Putting one's faith in Karma

A charming restaurant in Beit Hakerem offers a (surprisingly) good extensive menu, a scenic view and reasonable prices

By JEREMY HALEVY
karmaa 311 (photo credit: courtesy)
karmaa 311
(photo credit: courtesy)
When it’s time to take out a visitor from overseas, Ein Kerem is always a safe bet with its plethora of restaurants, picturesque streets with churches of almost every denomination and its stunning views. After a walk around the village on the southwestern outskirts of Jerusalem, we opted for Karma. Its splendid balcony offers some of the best vistas of the Spring of the Vineyard where, according to legend, John the Baptist was born.
For some unknown reason, smoking is permitted outdoors at Karma. But after moving tables a couple of times to escape a particularly noisy party, we settled down to enjoy the mountain air and a bottle of Galil Mountain Viognier, a fruity dry white wine with a floral aroma.
Karma is one of those restaurants with a menu that offers everything from pastas to pizzas and salads to steaks, a largesse that doesn’t always inspire confidence. But after sharing a salmon ceviche and a dish of sauted mushrooms with sun-dried tomatoes in a white wine and butter sauce (NIS 39), our fears were put to rest.
For the main course, I opted for a filet of mullet grilled a la plancha and served with a white wine, garlic and butter sauce (NIS 88). My guest went for a whole sea bream, lightly fried then baked in the oven, accompanied by a garlic confiture and herbs (NIS 92). Both dishes were served with an extremely generous portion of baked vegetables that neither of us could finish.
When it came to dessert, after one of those blistering hot days that we have been smitten with of late, neither of us was capable of more than sharing a sorbet of fruits of the forest (NIS 30), which was tangy and full of zest – just the thing to jolt one back to life before a nocturnal stroll around the village.
As my guest put it, while the food at Karma doesn’t soar to great culinary heights and won’t, if you’ll excuse the pun on the restaurant’s name, release one from the gastronomic cycle of samsara, it most certainly is tasty and more than satisfactory, especially given its pleasant atmosphere, reasonable prices and outstanding location.
Not Kosher Open from 10 a.m. until the last customer.
Rehov Ein Kerem 74 Tel: (02) 643-6643