Last update - 00:00 21/12/2006
Dining Out / Playful hedonism
By Daniel Rogov
I wrote a very positive review of Kfar Sava's Barcarola when it first opened in 2003. Although set in an industrial zone, not far from what appears to be the end of the world, the restaurant had great charm, and the considerable skills of chef Itay Shalev made this place well worth visiting. About two weeks after my review was published, the chef decided to wander on, as is his wont.
Now that chef Noam Dekkers has been there for 18 months, I thought it would be safe to return. Dekkers garnered experience at some of the best restaurants in the country, including Mul Yam, Raphael and Chloelys. I must say I am delighted that I did, for Dekkers' cuisine can be playful, but it is never outrageous. He is most assuredly a Francophile, but he knows how to add a personal touch to the aromas and flavors of the Mediterranean.
Our meal opened with three appetizers. The best was calamari tubes seared on a hot, barely oiled surface and served with something between a sauce and a soup of apples and juniper berries. The succulent calamari and the delicately sweet sauce came together beautifully, and the other appetizers did not disappoint, either. One contained a soft, just sharp enough sheep's cheese placed on thinly sliced roasted beets and sprinkled with walnuts, making for a flavorful, refreshing offering. The other dish contained fine-quality beef carpaccio served with St. Maure cheese, endive and a halved pear, a simple but good combination. No less important, our waiter's suggestion of a glass of spicy Gewurztraminer wine was much appreciated.
For a main course, I chose the grilled sirloin steak. Cooked medium-rare as requested, it was succulent and rich in flavor. Topped with a notably rich sauce of veal stock and red wine, and served with a remarkably fluffy, butter-rich potato puree, this otherwise simple steak was converted into a gastronomic treat. One of my companions opted for grilled shrimp, which was served with sweet potatoes and shiitake mushrooms. This also was a well-executed, winning combination. We went on to a thick pork rib. It had not been overcooked, as too many chefs do, and was served with pear chutney and date honey. Although none of our main courses were outrageously original, all were a delight.
We shared two desserts with our closing espressos. The first was a very pleasant brulee semifreddo with a well-made rhubarb and berry confiture. The second was the Barcarola sundae, a half-solid, half-liquid combination of chocolate, vanilla and halvah ice cream and a chocolate sauce that, while lacking complexity, was a hedonist's delight.
With an intentionally quasi-industrial, spacious look characterized by high ceilings, spotlights - some visible and others set into the ceiling - largely undecorated walls and exposed round air conditioning ducts, this stylish bistro-bar may not encourage intimacy, but it most assuredly exudes a friendly, laid-back atmosphere for socializing, drinking and dining. The service was responsive throughout our meal, the wine list was good, and even the wine glasses were of high quality. Based on the dishes we ordered and closing coffee, the bill for three came to a reasonable NIS 470. Opening glasses of Gewurztraminer added NIS 25 each. With our main courses we ordered the Shotfire Ridge Shiraz, of the Australian Thorn Clarke winery, which added NIS 170 to the bill.
Barcarola: 13 Atir Yeda Street, in Kfar Sava's new industrial zone. Open daily, noon-1 A.M. Tel.: (09) 766-9606.