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Photo: Ben Yuster
Goong Che Nahm Pla at Kab Kem
Photo: Ben Yuster
Buzzy Gordon

A treasure trove of Asian tapas

Review: Two of the best Asian restaurants in Israel—Florentin House and Kab Kem—specialize in exotic cocktails and small and intermediate-sized dishes.

As more and more Israelis return from extended rips to India and Thailand, the number of Asian restaurants in the country has mushroomed. Even acclaimed chef Sharon Cohen—of Shila and Cafe Europa fame—was bitten by the bug, opening the unpretentious Florentin House in the neighborhood of the same name. There he installed one of his most talented protégés, Ortal Rosenberg, as the chef in charge of the kitchen in this casual outpost.

 

 

There are seven specialty cocktails, most featuring Asian spices, such as the sweet and mellow daiquiri with ginger and galangal. Our waitress, however, recommended the house margarita—which turned out to be as good as you would find in any Mexican restaurant. There is a more than adequate menu of alcoholic drinks, with wine, beer and sake subcategories.

 

The menu devoted to pan-Asian cuisine comprises three sections: 13 appetizer-style dishes, primarily dim sum and buns; six first courses (two of them based on raw fish); and six main courses, including one soup. According to Chef Ortal, it is not unusual for diners to build a tasting menu solely from the first category.

 

Thus, we started with the Shumai steamed shrimp and scallop dumplings, accompanied by four condiments: chao chao (chili with garlic), soy sauce with ginger, sriracha, and a sesame seed and seaweed mixture. It was great fun dipping the delicate dumplings filled with tasty seafood into the different condiments.

 

Dim Sum (Photo: PR)
Dim Sum (Photo: PR)

 

Next was the Shanghai beef and rice noodles, which came in the unusual form of half dumpling and half bao (steamed bun). These deceptively light treats practically melted in mouth.

 

Our last item in this category was the soft shell crab bun: the flash-fried Vietnamese delicacy with spicy aioli and pickled onion in steamed bread is then wrapped in an outer layer of crisp lettuce. This just may the best Asian bun I have had in Israel.

 

Crab bun (Photo: Buzzy Gordon)
Crab bun (Photo: Buzzy Gordon)
 

 

In the second category, we had the red tuna long tail nigiri, alongside dabs of pumpkin chutney, black garlic, and wasabi. The freshness of the raw fish was evident, and enhanced nicely by the imaginative condiments.

 

Red tuna long tail nigiri (Photo: PR)
Red tuna long tail nigiri (Photo: PR)

 

The beef tenderloin nigiri, meanwhile, was an interesting change of pace: the razor-thin slices of reddish pink meat draped over mounds of rice were surprisingly succulent.

 

Our main course was the seafood soup: a crab bisque fortified with coconut cream and studded with shrimp, mussels, calamari, asparagus and broccoli. The noodles were not Asian but rather Italian fettuccine made from scratch, completing a masterpiece of fusion.

 

Seafood soup (Photo: Buzzy Gordon)
Seafood soup (Photo: Buzzy Gordon)

The separate dessert menu lists four creative desserts with Asian accents, such as the satisfying rice pudding with kaffir lime, lemongrass, coconut cream and seasonal fruit.

 

The chef personally recommended the warm date cake topped with sheep’s yogurt ice cream and sprinkled with caramelized pecans and walnuts; the delicious warm cake and cold ice cream were served in a superb molasses and whiskey sauce.

 

Date cake topped with sheep’s yogurt ice cream and sprinkled with caramelized pecans and walnuts (Photo: Buzzy Gordon)
Date cake topped with sheep’s yogurt ice cream and sprinkled with caramelized pecans and walnuts (Photo: Buzzy Gordon)

 

Those wishing to enjoy Florentin House cuisine at reduced prices will be pleased to learn that dishes are 1+1 from 10pm. There is also a discounted business lunch.

