Good food news

Winter menus at some local restaurants offer new dishes and many surprises.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Mcdonald's 521 (photo credit: Courtesy)
Mcdonald's 521
(photo credit: Courtesy)
The Spaghettim chain of Italian moderately priced restaurants has new items on the menu. The new Rustica dish – an upgrade of the all-time favorite lamb meat balls and rigatoni – is now served in a taboun-baked pastry shell with olive oil and herbs in tomato sauce. NIS 64 at all branches. Not kosher except for the branch in Ramat Gan. www.spaghettim.co.il
SushiSamba has a new seaweed menu. As seaweed is used not only as a wrap for sushi but also as a major ingredient in many dishes, chef Nitzan Raz features the different exotic tastes of seaweed such as Combo, Red Osaka and Wakama in a new and surprising specials menu that includes salads, fish, meat and desserts. 27 Habarzel Street, Tel Aviv. Not kosher. (03) 644-4345.
Cafe Italia, one of Tel Aviv’s best authentic Italian restaurants, has a new winter menu for lunch. It offers simple but spot-on dishes made from fresh and imported ingredients. The new NIS 59 lunch deal includes an appetizer, a main dish and a cold drink.The cheerful atmosphere is a bonus. Not kosher. 6 Kreminitsky Street, Tel Aviv. (03) 561-2888.
For kids and adults alike, McDonald’s Israel now boasts new and healthier versions of their favorite dishes. The 10 Steps to Healthier Eating program includes a promise to grill meats rather than fry them, use canola or olive oils, less fat in sauces, add vegetables in most dinners, make light bread available and lower the fat content in the meat to 9%.
All kids’ meals will include fruit and vegetables, have fewer than 500 calories, less than 20 grams of fat and other health benefits. The branches will all undergo a complete renovation, using clean modern design, natural wood, colorful wallpaper and other features, starting with the remodeled branch in Ramat Hasharon, which reopened recently.
A vast new menu in the Asian chain Japanika is both innovative and tasty, especially adapted to suit local taste without losing its authenticity and high quality.
The new menu in all the branches includes new sushi rolls, new salmon tartare, fish and noodle dishes and new desserts. Check out the smoky roll (NIS 39), salmon grill Tamago in hot chili (NIS 39) and the new dumplings. Tofu lovers will enjoy the Japanese Agadashi as well. The food in all the 18 branches, including two excellent kosher ones in Jerusalem and Ra’anana, is promised to be on the same high level, with the chain’s chef traveling around the country for quality control. www.japanika.co.il *3636.