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Chef Daniel Raymond is putting a new spin on English classics and Israeli flavours to create gourmet cuisine at The David Kempinski hotel.
Tucked inside the sleek and luxurious David Kempinski Hotel on Tel Aviv’s beachfront, Katzir is not your typical kosher hotel restaurant. It is fair to say that I’d been eagerly awaiting the opening.
Led by British-born chef Daniel Raymond, the menu takes you on a journey around the various regions of Israel. Each dish influenced by the chef’s personal experiences, ranging from his upbringing in London (where he attended JFS), his Aliyah and army service in the Judean Hills to his marriage to an Israeli of Yemenite descent.
His story threads through the menu, weaving in his Iraqi, Indian, and Libyan family roots and classical training. He left Stamford Hill with his family in 2004 to make Aliyah, and after his military service went to culinary school before going on to work with some of Israel’s finest chefs.
The jewel in the crown being Herbert Samuel in Herzliya’s Ritz Carlton Hotel where he cooked almost from the time it opened and where many other top Israeli chefs trained. He worked alongside Israeli Yonatan Roshfeld and Tomer Tal (of Tel Aviv’s award-winning George & John) and was a sous chef to Chef Mor Cohen – now executive chef at The David Kempinski Hotel.
Raymond had left Herbert Samuel to set up a burger joint (Dude’s Burgers) in Netanya (still being run by his business partner) but could not turn down the opportunity after being approached by Cohen to create a restaurant in The David Kempinski.
What he has produced at Katzir is grounded yet contemporary – he terms the style “fine casual”– elevated enough to serve foie gras, relaxed enough to dine in flip-flops. “It’s not just food,” he says, “it’s storytelling.”
The narrative is what sets Katzir apart. From a dish inspired by a memory of eating salt beef at Reuben’s on Baker Street as a child to another that captures the scent of a desert herb discovered during his army service, every plate comes with its own history. It’s food with soul, told through the lens of Israeli ingredients and diasporic nostalgia.
Our dinner began with a theatrical and symbolic start – a sweet kiddush wine jelly with freshly baked bread and dips representing both east and west.
Pungent chrain (grated horseradish) the Ashkenazi classic; schug and hilbeh for the Mizrahi. Pickled vegetables were accompanied by “beef butter” which was inventive, but I would have also like a good olive oil or meat-free spread. I was fortunate to be accompanied by my pescatarian niece who was visiting from London, which gave my normally carnivorous focus a different perspective.
Before investigating the restaurant’s wine list, we tried some of the cocktails that were well matched to the theme of the menu. Coriander Crush – a vivid, aromatic mix of Thinker’s Gin, grapefruit, and coriander juice – was both the best looking and best tasting of the ones we tried. The Royal Pearl, with Thinker’s vodka, elderflower and Chambord caviar-like spheres, added some fun to the experience, while Amber Eclipse, made with mezcal, Cointreau, aperitivo and rosemary, leaned towards the smoky and herbaceous.
The small plates – or as the menu terms them “Tweezers, Palettes & Spoons” – include an Arava tomato salad – an adaptation of the popular dish at Herbert Samuel where Raymond was a sous-chef. Some may not agree but I prefer this new version with olive crumble, basil oil and oregano. I was almost drinking the dressing at the end!
My favourite starter was the veal sweetbreads served on a green almond salsa and almond tahini. I loved the balance of flavours and textures. The lion’s mane mushroom, bathed in a porcini broth and dusted with hazelnut crumble, was a highlight for its sweet, earthy depth.
Veal tongue, inspired by that Reuben’s salt beef sandwich, was a pleasant surprise as someone who doesn’t normally like the texture of tongue. The tongue is cured for 11 days and thinly sliced, served with a mustard that fuses English Coleman’s with Israeli wasabi and an herb oil inspired by that wild plant Raymond discovered during his army service in the Judean desert.
My pescatarian niece received a surprisingly convincing meatless version using Redefine Meat that held up impressively in both texture and taste – yes, I compared the two). She also enjoyed the Jaffa fishermen’s fritter served on a bed of chraime sauce with caraway oil.
Debbie Kandel is a food and travel writer and founder of Debbest Israel.
To read the whole article: https://www.thejc.com/life/food/review-london-roots-israeli-soul-katzir-is-tel-avivs-tastiest-kosher-story-aia6qajd
