Darya is a very special restaurant situated in the lower level of . The chef, Hillel Tavakuli, who has years of experience behind him, has created a menu that takes its inspiration from the Silk Road, the ancient network of trade routes connecting Europe to Asia. Settling down to a cozy table with a great view of the sea, we perused the menu and made our choices, helped by our wonderful waitress, Shahar – who it turned out is a full-fledged doctor, no less.
Only in Israel! While waiting to arrange her first training program (stage) she is working waiting tables and proves to be very competent and helpful. A plate of pickles arrives at our table. Turpan are sweet Chinese pickled vegetables (cabbage, carrot, ) with lemongrass and raisins.
They have a powerful kick – just the job to waken up the taste buds for the task ahead (NIS19). The second appetizer was Istanbul Tabbouleh (NIS 58) with lettuce served on a bowl of crushed ice. It was faintly sweet and I found it rather stodgy.
The menu offers small plates and large plates, as opposed to hors d’oeuvres and main courses. The first starter was Polenta Fricassee. This was grilled pickled tongue with zatar and other herbs.
It was served on a super-crunchy roll covered in rough cornmeal – rather an original idea. The meat was smoked and covered in green leaves. It proved to be an excellent starter (NIS 74).
The other starter was raw chopped fish (ceviche) in lemon sauce with fried onions, served on shell-like dishes, also .