Channels

Photo: Buzzy Gordon
Soup trio. One of those few times when a soup does not call for accompanying bread
Photo: Buzzy Gordon
Buzzy Gordon

Moshe Basson keeps Eucalyptus thriving

The acclaimed home of Biblical cuisine brings life and flavor to Jerusalem’s Hutzot Hayotzer.

While Park Teddy has become a welcome addition to the area across from Jaffa Gate, the adjacent restaurant that has become a fixture opposite the Old City walls has also been doing its part: The Eucalyptus finally received permission from the municipality to put tables along the Artists’ Colony walkway, and it is hard to imagine a nice place for al fresco dining in the capital than among the herbs and flowers that now enhance the timeless Jerusalem stone.

  

 

Even the menu has been undergoing changes. Naturally, the herbs and spices from ancient times researched by Moshe Basson for the sake of authenticity retain their places of prominence. And the same classic dishes that elevated Eucalyptus to the top tier of Israeli restaurants remain: His signature figs stuffed with chicken and cooked in sweet-and-sour tamarind sauce, for example; and makloubah, the famous upside-down rice, chicken and vegetable casserole seasoned with saffron and moistened with almond yogurt is still upended tableside after the ritual ceremony.

 

While these are the must-have main courses for any first-time diner, it is definitely worthwhile building up to them, with a choice of starters, followed by the unique soup trio.

 

Plain old eggplant with tehina may seem like humdrum staple – but not at Eucalyptus. Here, the entire fire-roasted eggplant is served on a black slate tile, its fleshy meat bathing in aged pomegranate sauce, with generous drizzles of raw tehina and garnished with fresh pomegranate seeds. The interplay of the flavors is unforgettable – and characteristic of virtually all of Basson’s culinary creations.

 

Fire-roasted eggplant bathing in aged pomegranate sauce, with generous drizzles of raw tehina and garnished with fresh pomegranate seeds (Photo: Buzzy Gordon)
Fire-roasted eggplant bathing in aged pomegranate sauce, with generous drizzles of raw tehina and garnished with fresh pomegranate seeds (Photo: Buzzy Gordon)

 

You will want to mop up the plate with Eucalyptus’ fresh-baked focaccia, but don’t neglect the no fewer than five spreads that come with the focaccia (which is deliberately not herbed): Amba aioli, za’atar pesto, red pepper relish, tehina sprinkled with sumac and garlic aioli.

 

The soup trio, on the other hand, is one of those few times when a soup does not call for accompanying bread. The trio of cups of soup comprises a creamy Jerusalem artichoke, an old-fashioned lentil, and the soup du jour. Often the soup of the day is tomato-mint, the only hot tomato soup in Israel that I enjoy.

 

Eucalyptus is also the only place I order gnocchi, because here it is made with chubeiza – a wild herb – incorporated into the potato dough. It comes with a helping of cooked chubeiza on its own on the side; the taste is reminiscent of spinach.

 

Mallard is the healthful version of duck served here: the fat-trimmed slices of breast are cooked just right to stay moist, helped along by the juices of a fruit puree, and accompanied by mashed potatoes, a carrot couiis and a wild berry relish.

 

Even the beef I tasted was as healthful as can be: Thin slices of minute steak seared and seasoned to perfection, and served with leafy greens.

 

The wine list is virtually all Israeli, with a good selection of wines available by the glass. In this category, Eucalyptus seems to favor Katlav, a winery in the Judean hills of the Jerusalem corridor. The Katlav red blends are the only instance when Moshe (Basson) and I agreed to disagree: He likes the Nes Harim blend, while I preferred the Wadi Katlav. Either one is an excellent choice paired with the mallard and the minute steak.

 

Dessert – or perhaps desserts is more precise – is a miniature tasting menu of sweet delights: Malabi, a creamy, rosewater-scented faux milk custard; rich chocolate mousse; basbousa, a semolina cake topped with a latticework of drizzled icing and tehina; and pears stewed in wine.

 

As if the menu were not complete enough as is, Basson is now planning an entirely new tapas menu, to be unveiled this summer and offered starting at 21.00. Judging from the sneak peek I enjoyed, tapas at Eucalyptus will be as innovative as the traditional dishes that made the restaurant’s reputation to date.

 

The Eucalyptus

Kosher. English menus available.

 

Hutzot Hayotzer Artists’ Colony (between Park Teddy and Sultan’s Pool)

 

Tel. 972-2-6244331

 

The writer was a guest of the restaurant.

 


פרסום ראשון: 07.04.15, 22:25
 new comment
Warning:
This will delete your current comment