Besides being fun to say, the Popina Pop-up on the 15th floor of the Carlton is one of the best meals I've had in Israel. Popina is a well-known non-kosher restaurant in Neve Tzedek, with chef Orel Kimche at the helm, that often has a waiting list for reservations. The pop-up also has a stunning view of the sea. The restaurant is only open until September 17, so hurry and make a reservation if you'd like to try it. The waiters all wore masks and the tables are spaced far apart. Co-owner Tzahi Ovadia said he and Kimche had long thought of opening a kosher restaurant and this was a good time to try. The menu is as close as possible to the non-kosher Popina with a few changes. For example, the shrimp in the fish bao-buns is replaced here with a sea bass fillet in tempura, served with a black yuzu-wasabi aioli (NIS 84). “I think it's even better than the non-kosher one,” Ovadia admitted. We also tried one of my favorite dishes of steak tartare (NIS 84) with grilled mushrooms, asparagus and truffle demi-glace. Need I say more? For a real taste sensation, try the tartare gin and tonic (seriously, what could be bad about it?) which is cubes of a white fish, cucumber, shallots, tobiko-wasabi (tobiko are the tiny orange fish eggs served on sushi but here they're green), and cubes of jellied gin and tonic (NIS 78). There is also a taster's menu for 315 shekels per person.
