tomme cheese served above Cherry Tomatoes and roasted red Pepper. Simple dish that respects the homemade cheese; Mini Red Peppers filed with soft cheese on top of cucumbers. The spiciness of the Mini Peppers rescued the dish from being mediocre.

Tomme Katom

Tomme Katom

Mini Red Peppers

Mini Red Peppers

Then, we were served a Plate of cheese with homemade bread (Passover Kosher). We wish we could share with you the name of the cheeses on the plate but unfortunately, this information wasn’t shared with us as well. We can only say that some of them were really good, especially the hard and spicy cheeses.

Plate of cheese

Plate of cheese

In addition to the above we also ordered Goat cheese Pizza (again Passover Kosher dough), that was surprisingly more tasty then our expectations and Hagar in the oven – Camembert cheese served on top of potatoes slices with yogurt & garlic sauce.  This dish was a bit 80’s like but the quality of the cheese gave it a special kick.

Pannna Cota

Pannna Cota

For dessert we took Goat Pannna Cota that was a thicker version of the Yael drink.

Overall and although the service was lacking, we were quite satisfied with the quality of the restaurant in the middle of the desert – which we defiantly didn’t expect to find. We will not go there especially, but on our way to Eilat we will definitely consider it.

The Check Please (4 people)
4 X Yael – 68 NIS
Tomme Katom – 33NIS
Mini Red Peppers  -21NIS
Cheese Plate – 57 NIS
Goat Cheese Pizza – 37
Hagar in the oven – 39 – NIS
Pannna Cota  – 21NIS

All in all 278NIS

Summary:

Food: Vegetarian – Goat cheeses
Price: Medium
Location: Negev (Road 40, Tlalim)

The Cizer-Kobrinsky Scale:

3.5 Forks

Contact Details: Korenmehl Goat Cheese Farm
Address:  Korenmehl Farm, Negev Highland, Northern Negev | Phone: 08-6555140 |
Daily 10:00-18:00 (but call to make sure it’s open)
http://kornmehlfarm.ramon.gonegev.co.il/english.asp

The Jaffa Escape – Yona

9 Apr

Some things seem simply inevitable. The sun will rise up in the morning; Messi will score in the next Barca match; A new restaurant with a lot of buzz, a predictable name and a perfect location will succeed. At least it was our assumption when we headed at another Thursday night to the new hot name at the vibrant Jaffa Port area – Yona (or Jonah).

Yona

Yona

Yona’s atmosphere is pretty cool. The combination between wooden furniture, high ceiling and the open kitchen creates a setting which you can’t ignore – some kind of urban-yet-welcoming feeling. Even though, we felt it a bit too processed and trying too hard to impress. But hey – it wasn’t as bad as the food.

Taboun Grilled Tomato salad & Haloumi Terracota

Taboun Grilled Tomato salad & Haloumi Terracota

The starter we took was at least an attempt to create an original dish. The tomato salad Terracota and melting Halloumi cheese (cooked in the Taboun) isn’t something you’d normally see in a restaurant’s menu, but it lacked any real soul in it. The tomato salad was nothing more than a few chopped tomatoes without any kicking flavor. Too bad for the Halloumi, which definitely saw some better dishes next to it.

Bouillabaisse soup

Bouillabaisse soup

The two main courses we took were a different story altogether – some kind of a horror story. Bouillabaisse soup is one of our all-time favorite sea food dishes. When the chef knows what he is doing, it can be marvelous (we recommend the neighboring Container for this one).  Unfortunately this one was lousy. The soup was served separated from the seafood (why? It is best to cook them together), which made the soup itself simply tasteless. The mediocre fish, as well as the mussels and the shrimps seemed as they don’t understand what had been poured on them as Inbar combined the two.

Hanger Steak Medallions

Hanger Steak Medallions

The other main course could have been a rescue for the dinner. The Hanger Steak medallions we ordered felt they had taken care of by someone who understands how to pick beef. Unfortunately, the dish, served along some tired Chard leaves, was simply cold. After asking for another round of heating for the beef we got it again. Cold. At this point there was no hope for the beef after taken out twice out of the pan. While waiting for it, at least we had some very successful oven potatoes that kept us from starving.

Oven Baked Potatoes - Kept us from starving

Oven Baked Potatoes - Kept us from starving

After that experience, we have decided we will act as the Hebrew prophet and flee outside to the beautiful Jaffa Port. Though it seems the restaurant is a success in terms of occupancy, it should definitely have deep thoughts about its chefs.

The Check Please (2 people)

Taboun Grilled Tomato salad & Haloumi Terracota – 32 NIS
Bouillabaisse soup – 99 NIS
Hanger Steak Medallions – 79 NIS
Oven Baked Potatoes – 14 NIS
Guinness 1/3 lt – 22 NIS
Weinsteffen 1/3 lt – 22 NIS
Perrier – 8 NIS

All in all: 276 NIS

Summary:

Food: Seafood & Taboun grilled food
Price: Medium-Expensive
Location: Jaffa Port

The Cizer-Kobrinsky Scale:

1.5 Forks

Contact Details: Yona (Jonah)
Address:  Hangar 1, Jaffa Port, Jaffa| Phone: 03-7742222 |
Daily 12:00-24:00
http://www.yona.be/en/