A box lunch to remember
Review: The new Bento lunch at Dinings in the Norman Hotel is another opportunity to enjoy what many claim to be the best sushi in Tel Aviv.
The award-winning Norman Hotel has quickly established itself as one of the premier boutique hotels in Israel. Sharing in its success has also been its acclaimed restaurant, Dinings, known for its unique “Japanese tapas” concept.
Dinings has recently appointed a new chef, Chris Golding, who trained at the world renowned Nobu in London and was recently the head chef at the late lamented Peruvian-Japanese fusion (Nikkei) restaurant Lima Nippo in Jaffa.
While there are still echoes of Nikkei at Dinings, in dishes like tiradito and cocktails like the Lima mule, for the most part the menu is classic Japanese cuisine. Patrons may enjoy a meal at the marble bar where the sushi chefs work, at regular tables dressed up with orchids, or al fresco, on comfortable couches on the third-floor balcony.
With the advent of its new chef, Dinings has introduced a Bento lunch menu, named after the traditional Bento Box, whose compartments contain portions of food commonly eaten at lunch. For the time being, the Bento lunch is served Fridays and Saturdays only, from noon until 3pm.
While the detailed food menu is in both Hebrew and English, the alcohol menu -- wine, sake and cocktails -- is entirely in English. As befits an establishment with the pedigree of the Norman, there is an extensive selection of world-class wines available both by the glass and bottle, ranging in price up to vintages costing thousands of dollars.
Dinings offers nine specialty cocktails, most of them Japanese interpretations of well-known classics. The yuzu shiso mojito, for example, is a blend of dark and light rums with shiso leaf in addition to mint. The drink is extremely refreshing, with a complexity that is unusual for a mojito.
The Sakura Bellini, meanwhile, cherry blossom liqueur and champagne, is dry, with a touch of sweetness.
As a first-time visitor, I was happy to let the kitchen serve me their recommendations and glad they were willing to oblige. First up was a category called Sakizuke Nibbles, featuring tartar chips -- like mini tacos, but made with Dinings’ homemade potato crisps. The fillings are five varieties of raw fish and seafood, and ours were stuffed with tuna seasoned with yaki miso, and king crab with spicy mayonnaise. They are meant to be popped into the mouth and eaten in one bite, and both delicious morsels were gone all too quickly.
Next came a small bowl of miso soup with tiny cubes of tofu, minced scallion and wakame. The soup was served without a spoon, since traditionally it is meant to be drunk. Miso soup is an acquired taste, but Dinings makes it exactly right.
The Dinings-style sashimi appetizers are actually no larger than the tartar chips, even though their ingredients are more sophisticated: yellowtail with caviar, for example, or sea bass carpaccio with truffle salsa. Although they are also devoured in one bite, the amount of flavor coming out of such tiny pieces of fish is amazing.
The soba noodle salad with Goma-dare sauce consists of small mounds of noodles alternating with leafy greens and seaweed sprinkled with tempura flakes. The presentation, on a circular bed of thinly sliced cucumber was stunning, while the sesame-soy sauce was poured theatrically tableside. The liberal dousing of sauce threatened to overwhelm the flavors of the ingredients; but by judicious pairing of the noodles with the vegetables, we managed to achieve an exquisite balance.
Dinings’ signature luncheon dish is the bento box, six small dishes arrayed in the compartments of a handsome lacquered box. Among the notable tapas here are the black cod in a marinade of sesame, chili, garlic and soy; shabu shabu, thinly sliced steak poached in a dashi and soy sauce; and sashimi of seared beef topped with foie gras, which practically melted in the mouth.
The pièce de résistance of our lunch was the double crab roll: king crab sushi with a hint of jalapeño mayonnaise and soft shell crab tempura. The crab was perfectly battered and fried, and its delicate white meat nicely gently enhanced by a touch of lemon garlic.
The dessert menu consists of five options familiar to Western palates that incorporate Japanese elements. For example, the chocolate nemesis is glazed with a sake ganache; together with an orange coulis and a scoop of mascarpone ice cream. While this combination is a rich delight, it was overshadowed by the miso crême caramel, served with crumble and seasonal fruit. The sweetness of the caramel is simultaneously cut and accented by the skillful use of the slightly acrid miso; unforgettable is not a word I would have ever thought I would use in connection with a flan-like custard, but in this case, it is well deserved.
The service in the elegant dining room is impeccable, as the table was cleared between each course. Dinings is admittedly an expensive restaurant, but the bento lunch incorporates a business lunch as well, offering edamame with a spicy citrus dip, a salad, soup and a main course, starting at NIS 90.
Dinings
Not kosher
The Norman Hotel, Nahmani St. 25, Tel Aviv
Tel. (03) 543-5444
