Kosher mehadrin restaurants are popping up all over the country, in light of the growing demand of the Torah observant public to eat in quality eateries with strict adherence to kashrut. For those looking for a quality meat meal in Tel Aviv, Lechem Basar is a great choice.

Ambience

Being located near the sea, the port’s promenade winds right past Lechem Basar. You’ll see many families strolling together while taking in the sights and enjoying the ocean breeze.

Lechem Basar has a very large outdoor seating area which includes tables and sun umbrellas spaced out on a wooden deck. The restaurant also has a spacious indoor seating area. The design of the restaurant is not fancy per se, but it is definitely pleasant, attractive and clean.

Cuisine

Lechem Basar has quite a few kosher mehadrin branches, and new ones are being opened regularly. I have already written about Lechem Basar in Jerusalem and in Beit Shemesh. Those who have already visited one of the branches know that the menu is varied and the food is well done (don’t worry you can order medium, medium rare etc as well).

Based on our past experience, my wife and I knew that the dishes were generous so we decided to order one appetizer and one main dish and to split them between us. For the appetizer, we ordered roasted eggplant which is half an eggplant covered with an abundance of tehina, tomato salsa and spices served with braised bread. The eggplant was savory, and the serving style was aesthetic.

Other appetizers that can be ordered include stir-fried mushrooms, lamb zucchini (small zucchinis filled with lamb brago), salmon ceviche, salads and more.

For our main course, we ordered lamb siniya, which is prepared and brought to your table in a stainless steel pan. The lamb meat is cooked as a ragout, a stew with the lamb meat, vegetables and spices. The pan came very hot, wrapped in dough and served on a wooden tray. The dish was delicious and quite filling.

There are a variety of main dishes, including baked salmon fillet, grilled spring chicken, entrecote steak (prime rib) served on the bone, aged beef fillet, and whole sea bass served with sautéed vegetables, white wine and confit, just to name a few. In short, there are no lack of possibilities.

Service

The service at Lechem Basar was very good. The waitresses were courteous, and all the dishes arrived on time. I happened to talk to the owner of the restaurant, and I found him to be very personable and friendly. Apparently the good natured spirit of the owner has trickled down to the staff.

Restaurant Details

Restaurant name: Lechem Basar
Address: Hanger 14, Tel Aviv Port
Telephone: 03-603-1081
Kosher supervision: Rabbi Machpud
It is highly recommended to request to see the kashrut certificate to verify that it is still valid.

Directions

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Grill Bar’s Entrecote Steak

The business menu offers a selection of chicken, steak and fish dishes ranging from 65 to 79 NIS. Each meal comes with a variety of house salads, house-made pitta, a side dish and a soft drink. See the complete menu below.

The evening menu is much more extensive. The chicken dishes include various skewers, stir fried chicken liver (with mushrooms and onions), chilli chicken wings and chicken salad (just to name a few). The meat offerings are also not lacking and include entrecote steaks of different sizes, sirloin steaks, lamb ribs among others.

Fish lovers will find Sea Bream, St. Peter’s, Salmon fillet and Grey Mullet all broiled over coals.

Most meals come with a side dish of your choice.

You can find the restaurant’s contact details, the menus and directions below.

Lamb Ribs

Sinta Steak

Chilli chicken wings

Grill Bar’s Menu:

Grill Bar’s business menu

Grill Bar’s main menu

Restaurant Details:

Restaurant Name: Grill Bar
Address: 1 HaSoreg St.
Telephone: 077-885-7778
Hours: Sun-Thurs 12PM-11PM
Kashrut: Rav Machpud
It’s highly recommended to verify that the kashrut certificate hasn’t changed

Directions:

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Entrance to Rodriguez Express with outdoor seating

During the day Rodriguez Express serves a selection of meats served either in a pita, a baguette or on a plate with extras. Some of the meats include asado, lamb, kebab and shawarma to name a few. The evening menu consists of meat meals served on a plate including a 300 gram entrecote steak or a 250 gram beef burger. See the complete menu below.

Rodriguez Express is located 20 meters from its bigger and fancier “sister” restaurant called the Rodriguez Grill.

