Grilled sea bass fish served on a bed of roasted vegetables, and beef fillet made accurately, with delicate touches of reduced port wine
I have been here before. It is a welcoming restaurant, simply designed and magically isolated from the city. So far I have only been exposed to Hendale's breakfast offers that include crusted spinach shakshuka, salads, health breads and freshly squeezed juices. This time I got to learn about Hendale at night time.
My father and I meet manager Omer who proudly tells us about some of the most important values of the restaurant such as the family atmosphere, its kind service and special design. Hendale's food is special, and not because of its unique products but because of the way the restaurant indeed keeps to its values: "It is important for me that our guests know that every time they come back, they will enjoy the same nice experience, rich menu and our care." Says Omer.
This is all very well, but we came here to eat, and that we do. Our kind waitress Tamar serves us with two impressive starters: goat cheese gnocchi in light white sauce and Caprese salad with fresh mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes and touches of pesto and balsamic vinegar laid on a bed of fresh green leaves. Rich colors, huge variety and very appealing. Right after this we get to stick our forks into two main courses, one taken from the sea and the other from the village: grilled sea bass fish served on a bed of roasted vegetables, and beef fillet made accurately, with delicate touches of reduced port wine, served with a side dish of sweet potato and Jerusalem artichoke puree. Absolute pleasure. Hendale's kitchen is characterized by fresh tastes such as thyme, English pepper, fresh basil and other kinds of local seasonings.
We have our meal with Tulip winery wine. Hendale's special edition is almost un-filtered, made of strong grapes with rich bodies – cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon and many flavors of berries with light hints of earth. After such delicious food, we almost think about caving in to one finale espresso, but our kind waitress, who has other plans for us, serves us with no less than three desserts: tall, impressive Pavlova, hot chocolate cake and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and tiramisu which is served in a thick glass. "I made the tiramisu myself," she says modestly. It turns out that Tamar is a trainee confectioner, who is responsible to some impressive desserts in the restaurant's menu, such as lemon pie and baked cheese cake.
We finish our visit in the restaurant's quiet, breezy yard with a small glass of chilled limoncello. It turns out you don't have to drive far to go on vacation.
