Jerusalem

Food
Grand Indeed
The Grand Café Turkiz in the Ramat Aviv mall is much more than you thought.
By ADI SHTAMBERGER
When I heard I was being sent to a café at a mall, I wasn’t too
enthusiastic about it. Mall cafés are many times very nice for having
a short espresso with a cookie next to it and letting your feet rest a bit
after shopping, but they’re not known for their gourmet creations and
variety of options. But as I sat down and looked at the menu of the
Grand Café Turkiz, I soon realized I was totally wrong.
The Grand Café is located at the ground level of the mall, and is quite
big, offering many seating options, as well as an outside balcony. It is
cozy but not stuffy, and the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed, quiet
but not in an intimidating way. The design is cool and modern, with a
central bar and tables scattered all around the large space.
The Grand Café’s menu shows it to be more of a bistro-restaurant
than just a café. It offers a variety of dishes, from sandwiches, salads
and entrées to fish and meat dishes. The style of food tends towards
fusion cuisine. The place also has a separate sushi menu, with a wide
selection of rolls to choose from.
As my dinner partner and I were seated by the lovely staff, we were
immediately offered drinks. A cold beer and a very well-prepared
Bloody Mary cocktail were served in minutes, and were refreshing
and just what we needed for a good start to the evening.
Three entrées were then brought to the table, and they were eye
opening. The first was a falafel shrimp dish (NIS52), which had
shrimp fried in a falafel-coriander (‫ )כוסברה‬cover, resting on some
tehini sauce and grilled tomatoes. It was delicious and just the right
size. The second was beef )‫ )בקר‬carpaccio (NIS62). It came to the
table looking as wonderful as a field in the spring, all covered with
fresh herbs )‫ )עשבי תיבול‬and vegetables cut into small pieces, in a
sweet Asian sauce which tied everything together in the best of ways.
It created a small celebration in our mouths. The last entrée we were
offered was grilled asparagus in a dressing of grilled yellow peppers
)‫ )פלפלים‬and parmesan cheese (NIS48) – yummy! Two different kinds
of bread and butter were also brought to the table, and that was great,
since with all the fantastic dressings around us, we needed something
to help us clean up our plates.
For main dishes, my partner chose fish and chips of Atlantic cod (‫)בקלה‬
fish (NIS76), which were well made, with not too much oil and good
seasoning in the shape of another lovely dressing, mayo-based.
I was too full by now for a heavy dish, so I chose two
rolls of sushi – one with salmon, avocado and
coriander (NIS45), and the other with shrimp
and tobiko (NIS38). These were expertly
prepared and I enjoyed them very much.
The final surprise was the dessert, a
big cup of Belgian chocolate mousse
(NIS32), which ended the meal on
the most fun note possible.
The service was attentive and
welcoming, which added to our
enjoyment of the place.
Just so you know, the Grand
Café also offers a weekend
brunch
menu,
business
deals and a lunch menu.
Told you – varied.
I would recommend The
Grand Café to anyone who likes
sophisticated and creative gourmet
food that is fresh, delicious and not
too heavy, served with a smile in a laid
back atmosphere.
The writer was a guest of the restaurant.
Page 12
13-19 May 2015
(ANATOLLI MICHALO / PR)
Dictionary
Mall ‫מֹול‬
Enthusiastic ‫ֶאנת’ּוזיָאסטיק‬
Variety ‫וָ ָריֶטי‬
Realized ‫ריָאלָיזד‬
Located ‫יטד‬
ֶ ‫לֹוּוק‬
ֶ
Cozy ‫קֹוּוזי‬
Stuffy ‫סטפי‬
ָ
Intimidating ‫אינטימידֶיטינג‬
Scattered ‫סק ֶטרד‬
ָ
Dishes ‫דישז‬
ֶ
Entrées ‫ָאנטרֶז‬
Cuisine ‫קּואיזין‬
Separate ‫ֶסּפרֶט‬
Staff ‫סטף‬
ָ
Prepared ‫ּפריּפרד‬
ֶ
Served ‫ֶסרבד‬
Refreshing ‫ריפרֶשינג‬
Delicious ‫ֶלישס‬
ֶ ‫ד‬
Field ‫פילד‬
Celebration ‫ֶישן‬
ֶ ‫ֶסלֶּבר‬
Dressing ‫דרֶסינג‬
Seasoning ‫סיזֶנינג‬
Expertly ‫קסּפרטלי‬
ֶ ‫ֶא‬
Dessert ‫דיזֶרט‬
Attentive ‫ָאטנטיב‬
ֶ
Recommend ‫ֶקֹומנד‬
ֶ ‫ר‬
Sophisticated ‫יטד‬
ֶ ‫סֹופיסטיק‬
ֶ
‫קניון‬
‫נלהבת‬
‫מבחר‬
‫הבנתי‬
‫ממוקם‬
‫נעים‬
‫דחוס‬
‫מאיים‬
‫מפוזרים‬
‫מנות‬
‫מתאבנים‬
‫מטבח‬
‫נפרד‬
‫צוות‬
‫הוכנו‬
‫הוגשו‬
‫מרעננים‬
‫טעים מאוד‬
‫שדה‬
‫חגיגה‬
‫רוטב‬
‫תיבול‬
‫במומחיות‬
‫קינוח‬
‫קשוב‬
‫ממליצה‬
‫מתוחכם‬