Restaurant Details:

Restaurant Name: Rodriguez Express
Address: 3 Kiryat HaMada St, Jerusalem
Telephone: 02-999-8190
Hours: Sun-Thurs 11AM-10PM
Kashrut: Rav Machpud
It’s highly recommended to verify that the kashrut certificate hasn’t changed

Rodriguez Express’ Menu:

Rodriguez Express’ Afternoon Menu

Rodriguez Express’ Dinner Menu (from 6pm)

Directions:

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See the list of all mehadrin restaurants in Jerusalem

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Ephraim is a young and very bright do-it-yourself entrepreneur who made aliya from New York. He learned to become a professional beer brewer by reading the 50 some odd books in his library and by lots and lots of experimentation. Even today, Ephraim says he’s constantly trying out new tweaks to his various brews, that goes for his sausage sandwiches as well. But I’ll describe all the culinary stuff more in detail below.

Ephraim Greenblatt, master beer maker, beer judge and smiley host

Ambiance

As my wife and I strolled down HaEgoz St. in Mahane Yehuda looking for Hatch, we walked slowly past staring at the place, thinking to ourselves, “Nope, that can’t be it.” At the time, the restaurant had no signs and kind of looked like a work-in-progress hang out. Ephraim noticed our bewildered looks and gestured and I told him we were looking for Hatch and he said “You’ve arrived.”

When we arrived, Hatch was only 3 weeks old so it truly was still in the work-in-progress stage.

In any case, Hatch is a brewpub that serves street food so don’t go there wearing your tux (if you have one).

Both secular & religious beer lovers come to Hatch

Hatch draws Haredi clientele as well

Hatch’s home-brewed beer & home-made sausages

Cuisine:

While we looked forward to partaking of some exquisite beers during our visit, we came to have a meal while we were at it. And have a meal we did.

House-Made Sausage Sandwiches

We started off with the Louisana-style Po Boy sandwich which includes a house-baked bun and garlic sausage, lettuce, tomatoe, red onion, tartar sauce and a mildly spicy tomato salsa. The combination of the garlic sauage with all the other ingredients was superb.

Po Boy Sausage sandwich with tartar sauce & spicy salsa

The BBQ chip sandwich is filled with a smokey sausage, potatoes, pickles, caper, a bbq spice and mustard and barbecue chips. Yum.

BBQ Sausage Sandwich – smokey sausage with delcious extras in a house-baked roll

The Weisswurst sandwich is a mouthwatering combination of Weisswurst sausage, lettuce, parsley, lemon zest and a honey mustard sauce.

Hatch’s Weisswurst sausage sandwich with honey mustard sauce

And last but not least is the Tunis sandwich. The sausage’s meat is seasoned with harissa, cumin, caraway, and coriander seeds, and although you might think that with all those Mediterranean spices the sausage might be spicy – it isn’t. As you can see in the photo below, the sausage is accompanied by fresh kohlrabi and coriander which make it a true Mediterranean delicacy.

Tunis sausage sandwich with kohlrabi and coriander

Hatch’s Micro-Brewed Beer

I never had any knowledge of the beer brewing process or the different types of beers. After my visit to Hatch, I am still uneducated about beer, but I not longer consider myself completely ignorant. For Ephraim Greenblatt, beer brewing is not just a business, it’s first and foremost a hobby, maybe even an art, and he gladly fielded all of my uneducated questions.

Taking the beginners course Beer brewing 101 would make you aware of the fact that beer is made using four basic ingredients: barley, hops, yeast and water. Beer brewers can create a beer with a particular flavor by altering the types and relative quantities of the various ingredients.

On the evening of our visit, Hatch had three distinctly different beer offerings. I say on that evening, because Ephraim is constantly updating his brews and his sausage sandwiches and so what you taste on one visit may not be what your find on your next visit. That’s part of the creative atmosphere at Hatch.

