Nur, NYC

Last week we dined at Nur, a hot, new restaurant, which serves modern Middle Eastern cuisine.  My husband and I have been traveling to Israel for almost 30 years, always enjoying the fresh produce, hummus, shawarma, falafel, etc.  During the last few years, the food scene in Tel Aviv in particular has become extremely exciting and vibrant, with the openings of numerous spectacular restaurants, street food stalls, and market eateries.  We were very excited to finally be getting a higher end restaurant headed by an Israeli chef here in NYC.  It's time for something other than hummus and falafel to represent that fine country. Not that there is anything wrong with hummus and falafel!

Meir Adoni, a chef and restauranteur, is a well known figure in Tel Aviv, where he operates two very popular restaurants (Blue Sky and Lumina), but Nur, which opened a few months ago in Manhattan is his first venture outside of Israel.  He has searched for almost 5 years for just the right spot, and found it here, on East 20th street.  The Israel-born and raised chef incorporates the tastes of the Middle East and Mediterranean in a very successful way.

All the breads which are served at Nur are baked at one of my favorite places in NYC - Breads Bakery, and Gadi Peleg, the co-owner of the bakery, is Adoni's partner at Nur.

We were the first people to arrive at the restaurant and I snapped a few photos before the place started to fill up.  About ten minutes later the restaurant was full.

Nur, which means "light" in Hebrew and "flame" in Arabic, seats 60 and the decor is simple and lovely with lots of earth tones and textures.

The menu is attached to these nicely carved boards.

Having read nothing but very positive reviews of the restaurant, we were looking forward to our meal at Nur.

We started with the date doughnuts ($13)- Madjool dates, smoked trout served with a dish of curry citrus vinaigrette.

The outer shell had a nice crunchy sweetness to it, and the inside was savory and delicious.

We decided to share two breads, Kubaneh was served along with our appetizers and the Jerusalem bagel arrived with the main courses.

Kubaneh ($12) -  challah-like Yemenite pull-apart bread, which was served with schug* and grated tomatoes for dipping.  Without sounding overly dramatic, I have to say that this was ONE OF THE BEST breads I have had in a very long time!  Crazy good!  Just out of this world delicious.

It was like eating a delicate cloud - if a cloud would have the good sense of having a rich buttery interior.

Horas ($19)- Lamb kebab grilled in a pita, with eggplant, and a salad.  This dish is Adoni's version of Middle Eastern street food fancyfied a bit.

Nicely spiced, full of flavor, and great tasting.

The veggies which accompanied it were crunchy, fresh, and really picturesque.

Jerusalem bagel ($12)- piping hot, golden, with a crunchy crust, and a lovely soft interior.  The bagel came with a dish of lima bean messbaha and za'atar**.  We were able to use the bagel to mop up the sauces on our plates.
I always get this type of a bagel while in Jerusalem, but this one was so much tastier and lighter.

The three main entrees that we ordered were:

Black bass ($38)- dashi chickpea broth, calamari, swiss chard, tahini, spiced roasted tomatoes.

Chickpea fried octopus ($34)- chickpea cream, black and white tahini, preserved lemon and tamarind paste,  and fresh almonds.

The octopus dish came with a side of chickpea and caramelized onion samosas.

Grilled lamb tenderloin ($37)- lentil ragout, bulgur filled onion.

The lamb was perfectly cooked and tender.

Every dish was spot on; delicious, boldly flavored, and creative.

Pistachio cassata ($16)- salted pistachio ice cream, spiced chocolate foam, Amarena cherries, and candied pistachios.  The pistachio ice cream was nestled in taco - like shells.  This dessert was wonderful; the interestingly combined flavors created a very special dish.

Smoked chocolate custard ($16)- puffed grain granola, cherries, figs, sambuca flowers, salted pretzel ice cream.

A truly innovative dessert; sweet, salty, crunchy, smooth, delicious, and memorable.

At the end of the meal we were treated to a dish of petits fours; truffles, cookies, and marshmallows.

I found the service at Nur to be friendly, warm, attentive, and the overall atmosphere of the restaurant was jovial and relaxed.  What struck me, besides the great flavor of each dish , was how beautiful and colorful they all were.  Nur is a wonderful addition to the busy food scene in New York City; I am looking forward to many more special meals at this lovely place.

*- Schug is a Yemenite hot sauce made of hot peppers seasoned with coriander, garlic, salt and cumin.

** - za'atar is a very popular Middle Eastern spice which typically is a bland of thyme, oregano, marjoram, sumac, sesame seeds, and salt.  (I buy za'atar at the Lewinsky Market while in Tel Aviv).

Nur
34 East 20th Street
Open Sunday - Thursday - 5pm -10pm
Friday and Saturday - 5pm - 10:30pm

Joanna