Catch of the day
02/28/2013 10:39
The new winter menu at Nammos has fresh fish and seafood to complement the restaurant’s established sushi fare.
nammos Photo: Courtesy
For someone who is used to frequenting restaurants in the center of Tel Aviv,
it made for a pleasant getaway when I was recently invited to Herzilya Pituah to
eat at Nammos Chef Restaurant and Sushi Bar. While it may be only a short
15-minute drive up the highway, the marina in Herzilya Pituah seemed like a
different world when a friend and I visited recently on a mild winter
evening.
After walking through the glitzy mall and passing by the rows of
impressive luxury yachts anchored at the marina, we reached the restaurant,
which is set apart from the other restaurants in the upscale complex and enjoys
a prime location right next to the water.
Restaurateur Ilan Trieger
recently appointed Aviv Levi as head chef. Levi launched a new winter
menu that uses fresh fish and seafood, complementing the established sushi menu
that has been available at the restaurant for years.
Trieger made us feel
very welcome from the second we walked into the light and airy restaurant, which
is complete with modern furnishings. In his own laid-back style, he made it his
business to ensure that each of us ordered wine that we would be happy with. He
took the time to explain what was on offer and proceeded to ask us about our
specific tastes. In the end, I went for what he was drinking – the Pinot Grigio,
while my friend had the Gertzweiner. Neither of us was disappointed.
When
Trieger asked if we liked sushi and we nodded in the affirmative, his eyes lit
up. Knowing that the restaurant is famous for its sushi, we knew we were
in for a treat. But nothing could have prepared us for what was to come. He
warned us that there would be a lot of sushi but said we would start with that
and then move on to other parts of the menu. When the sushi platter (NIS 560)
finally arrived, our jaws dropped. We were concerned that we wouldn’t be able to
finish what was in front of us, never mind try other dishes from the
menu.
Before we tasted the vast selection before our eyes, we took a good
five minutes to admire the presentation of the platter that was so heavy, it was
almost impossible to lift off the table. The centerpiece of the long red
dish included a palm tree made of a single carrot, complete with a carrot-carved
bird fixed to the top. A perfect 10 out of 10 for
presentation.
Thankfully, the sushi tasted just as good as it looked, and
we enjoyed the range of tuna, salmon and shrimp presented and arranged in every
which way possible.
We tried our hardest to finish the sushi, which we
estimated would have been enough to feed eight people, but we were
defeated. The very kind waiter offered to wrap it up for us so it
wouldn’t go to waste.
Despite being rather full, we stuck to our promise
to try other dishes from the menu. In the end, we could only manage two
appetizers. Trieger wanted us to try more, but it just wasn’t going to happen.
We went for the pate de foie gras with port, Armagnac and blueberry confiture
(NIS 79) and the fresh whole asparagus, grilled mushrooms, semolina puree and
Parmesan cheese (NIS 48). The foie gras itself was extremely rich and tasty, but
the blueberry confiture stole the show. Of the two dishes, the asparagus
was the winner because of the way the various flavors worked
together.
Even though we really didn’t have much room left at this stage,
we tried a couple of the desserts – strawberries with vanilla ice cream and
tarte tatin. While both desserts fulfilled our need for something a little sweet
to end the meal with, neither had any kind of wow factor. Needless to say, we
didn’t finish either of them.
Trieger and his team of professional and
well-groomed waiters made sure we had a night to remember. This included making
sure that our wine glasses were always full, so maybe that’s why some parts of
the end of the evening are a little hazier than the beginning.
Even
though we enjoyed the sushi platter – both to look at and to eat from – it’s a
shame that we didn’t get to taste more from the extensive menu. But things
aren’t all bad – it gives us an excuse to return to Nammos some time
soon.
The writer was a guest of the restaurant.
Nammos
Not kosher
1 Hatzedef Yacht Club, Herzilya Pituah
(09) 951-1555
Open daily from 12:30 p.m.
until the last customer leaves