In any case, these are the beers we tasted:

• Belgium Tripel beer: has 7.5% alcohol (most over-the-counter beers have 5%) and boasts a rich, fruity flavor due to the Belgium yeast in the brew. This was my favorite both because of the marvelous taste and the elevated joy factor caused by the higher alcohol level.
• American Amber:  a slightly more bitter beer because the flavor of the yeast is a bit more dominant (5.5% alcohol).
• Double IPA – of the three beers I tasted, this one had with the highest level of yeast, but the malt balanced it out and it was quite tasty.

Service:

The service at Hatch was superb – quick, super friendly and professional.

A Humorous Kosher Moment

In the video clip below, taken from the security camera at his restaurant, Ephraim can be seen giving a lecture to 20 mashgichim (kosher supervisors) who came to Hatch the week before my visit to understand how beer is brewed. Ephraim quipped that with so many supervisors at his restaurant at the same time it was the most kosher restaurant in the world.

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Restaurant details:

Name of restaurant: Hatch Brewpub
Address: 28 HaEgoz St., Jerusalem
Phone: 052-221-4443
Hours: Sun-Thurs 1PM-Midnight | Fri & Motzei Shabbat seasonal hours
Kashrut: Jerusalem Rabbinate Mehadrin, Chatam Sofer, the meat is Badatz Kehillot
It is always recommended to check the kashrut certificate and the expiration date

Menu:

Hatch’s constantly updating menu

Directions:

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See the list of all mehadrin restaurants in Jerusalem

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Red Heifer offers a variety of steaks which include:

• Rib eye (350 & 500 grams)
• Filet mignon in cabernet mushroom sauce
• Chef’s steak with a coffee & brown sugar rub
• Slow Braised Pulled beef in mustard beer sauce

Other offerings include meats, poultry, fish and pasta.

Restaurant Details:

Restaurant Name: Red Heifer Steakhouse
Telephone: 02-624-0504
Hours: Sun-Thurs 5PM-11PM
Kashrut: Rav Rubin
It is always recommended to verify that the kashrut certificate hasn’t changed

Red Heifer’s Menu:

Red Heifer’s Menu (Part 1)

Red Heifer’s Menu (Part 2 – Steaks & Meats)

Red Heifer’s Menu (Part 3)

Directions:

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Appetizers include fresh liver pate, ties filet carpaccio and shwarma lamb.

Some of highlights of the main courses include rib eye steak 300 gr, lamb chops 300 gr and the Rodriguez Platter (2 lamb chops, rib eye steak, boneless chicken thigh and kebab 1,000 gr)

Restaurant Details:

Restaurant Name: Rodriguez
Address: Kiryat Mada 3, Har Hotzvim, Jerusalem
Telephone: 02-581-5815
Hours: Sun-Thurs  11.30AM-15.00PM 6PM-11PM
Kashrut: Rabbi Rubin
It’s highly recommended to verify that the kashrut certificate hasn’t changed

Rodriguez’ Menu:

Rodriguez’ appetizers

Rodriguez’ main courses

Directions:

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Contact details & address follow below

Inviting atmosphere at the Meat and Eat steakhouse in Jerusalem

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.

Surrounding restaurants and shops

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.

Filet mignon

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.

Entrecote prime rib steak

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.

Grilled spring chicken (pargit in Hebrew)

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.

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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Directions

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Video sneak peak at Meat and Eat (Lechem Basar)

See the list of all mehadrin restaurants in Jerusalem

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Tortilla stuffed with chinese stir-fry or ground beef

The restaurant went through a major transformation few years ago. It used to be a typical mizrachi diner which was quite well known among traditional and sephardic circles and was a popular spot for high profile visitors such as former prime minister Menachem Begin, former defense minister Shaul Mofaz and former prime minister Ehud Barak to name a few. A few years ago, Mifgash Ha’esh was sold and the new owner continued the tradition of excellent dishes that the restaurant was known for but brought in the top notch mehadrin hechsher of Rabbi Landau from Bnei Brak (I inspected the kashrut certificate myself).

Mifgash Ha’esh is known for its meat dishes like its entrecote steaks, kebab skewers and chicken steaks but they have many other main courses and starters which are truly worthwhile. One of the starters which is really worthwhile is a tortilla stuffed with chinese stir-fry chicken or with ground beef. It comes with a chile sauce (not spicy) which you can dip your tortilla in. If you don’t like the sauce, the tortillas are really delicious on their own (33 NIS).

