Out of a rich creative Italian-Mediterranean menu, which includes Bruschetta, salad, pasta, fresh fish and pizza dishes, it was hard to choose
Tel Aviv always manages to surprise me, and this is probably one of the reasons for my total infatuation with it. Even when I'm absolutely positive I have seen it all, some enchanting place is revealed. This time it's the Italian kosher chef restaurant residing at the heart of Tel Aviv just near the courthouse – Uno.
On a Saturday night, I took my friend Ifat for an authentic Italian experience. The restaurant that was nearly full that night was designed impressively but warmly, in a way that suited its hot character. Out of a rich creative Italian-Mediterranean menu, which includes Bruschetta, salad, pasta, fresh fish and pizza dishes, it was hard to choose our starters. In spite of Ifat's declarations about how much she hated fish, she followed the nice waiter's recommendation and ordered the Crevice, which turned out to be a rich, refreshing dish of Mullet fish with slices of avocado, cherry tomatoes, capers, olives and other surprises, served on a wonderful bed of pepper aioli. Of course, she finished it all.
I still treasure the wonderful taste of my order: pumpkin Agnolotti that actually resembles the ravioli pockets, caramelized and oven baked, filled with ricotta cheese and white wine, sage butter and passion fruit. The passion fruit edition gave this dish a unique taste of bitterness, sweetness and spiciness. This is definitely one of the best starters I have had in a while. With our starters we had the steaming Focaccia with balsamic vinaigrette, pesto sauce and tomato sauce. Uno's Focaccias are baked on the premises, of course.
When my glass of wine was nearly finished, it was time for the main course. For Ifat it was the mushroom risotto with green broad beans and Porcini foam, a huge dish, rich and satisfying. I ordered the Corniva fish, which was served on a long plate with two portions coated by a crispy envelope and incredibly soft inside. The Corniva fish was served on a bed of truffles puree and some green vegetables.
The wonderful food, the warm inviting environment and the sounds of pleasure I could hear from all over the restaurant made me feel great. We moved on to dessert, which was vanilla brulee - white chocolate ganache with strawberries and pistachios. What more can you ask?
Just one more thing: the express delicatessen adjacent to the restaurant offers everything you need for a fresh lunch – salads, pasta dishes, pizzas and sandwiches. Uno is also available for private events. It is a fascinating enriching culinary experience, which you should definitely try.
