Designing great cuisine
Not 'just' the best-designed restaurant in the world, Pastel Brasserie and Bar presents feasts for the palate as well as the eye.
The arts complex that houses Israel’s Opera House, Cameri Theater and the Tel Aviv Museum of Art is also home to Pastel, winner of Idea Tops’ 2014 International Space Design Award for the best designed restaurant in the world.
Fortunately, the stunning restaurant can rely not only on its looks but also on the artistic talent of Chef Hillel Tavakuli to attract customers.
Once settled in the impressive surroundings, the menus -- available in Hebrew and English -- make for interesting reading. The wine list, for example, is divided into unusual categories, with adjectival headings like “aromatic,” “surprising,” and “exciting” (although only in the English version). Helpfully, there are two separate lists of wines by the glass (or carafe) and wines by the bottle. A nice gesture is that the waiters, who double as sommeliers, offer tastes from the former.
Also in the alcohol category, there is a tempting selection of specialty cocktails. The eponymous Pastel Muse combines gin with vermouth, lime juice, tonic water and berries, resulting in a slightly astringent drink that is bracing and refreshing. The intriguing Guatemala Sour, meanwhile, blends quality rum with classic sour mix and orange, for a complex citrusy cocktail that is both sweet and tangy.
A meal at Pastel starts with a basket of fresh, whole grain breads, studded with olives or nuts, accompanied by a tomato salsa peppered with baby chickpeas. The mildly spicy salsa is so tasty you have to be careful not to fill up prematurely.
The show commences with the soup course -- on our afternoon, cream of pumpkin. First came a bowl containing small cubes of green apple, pumpkin flesh and chives; then the soup was poured theatrically at the table by our waiter. The velvety soup, served with a bruschetta topped with crème fraiche and more chives, was delicious.
Our first appetizer was the chicken liver pâté -- a generous, decadently rich slab of the delicacy atop a toasted brioche. The pâté itself was paired with an intriguing pear chutney, which nicely cut the extreme richness of the star of this dish.
The second appetizer -- tuna sashimi -- was a thing of beauty to behold. Slices of the glistening, burgundy-hued fish were draped over pieces of green apple and avocado, while the entire plate was drizzled with a curry vinaigrette to form an artistic latticework. The astoundingly fresh fish melted in the mouth, and the interplay of flavors and textures -- helped along with garnishes of coriander and chili, and the crunch of scattered chopped nuts -- was extraordinary.
When the time came for main courses, our helpful waitress advised us that there is a special pasta not on the menu which is kept in reserve for vegetarians; following her description and recommendation, we ordered the mafaldine in cream of pea sauce with broccoli and feta cheese. The wavy ribbon pasta itself is distinctive enough, but the combination of the sauce with the al dente cruciferous vegetable, the salty cheese, toasted pine nuts and gremolata (a pesto-like condiment of lemon zest, garlic and parsley) truly made the dish unforgettable. It is a pasta course to rival the best in any dedicated Italian restaurant. (It is available also as a vegan option: the kitchen would use olive oil instead of butter and substitute for the cheese.)
Our second main course was more conventional, but also memorable: a giant skewer of beef filet on a bed of white onion cream, with crispy potato and charred red onion. The delectable chunks of steak, grilled to perfection, were juicy and flavorful, and complemented nicely by the delicate coulis and roasted vegetables.
Finally, the desserts reprised the striking presentation of the early courses. It was hard to resist ordering something bearing the evocative name “floating islands”, especially given the detailed itemization of exotic components: strawberry sorbet, amarena cherries, caramelized pistachio, soft meringue, kadaif and rose malabi. Once again, there is tableside decanting, this time of the malabi, to create a sole “island” of multi-layered confection. The kadaif, uniquely shaped in a hoop completes the tableau of a dessert that looks almost too pretty to eat.
The "gondi" cheesecake, meanwhile, actually looks more like floating islands: three streusel-covered cheesecake balls afloat a pistachio-and-berries custardy cream surrounded by edible flowers. The consistency, as well as taste, of the baked cheese dumplings is somewhere between a dense New York cheesecake and light Italian-style cheesecake. For those wanting a more guilt-free dessert, the evening menu features a sorbet without sugar.
Pastel is a multi-dimensional establishment that succeeds in delighting the senses on a number of levels, first and foremost gustatory.
Not kosher.
Shaul Hamelekh Boulevard 27, Tel Aviv
Tel. (03) 644-7441
