You can feel the effort that was put in it the moment you come in: comfortable chairs, fancy bar, elegant design, beautiful sea view and a porch, which is even closer to the water, great for warm days
I wanted to spend that cold night that came out of nowhere this week with my wife, but she went out with the girls. In return I decided to meet with an old friend, at the Vista restaurant. I wouldn't expect to run into such a wonderful chef restaurant in Ashkelon of all places, but you can't argue with facts. I remember times when this city was a tourist attraction. Today the only things left are a pool club, some pubs and one restaurant, which is actually brand new, opened about two months ago. You can feel the effort that was put in it the moment you come in: comfortable chairs, fancy bar, elegant design, beautiful sea view and a porch, which is even closer to the water, great for warm days. Owner Ami told us how seriously he regards the culinary aspect: "Our chef is Ofir Dadon, who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu, and gained practical experience in Michelin-starred restaurants."
In light of his record, all that is left is checking out the menu. Vista offers many sushi options, and an Israeli-French- Asian fusion menu. We ordered the house bread that came straight out of the oven with great olives and two spicy spreads. We were also offered eggplants, which we politely refused.
For our first courses we chose fish & chips and a dish of chicken gyozas. The cod fish tasted good, and the tartar sauce which makes this dish one of my favorites, was splendid. The chips are usually the weak spot, but here I was surprised by the round crispy potato pieces, which I also used to wipe the rest of the sauce. The chicken gyozas were served with one scorched side which made them easier to eat, and the filling was delicate and fine. I even nibbled on the green leaf they were laid on while we were waiting for our main courses.
It was then when we chose the Fegato Ubriaco – chicken liver in pear sauce. This dish had a strong wine smell, which combined wonderfully with the perfectly made chicken liver. All this was served with a generous amount of tasty potato puree. Our second order was no less perfect: a huge salmon portion with crunchy skin served on sweet potato and baked vegetable puree that I just couldn't stop eating.
We shared Cosmos for dessert. It is a glass made of baked chocolate filled with coconut cream and white chocolate puree. Smears of vanilla cream and some sugar powder completed the looks of it. This is an excellent example for chefs who are not afraid of the kosher limitation.
I do not know if my next time here will finally be with my wife on the beautiful porch or at some great event in the private room, but I will be back for sure.
