Dining Out / Overkill at the hotel restaurant

Let it be known I have nothing against hotel restaurants. In fact, some of the very best European and American ones are located in hotels. Those restaurants are, however, owned by the chefs who run them and not part of the hotel's food and beverage department.

Fine chefs learned years ago that as part of a department, their independence and thus their creativity is automatically limited because they're responsible to the hotel's executive chef, who in turn is responsible to the food and beverage manager, often responsible to a director who may be located in another city or even another continent, all the while dictating at least in part what ingredients shall be used and what dishes will appear on the menu. Talented chef Oren Yerushalmi of Scala, set in Jerusalem's David Citadel Hotel, is trying hard to maintain his autonomy, but the results show he's indeed part of the hotel's food and beverage chain.

We were three for dinner. I intentionally chose the sweetbreads for my first course, as this particular cut of meat is particularly appropriate for kosher restaurants. The sweetbreads themselves were delicious, lightly crisp on the exterior and soft enough to melt in your mouth. From here, though, it was on to what I think of as "hotel overkill" - loading the plate with so many other items that one quickly loses focus. Had the only accompaniment been the smooth and rich creme of artichoke served, all would have been well, but scattered over everything were seared porcini mushrooms, steamed red onions, anise seeds and an olive oil flavored with thyme, all frankly unnecessary and depriving us the pleasures of what might have been.

One of my companions opted for the seviche of grey mullet, the fish diced and tossed together with thinly sliced kohlrabi, radishes and a lime-flavored mayonnaise. Had the chef stopped there, all would have been fine but the addition to the dish of a confit of tomatoes was simply too much, and much of the fish's flavor was thus lost in what became a hodge-podge offering.

The goose liver appetizer that another of us tried was fine, the goose liver itself just soft enough and topped with a rich veal stock, accompanied by a smooth potato puree. The lightly sauteed sliced green apples on the plate made a fine match to the dish as well, and a glass of the sweet Heightswine of the Golan Heights Winery made an excellent accompaniment.

Our main courses proved unexciting. A dish of merguez sausages disappointed because the sausages were not at all hot as they should be, but had a distinct and unwanted sweetness. The accompanying white beans reminded me too much of the kind that come from tins bearing the Heinz label.

We decided to try one of the vegetarian offerings, potato gnocchi served with wild mushrooms, all spooned over with a sauce made of vegetable stock, porcini mushrooms and white wine. That the gnocchi were a bit too firm was a minor fault, the major problem being that the sauce simply had too little flavor. The major disappointment was yet to come: an entrecote steak, looking beautiful and cooked medium rare as requested but so salty from the koshering process that it was unappetizing.

We shared a single dessert - that a butternut creme, flavored with cocoa and sprinkled over with caramelized nuts. The dish did not succeed overall, as it left an unwanted bitterness that lingered too long on the palate. Our closing espresso coffees were strong and full of flavor.

The restaurant is physically attractive and has an air of elegance, the service is attentive and the wine list is quite good. All that's missing is a good deal more attention to the overabundance of ingredients and a better choice of beef, because even in a restaurant serving kosher meat, one can and should anticipate a good steak. Our bill for three came to NIS 590. To that a bottle of Carmel's single vineyard Shiraz added NIS 185 and an individual glass of Heightswine added NIS 45. Of interest primarily to those to whom kashrut is important.

Scala, in the David Citadel Hotel, Rehov King David 7, Jerusalem. Tel: (02) 621-2030. Open Sun-Thurs 19:00-23:00. Kosher.