A date to remember
By RACHEL F. WANETIK
02/21/2013 10:40
At 1868 in Jerusalem, every meal becomes a special occasion.
dessert Photo: Courtesy
When I first entered the restaurant to schedule a tasting evening, chef Jacob
Turjeman was calmly cutting out circles of dough for ravioli. I greatly
appreciate the effort put forth for any dish, no matter how easy it may seem, as
I have been known to experiment in my kitchen, and even the most basic recipes
can flop. I am small potatoes in this case; Turjeman, chef and owner of 1868 for
the last three years, is the big cheese.
At 1868, the Ys have it: Yannai
on aperitif and wine accompaniments, Yasmin on food knowledge and service, and
Yankele on taste and design.
I cannot say it enough: This evening was
magical.
Every morsel of food tastefully blended together. The textures
of the foods melded seamlessly. There were no extraneous sauces or
accompaniments. The music, lighting and general ambience were complementary.
Atlantic gray sea salt was present on the table in a paisley shaped vessel. Not
once did my friend nor I use salt with our meal. There was simply no need.
Perfect.
Yannai brought my dining partner and me a bit of cava and cassis
to start, and Yasmin soon followed with an amuse bouche of the chef’s lamb
kofta. Paper-thin nigella and flaxseed-topped crackers delicately spiced with
shata peppers were the highlight of the basket of on-site baked breads. We would
have bought some on the spot if they had been available for purchase.
We
then sampled two velvety soups – a white onion soup with crisped lamb, and a
pumpkin with a hint of vanilla bean. The latter, accompanied by black garlic
spread with baby basil leaves on crisp toast, is one of the new dishes featured
on the winter menu, now in full swing.
Eating locally grown food in
season is supposedly part of a healthier lifestyle, as is the motto “Everything
in moderation.” This menu reflected both these ideas beautifully.
Three
flawless appetizer plates arrived at our table: Atlantic salmon ceviche with
yuzu (East Asian citrus) vinaigrette, persimmon and pickled radishes; beef
fillet tartare in strawberry broth, with avocado crème, crispy yolk and
Jerusalem artichoke foam; and the tongue in cheek dish, which appealed to my
punny side and, surprisingly, to my palate as well.
Two of the three
entrees stayed mostly at my place setting, while the duck pastrami (smoked with
eucalyptus leaf in-house) was mainly enjoyed by my friend. The duck was served
with a pineapple ginger stock, sage and pumpkin ravioli, and celeriac puree. I
relished in both the slow-cooked lamb and seared cauliflower on raisin sauce and
black sesame tehina, and the fillet of bass. The fish with fennel crème, a
roasted beet and citrus zabaglione had a color and flavor accent of citrus
sections. The bites with the red grapefruit and orange were the most
flavorful.
Dessert was an experience. Everything was made on site:
lemongrass honey gels, strawberry cream tart, lemon meringue, hazelnut macarons,
and more… all on a two-tiered silver dessert sampler tray. The pièce de
résistance was the chocolate egg filled with aerated Valrhona chocolate mousse
and topped and surrounded with assorted treats: frozen lemon marshmallows, cocoa
beans, pineapple caviar, Amarena cherry gels and brightly hued edible
flowers.
Sounds like a marketing plug, though I loved this meal just that
much: “No need to wait for a holiday or joyous event, this meal is the special
occasion.”
Appetizers range from NIS 49 – 68. Entrees range from NIS 89 –
162. The chef’s tasting menu: NIS 295 per diner. Wine tasting menu of five
wines: NIS 175 per diner.
The writer was a guest of the restaurant.
1868
Kosher
10 King David St., Jerusalem
Tel. (02) 622-2312
Sunday – Thursday 12:30
p.m. – 2:30 p.m. & 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. Friday – private events. Saturday night,
one hour after Shabbat ends.
To schedule private events, view the
seasonal menus and make reservations, go to 1868.co.il.