I was brought to this restaurant in a non-descript strip mall off West Dixie Highway near Aventuta by a good friend who raves about it. It was Xmas day and the place was packed. The restaurant is small with a deli counter and has the feel of something right out of Israel. Although, the staff spoke English, the predominant language seems to have been Hebrew. We were seated rapidly and quickly served 6 or 7 pickled vegetables and slaws in an unfamiliar yet also very familiar mixture of European and Middle Eastern food traditions. This would be the theme of the food here that, like modern Israel, is a combination of Ashkenasik and Sephardic cultures welded together to form a motif. We tried the Schnitzel and the sampler platter. The Schnitzel was hot, wonderful, crunchy on the outside yet moist inside. The breading featured white sesame seeds that added the nice reminder of the Sephardim component of this very Central European dish. The sampler platter was equally wonderful with two different Eggplants, lemony humus, tabuli that was very fresh, a salat Israeli made from chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and onions, Morrocan style felafel balls, and stuffed grape leaves. These dishes were shared between two large men and were more than enough as the portions were large, the fresh pita breads were aplenty and plentiful. Overall this was an exciting and enjoyable experience. The food is fresh and all seems to have been made in-house, the service was cheerful and quick. We skipped desert and had a wonderful mint tea for afters. Desert will be tried and reported on my next visit. The place gets really packed quick so be prepared for that. In all I was very impressed and will both return and recommend this restaurant for a true authentic taste of Israel right here in SoFla.
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