Chef to Table: Restaurant dishes from stove to table
Enjoy cooking gourmet dishes with all-inclusive kits from Chef to Table
By BUZZY GORDONUpdated: MARCH 10, 2021 09:53Chef to Table(photo credit: AFIK GABAI)
As many restaurants prepare to reopen this week in accordance with green and purple label restrictions, some enterprises that relied on delivery during the recent lockdowns are likely to scale back. One innovative project, however, is hoping to make restaurant-inspired deliveries a permanent fixture in Israel’s culinary scene.Inspired by a business he observed overseas, hospitality entrepreneur Doron Benvenisti – the prime mover behind Assemblage, a hip new boutique hotel, spa and cafe complex near Carmel Market – has created Chef to Table: meal kits that recreate restaurant dishes and are delivered to homes. And not just any restaurants: to his credit, Benvenisti has managed to convince 11 of Tel Aviv’s leading chefs – eight of whom whose popular restaurants have been reviewed in these pages – to share not only their recipes but also complete, easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions, both in print and on video. It may sound complicated and time-consuming to recreate restaurant-quality fare at home, but Chef to Table has gone to great pains to take the work out of it and leave the fun. Therefore, all of the necessary ingredients for each recipe are at your fingertips, compactly packaged in a sturdy, airtight carton. And I do mean all the ingredients – down to a tiny packet of salt, when the recipe call for “a pinch of salt.” While every household is sure to have salt on hand, nothing is left to chance; the only ingredient one may have to provide on one’s own is water.Currently, there are 22 dishes on the menu, covering a wide range of cuisines, as well as dietary considerations, such as vegan and gluten-free. Each dish is accompanied by a clear photograph, and naturally one may study all the ingredients before ordering. In fact, each recipe also comes with a detailed nutritional label.All the recipes are in Hebrew only, but the pictures and the common names of familiar ingredients mean that one need not be expert in the language in order to manage.One additional consideration that is critical is the confidence to succeed. It is for this reason that each recipe is also identified by its level of difficulty – from easy to moderately hard (being careful not to leave out estimated prep time). At least one need not worry about tackling unwieldy amounts: each dish is designed to feed two people (with the arguable exception of Chef Moti Titman’s whole chicken).The dishes are listed in no apparent order and comprise what may be classified as first courses, main courses and desserts, even if they are not defined as such on the website. Thus, the prices range from a mere NIS 51 for one dessert, all the way to NIS 192 for the most extravagant main course: beef plus a side. (Note: the minimum order is NIS 80, not including the delivery fee.)FOR OUR sample test of a Chef to Table meal, we chose one main course and one dessert from two very different cuisines: a Thai curry (NIS 126) and Middle Eastern knaffeh (NIS 51), neither of which either one of us had ever attempted before. We were assured in print that they were not terribly complicated.First was Green Curry with Rump Steak (cheftotable.co.il/product/sheitel/), a dish by Chef Tom Aviv, whose culinary talents have been reviewed here no less than twice before. This was one of two recipes contributed by Aviv. The recipe page itemizes not only all the ingredients – many depicted in individual photos – but also the kitchen equipment needed. In addition, the QR code will lead you to a very professional video in which Aviv guides us through all the steps in less than 10 minutes; thus it is highly recommended to watch the entire video even before starting to work.While the prep time for this recipe is gauged at 30 minutes, it took us considerably longer, especially taking into account the additional cooking time. But that’s OK: we were in no rush, and the result was worth the effort. In particular, the spiced rice was a welcome change from the plain rice we get in restaurants; and the ability to decide how much of the beautiful hot red chili pepper to include enabled a good degree of control over the level of spiciness. (Hint: using the entire pepper led to a feeling of heat that completely filled the mouth – but in a pleasant way.)It is worth noting parenthetically that the steak in this curry dish was so succulent when it emerged from the initial searing stage that we decided to eat half of it on its own. To replenish the partially missing protein component of the curry, we substituted tofu – although any of the traditional alternatives (viz., chicken or shrimp) would be an equally good choice. This maneuver meant we could stretch the curry to last over two different dinners.Finally, it was time to attempt the knaffeh, which heretofore had always seemed a challenge I would never try at home. But once again, after watching the skillful video presentation of Chef Nof Atamna (cheftotable.co.il/product/knafe/), it suddenly appeared doable. And to our great relief, joy and satisfaction, the knaffeh came out crunchy, sweet and tasty – a treat we devoured to the very last crumb of cheesy strand of kadaif. (The one disappointment in this recipe was that all of the cheese was mozzarella, and not the authentic Arabic cheese traditionally found in knaffeh.) Chef to Table. Kosher and non-kosher. 48 Allenby St., Tel Aviv. Tel. (050) 838-3084Online menu (Hebrew only): cheftotable.co.il/shop/The writer was a guest of Chef to Table.
