Guest chef Victor Gloger of Chloelys serves up a delectable kosher menu.
By GLORIA DEUTSCHChef Victor Gloger(photo credit: PR)
Motti Verses, Hilton Tel Aviv’s intrepid public relations man, has come up with yet another intriguing idea to promote the King Solomon restaurant, the hotel’s flagship eatery.Why not get top chef Victor Gloger of the non-kosher Chloelys restaurant in Ramat Gan to come and cook the same food he offers at his place, but in a kosher version? Kashrut –observant guests would then be able to taste the chef’s topquality food not normally available to them.The special Gloger menus will be served from March 22 to 26 at the Hilton Tel Aviv’s elegant King Solomon restaurant and will cost NIS 390 per diner.A preview luncheon for was held featuring the dishes Gloger will prepare, attended by several food writers and bloggers.It is easy to see why chef Gloger has such a fine reputation. The tasting menu that was served gave us the chance to sample six dishes – some starters, main courses and a dessert. Gloger clearly regards food presentation as a challenge, and the use of herbs, spices and finely tuned sauces made every dish exceptional.The tables were laid with baskets of crisp fresh rolls, oil and balsamic for dipping and delicious homemade pickled green cucumbers just like your grandmother used to make.First up was Raw Trio – a platter of homemade gravlax with chopped dill served with a sweet mustard and brown sugar sauce; sea bass carpaccio with smoked eggplant; and tuna tartare on cold persimmon soup with ginger and lime. All these modest mouthfuls were delicious and perfect starters for the meal ahead.Next up was a slice of foie gras (liver paté) with pistachio crust and a sauce made of quince jam and chocolate. I thought it very passable, although I’m not sure about the chocolate accompaniment.Sometimes pushing the borders just to be different doesn’t work.The main fish course, sea tagine, consisted of a grouper fillet and a chopped sea bass kebab, a rather updated Mediterranean version of a gefilte fish ball. The white fish was very good –a thick, meaty fillet, perfectly cooked, which came in a pistou of vegetables. It was more like a fish soup than anything, and the carefully diced vegetables included eggplant, zucchini, red peppers and olives. The soup was flavored with Ras el Hanout spices and was full of exciting tastes very well suited to a fish lover, which I am.The meat course was a tender veal cutlet with Forestiere sauce, which my dining companion enjoyed very much. The accompanying risotto was full of Shimeji mushrooms and chopped chestnuts and was redolent with spices and herbs.Thank heavens there was only one dessert, but what a dessert! Listed as Dacquoise Praline, it was a scrumptious combination of hazelnuts, mousse, meringue and chocolate cream. It looked like a cake but had a marvelous crunchy texture, and every mouthful was heaven.For each course a different wine was served, all from local wineries, and they offered a glimpse of the many fine wines now available. Six wines were served with the six courses, all of the high quality we have come to expect from Yarden and Gamla wineries. Chloelys is famous for its wine cellar, which is said to have 7,000 bottles of 270 different wines.Victor Gloger was born in Argentinian and came here at the age of 18 after working for some time in France. His restaurant, Chloelys, named for his two daughters, is considered one of Israel’s finest. For kosher diners, the week of March 22 to 26 will be the chance to check out the chef’s reputation and ascertain how well deserved it is.The writer was a guest of the restaurant.King Solomon restaurantHilton Tel AvivTel: (03) 520-2255Sunday to Thursday, 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
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