Another more traditional starter is the rich chopped liver with crisp toast (39 NIS) .

I was impressed not just by the culinary aspects of these starters, but also the aesthetic way they were served. The chopped liver is topped with a decorative dab of sauted onions, is served with crispy toast triangles, a small bed of lettuce, fresh tomato and a hard boiled egg sliced in a decorative shape almost like a sliced orange (see below).

Rich chopped liver, delivered decoratively with flower-shaped hard boiled egg

When you order a meat or fish main course, you are served six mini-salads with laffa bread to whet your appetite before the main course arrives. Alternatively, for a starter you can order several different variations of hummus (with mushrooms, a dappling of meat or with spicy sauce). I had the simple version with olive oil and it was amazingly good, probably one of the best I’ve tasted, even better than most of the restaurants that specialize in hummus.

Six homemade salads of your choice

I ordered the gourmet seasoned chicken steaks (85 NIS). They were very tender and well seasoned and came with two side dishes of your choice – in short – plenty of food.

Chicken steaks with side dishes of fries and salad

The service was quite good despite the fact that the restaurant was packed and the sanitation was excellent.

Mifgash Ha’esh also offers eastern European take away food for Shabbat on Thursday night and Friday and will take orders for kosher for Pesach food for pick up the day before the holiday.  

Restaurant Details:
Telephone: 02-538-8888
Address: 23 Yirmiyahu St., Jerusalem
Hours: Sun-Wed 11:00-23:00 | Thurs 12:00-midnight | Fri 8:00-14:00
Kashrut: Kosher (mehadrin) – Rabbi Landau, Bnei Brak
It’s always recommended to verify that a restaurant’s kashrut certificate hasn’t been changed
Website: none

Restaurant Rating:
Food: 4+
Service: 4
Cleanliness: 4+
Ambiance: 4

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The entrance to Mifgash Ha-esh on Yirmiyahu St.

Directions

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Sumesa in Ramat Gan

The Sumesa meat restaurant caught my eye.

It is located in the D Mall right near the famous Israel Diamond Exchange, a two minute walk from my office. I went with several of my friends from work, and we were definitely not disappointed.

The restaurant is really beautifully designed and has a pinch of flair. An extensive wine selection greets you as you walk in and that already puts you into the proper culinary spirit.

Sunlight shines in through the large windows at one end of the restaurant making the whole dining area very bright and pleasant.

Their menu focuses on meat dishes such as lamb kebab, chicken breast with fine herbs and entrecote steak, but they also make a savory salmon filet. All the main courses come with a first course. For the first course I ordered the marinated chicken wings and they were delicious (one of my friends got the teriyaki mushrooms and they looked really great too). Both the first and main courses are so generous that each could be a considered a meal by itself. In fact, some of the main courses could feed two people. For example, the chicken shnitzel (see below) is the largest I’ve ever seen. My friend only finished half of it and took the rest home for dinner. Each main course also comes with fries and a small salad which adds to the plotzing factor.

We found the service to be prompt and courteous and let’s face it, that’s one of main reasons to go out so you don’t have to deal with “the process” of getting your food.

The giant chicken shnitzel

The restaurant includes a well stocked bar, and you can order drinks to your table. The seats at the bar are intended only for people waiting for their fellow diners to arrive, not as a place for extended sitting.

The classy, tasteful design and the pleasant background music give Sumesa a very pleasant and relaxing ambiance, and I definitely recommend this restaurant. Just take into consideration that the meals are somewhat pricey: ranging from 70-90NIS for lamb kebab, shnitzel or baked salmon to the 150-180NIS range for entrecote steak, lamb steak or steak filet.

Kashrut: Harav Machpud (mehadrin).
Highly recommended to verify that the kosher certificate hasn’t been changed
Tel: 03-7526222
Location: D Mall, Ramat Gan (right near the Diamond exchange. See map below)

The bar

Marinated chicken wings

Sumesa is located inside the D Mall

Location of Sumesa on Google maps

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