 

Florentin House the Restaurant. Not kosher. Florentin St. 6, Tel Aviv. Tel. (03) 616-4449

 

Kab Kem: Drinks and Thai bites  

Kab Kem boasts a pedigree no less impressive than that of Florentin House: its parent is the venerable Thai House (Bayit Thailandi), widely acknowledged as one of Tel Aviv’s top Thai restaurants.

 

The focus of Kab Kem is spelled out right in its signage: drinks and Thai bites. The décor is dominated by a long, fully stocked bar, and dishes—laden with protein and vegetables, and light on carbs—are designed to go with the extensive alcohol menu of both Western and Asian spirits.

 

There are five specialty cocktails, accented with Thai herbs. The tom yum margarita, a Thai interpretation of the Mexican classic, is exactly as described: herbaceous and spicy. Ditto the Kapao—chili-infused vodka with palm sugar and basil leaves—that is labeled tangy and spicy.

 

The menu sections are: From the sea; Beef, pork and more; Som Tam (three papaya salads); Hot from the wok; and Noodle dishes. In addition, there is almost a full page of vegan and vegetarian tapas.

 

Our waiter agreed to serve us a representative tasting menu, after we told him we eat everything but offal. We also assured him we can handle spicy: the menu uses chili pepper icons (from one to fours) to symbolize the degree of heat characterizing each dish.

 

He started us off with Pla Khem—raw Mediterranean sea fish with ginger, chili and coriander—and Goong Che Nahm Pla—blanched crystal shrimp with mint, garlic and chili.

 

Goong Che Nahm Pla (Photo: Ben Yuster)
Goong Che Nahm Pla (Photo: Ben Yuster)

Both dishes were beautifully presented; and while the former was unremarkable, the latter was an ideal balance of mild and spicy: the fragile yet flavorful shrimp virtually evaporated on the tongue, as the chili gradually left a pleasant tingle of heat in the mouth.

 

Pla Khem (Photo: Buzzy Gordon)
Pla Khem (Photo: Buzzy Gordon)

 

Moving on to the next category, we were served two regional specialties, starting with Sai Hua, seasoned beef sausage from Chiang Mai. This is a more complex dish than your ordinary sausage: the taste—and heat—continues to build for as long—and even after—the meat is in your mouth.

 

The Nahm Tok Moo, which hails from Isan province in northeastern Thailand, consists of pork belly slices seasoned with mint, coriander and dried chili. Interestingly, it was served with sticky rice, which is usually reserved for desserts.

 

Nahm Tok Moo (Photo: PR)
Nahm Tok Moo (Photo: PR)

 

Pork belly and sticky rice were both reprised in the dish called Som Tam Moo Krop, which revolved around the distinctive Thai papaya salad. The juxtaposition of warm, fatty pork with the cool, crisp papaya added up to a pleasant counterpoint of flavors, temperature and textures.

 

Nam Tok Moo (Photo: Yafit Simcha)
Nam Tok Moo (Photo: Yafit Simcha)
 

Finally, we had one of only three noodle dishes, usually a staple of Thai restaurant menus. At Kab Kem, even the familiar noodles are different: dry and thin. The Bami Gai Toht, noodles with white meat chicken nuggets, was our waiter’s final recommendation, and one we truly enjoyed.

 

There is no dessert menu, but the three on offer were explained by the waiter. The signature dessert is the crême brulée with pineapple, executed perfectly: a light and richly sweet delight.

 

Crême brulée with pineapple (Photo: Buzzy Gordon)
Crême brulée with pineapple (Photo: Buzzy Gordon)
 

 

A more authentic Asian dessert is the tapioca noodles in coconut cream with melon and water chestnuts. The tapioca in the form of noodles rather than beads is a novelty, and the liquidy dessert manages to be refreshing while staying sweet.

 

To enjoy Kab Kem for less money, visit between 6pm and 8pm, when some dishes are available in half-size portions, at reduced prices. (Note: Unlike the ordinary menu, the menu of discounted dishes is in Hebrew only.)

 

Kab Kem. Not kosher. Lincoln St. 11, Tel Aviv. Tel. (03) 688-9960

 


פרסום ראשון: 05.05.18, 12:25
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