Several more first courses followed in rapid succession, of which the highlights were the scallops on polenta and the foie gras. The scallops, under a light dusting of finely grated Parmesan, were melt-in-your-mouth tender, and served on a bed of hearty, coarse yellow corn polenta that was outstanding.
The foie gras was accompanied by quince marmalade, and quinoa with diced fresh fruit. The richness of the exquisite foie gras was cut by the candied fruit, while the quinoa was nicely enhanced by fresh green herbs and small cubes of fresh mango.The pastas here are listed as a second course, like in Italian restaurants, but after our array of first courses, we elected to try a half-portion as a main course. The chef’s choice for us was the Parmesan gnocchi with asparagus, sage butter and pumpkin cream – and a fortuitous one it was. The plump pillows of potato pasta were the lightest and fluffiest gnocchi I can ever recall having, accented with al dente baby asparagus and a sauce that was a perfect balance of herbed butter and puréed pumpkin.Our meat main course was the short ribs with green vegetables and Jerusalem artichoke cream. The generous slab of slow-cooked beef, glazed with demi-glace, arrived on our plate literally glistening, and peeking out from under a coil of green beans. This cut is notorious for its fatty flavor, but this version – while still redolent with fat – still managed to be as appetizing as it looked.There is a carefully curated international wine list, which includes several exclusive wines whose price tag reaches into four figures. Pastel’s resident sommelier has also designated a limited selection available by the glass.A recently updated separate dessert menu lists five desserts (NIS 23-56), each one paired with a recommended dessert wine. It was left to us to choose from pastry chef’s Yotam Turgeman creations, and we chose two we had never seen anywhere on an Israeli menu: Basque cheesecake and chocolate crack pie.The former resembled a sweet mini-quiche, with a creamy center topped with fresh berries. Once I got used to the unusual texture, I found it enjoyable.The latter meanwhile was a combination of two perennial favorites: chocolate and crack pie, resulting in a chocolate extravaganza – including chocolate ice cream – that was absolutely decadent.PastelNot kosherSha’ul HaMelech Ave. 27, Tel AvivPhone: 03-644-7441Open 7 days: 12 noon-12 midnightThe writer was a guest of the restaurant.
Tel Aviv's fine dining restaurant Pastel - new chef Koby Bachar
Chef Hillel Tavakoli has been associated with the restaurant Pastel for the last five years, and was in no small measure responsible for its popularity.
