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Al - Ashi, Tel Aviv


Al-Ashi is a beautiful restaurant that offers delicious Arab cuisine in the heart of the colorful Jaffa market.

I had two different options planned for the day, Al-Ashi, if we wanted a sit down meal, or a nice bakery if we wanted to just grab a sandwich and sit on a bench.  Tired after wandering around the market for a few hours, we decided to have a nice sit down meal at Al-Ashi.




We were given both, the lunch and dinner menu and told that we could choose from either one. 




The restaurant was empty since we just missed the lunch hour. 


The high ceilings and the large open windows gave the restaurant a nice and airy feeling with plenty of light.   


The sturdy wooden tables worked well with the stone walls and the beautiful floor tiles.


As we waited for our food, we enjoyed the view of the Jaffa market from the window.




The hot, freshly baked bread was delicious and soft. 


My appetizer was Gouges Schamander - beets, pistachios, pomegranate juice, olive oil and caramelized goat cheese.


So, so delicious. 


My husband ordered the Batanjian Mashwi - roasted eggplant, raw tahini, garlic crunch, raisins and lentils. 




I took a close up since this was one of my favorite beet dishes I have enjoyed in a long time.  I make beets at least once a week but this combination of flavors blew me away.  The sweetness of the beets, the tart pomegranate juice, the bite from the scallions and the crunch from the chopped pistachios, made for a sensational dish.


If I thought that my appetizer was going to be a sole standout, I was mistaken.  The M'Sahan Farouse - chicken thigh served on a bread bowl, with onion, sumac, pine nuts and fried potato wedges, was another memorable dish.


My husband enjoyed the Ta'Ashime Al-Jamilla - fillets of sea bream baked in safiha pastry and served on a bed of almond butter.  He did taste my chicken dish and decided that I made a better choice. 


This is definitely on my return visit list.  The place was beautiful the food excellent and the service very polite and  accommodating.



Al-Ashi
4 Olei Zion Street
Sunday - Thursday - 12-12
Friday - Saturday - 12:30 -12

Joanna


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