On a recent Thursday night, the Houthis were sending their regular greetings from Yemen in the form of a missile, triggering alerts throughout the country.
But at Malka, celebrity chef Eyal Shani’s kosher restaurant in Tel Aviv, patrons and staff alike were partying as if we lived in a normal country. Not just a normal country but an exceptionally fun-loving, celebrating country.
About a quarter of the patrons swiftly made their way to the safe room, some with cocktails or beverages of their choice in hand. When they got back to their tables, upbeat sing-along Hebrew songs arrived, wave after wave, on the sound system, the bartenders in the center bar regularly rang their tip bells, and the wait staff danced as they served and made small talk with the diners, who filled the spacious venue.
The popular restaurant, situated in an attractive array of restaurants and clubs a short walk from the Azrieli Mall, called Azrieli Midtown, recently moved from its original home a short distance away at Beit Asia.
A bridge between Tel Aviv and the religious world
“We’ve always seen Malka as a kind of bridge between the religious world and the Tel Aviv scene,” Shani explained in background material sent before I visited the restaurant for the first time.
“You can spot quite a few kippah-wearing patrons but also plenty of businesspeople or lawyers at lunchtime, neighbors for whom this is their local spot, or simply Tel Avivians who love to eat at Eyal Shani’s places. They don’t necessarily keep kosher themselves, but this time they’re hosting a friend or relative who does, and they’re happy to bring them to Malka, enjoy the dishes they know from his other restaurants, and soak up the lively Tel Avivian vibe.”
That assessment proved accurate on this particular night, with one table hosting a bachelorette party replete with model-worthy attire, sitting close by a religiously observant family. But despite the bubbly, infectious atmosphere, the emphasis is on the food.
Notwithstanding the location change, the menu, we were told, is based on the tried and true dishes that Shani has built his reputation on: kebab on focaccia; the signature schnitzel stuffed with mashed potatoes; Old City meze; ragù pasta; and, of course, the iconic green beans.
Chef Noam Moisa has augmented those staples with new additions, such as Sofrito de Regina de Lulu – chicken sofrito with chicken stock, caramelized onions, slow-baked for hours and served on fresh laffa; and Bruschetta American Tartare de Tuna – bruschetta with Bluefin toro tuna tartare in a white horseradish and dill tartar sauce.
The menu is divided into four sections – bread, vegetables, fish, and meat – rather than appetizers and entrées. Our friendly and knowledgeable server, Noam, who sat down at the table with us, explained that most diners order a few dishes and put them in the middle of the table for all to enjoy “like a Friday night Shabbat dinner.”
The menu is almost as entertaining as the food, with both contributing to the lighthearted vibe. Noam offered us the English menus; but after reading some of the entries, I asked for the Hebrew version because either there was a lot of mistranslation or a lot of mischief going on.
It turned out to be the latter. The English item “Za’atar Pizza Burekas Steak – Smells of Hot Gold Shattering in Your Mouth” (NIS 55) was an exact translation, as was “An accurate pile of tomatoes” (NIS 48).
Although intrigued by both, we tried the Charred Asparagus and Horseradish Aioli (NIS 57), which proved to be absolutely delicious. And for the main course, we chose the aforementioned sofrito (NIS 98) (named after chef Moisa’s mother). Its savory flavor provided the ultimate taste experience.
We couldn’t resist Noam’s suggestion to try “A Lesson for Tunisians” (NIS 89), which turned out be a baked potato sliced open, with dollops of seared tuna and a hard-boiled egg. While tasty, it was slightly less successful and had me bemoaning the decision to forgo the schnitzel, which, at the neighboring table, looked amazing.
Many of the dishes are served in faux shuk style, wrapped in paper or in a basket, adding an old-style charm to the modern-traditional culinary pastiche.
Even though we were stuffed, Moisa sent out an array of desserts, which, although parve, were rich and sumptuous.
If you’re looking for venue to show guests a quintessential Israeli eating and cultural experience – or if you just need a reminder of what makes Israel such a unique place, – then Malka is the way to go.
UPON OUR return to Jerusalem via train and after picking up our car, we drove smack into the middle of a haredi riot on Bar-Ilan Street, complete with trash containers alight, police on horseback, and water cannons.
Inching through the parting sea of black, we were already nostalgic for the reverie and good spirit we were ensconced in only an hour earlier, and the “normalcy” of the Houthi alerts.
Maybe Eyal Shani needs to open his next establishment in Mea She’arim.
- Malka
- Azrieli Midtown, 146 Menachem Begin Road
- Tel Aviv
- Tel: (03) 609-1331
- Lunch: Noon-4 p.m. A glass of wine or a beer is available at a reduced price. Aperitivo: A menu of bite-size dishes (five to nine rotating items) and classic cocktails, served from 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m., with 40% off the full alcohol menu. Dinner: 5:30 p.m.-11 p.m.
- Closed on Friday and Saturday
- Kashrut: Tel Aviv Rabbinate.
The writer was a guest of the restaurant.