Lechem Basar (Meat and Eat) – Jerusalem Steakhouse (Mehadrin)

The Lechem Basar restaurant in Jerusalem is a very nice steakhouse located in the old Jerusalem train station known as “The First Station” (HaTachana HaRishona in Hebrew). Lechem Basar is supervised by Rav Machpud’s kosher mehadrin supervision, considered to be one of the top-notch kosher certifications.

Contact details & address follow below

Ambiance 

The restaurant’s location in the renovated, historic train station provides a very pleasant atmosphere which adds to the dining experience. Cafe style seating is available outside and this allows one to enjoy the fresh air as well as the sights and sounds of the surrounding shops and restaurants located in the First Station. There are attractive, seasonal plantings alongside the dining area which add a colorful touch to the experience.

The inside seating is more like a subtle club style setting. There is a bar with quite a few offerings of spirits, and the restaurant’s substantial wine selection is displayed attractively on the wall inside the dining area.

Cuisine

Lechem Basar doesn’t have an extensive menu, but the food they offer is definitely excellent and they have a nice wine selection as well.

The menu is broken down into Starters and Main Courses.

Although the main courses are quite ample, Lechem Basar has some interesting starters to begin the meal. One of the more refreshing selections is the spring chicken salad. It is comprised of spring chicken which has been grilled, seared and then sauteed with “bonfire” onions, roasted tomatoes, garlic confit, and green beans. It is presented on a bed of green leaves (69 NIS).

For those looking for more unique tastes, you can try the Sirloin Carpaccio (raw thinly sliced beef) which is marinated in olive oil and balsamic vinegar with fresh lemon juice and topped with roasted pistachios (54 NIS). Other unique starters include white fish ceviche and lamb lahma’jun (a round thin piece of dough topped with lamb ragout, roasted peppers, Kalamata olives and served with tahini sauce) (46 NIS). Interestingly enough, Lahma’jun has become a more popular dish in Israel due to the existence of Jewish immigrants from southeastern Turkey.

Lechem Basar is a steakhouse so it’s only natural that the lion’s share (what’s a lion doing in a kosher diner?) of their main courses are steak or beef offerings. Their filet mignon is aged in house, is well-seasoned and extremely tender — cooked to your order. It is served with roasted onions, squash and a wine sauce. The vegetables were served at room temperature, not hot as would be expected. The dish could also have been presented with some artistic flair which would have enhanced the presentation and not have left the plate looking so empty. One eats with one’s eyes and as well as with one’s palate. For the price of the main courses, bread should have been served as part of the meal instead of as an extra.

One side dish is included with all of the main dishes. You can choose either rice, a small chopped or green salad, french fries, or roasted potatoes. Unfortunately some of the side dishes did not arrive with the main course and the waiter had to be reminded to bring them.

The entrecote (prime rib) steak can be ordered in different sizes: 250 grams for the average diner, 350 for the true meat lovers and 450 grams for the super appetite. It comes well seasoned, tender and cooked to your taste as well. The same vegetable garnishings that were on the plate of the sirloin are served here as well.

The spring chicken (pargit) was particularly savory and tender. It is grilled and seared and basted in a wonderful sauce consisting of sesame oil, soy sauce and garlic confit (confit is any food which is cooked very slowly). Unlike the other plates, this dish was presented artistically with a crown of spring greens.

Other main courses include sirloin steak, lamb sini’ya (lamb ragout served in a pan topped with a pastry dough) or the fish of day.

Less adventuresome diners can order a hamburger or a chicken schnitzel.

Service

The waiter was pleasant, but as mentioned previously he had to be reminded to bring some of the side dishes which are supposed to arrive together with the main course.

Summing it up

The overall experience at Lechem Basar was enjoyable. The combination of quality dishes together with the relaxing ambiance in the outside setting made for a worthwhile culinary evening out.

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Restaurant Details:

Restaurant: Lechem Basar
Telephone: 02-624-4808
Address: 4 David Remez St. Hatahana Harishona, Kikar David Remez, Jerusalem
Hours: Sun-Thurs: Noon-11pm 
Kashrut: Rav Machpud Mehadrin
It’s always recommended to verify that a restaurant’s kashrut certificate hasn’t been changed

 

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Video sneak peak at Meat and Eat (Lechem Basar)

See the list of all mehadrin restaurants in Jerusalem