La Regence – Best of Jerusalem Restaurants !

La Regence – Best of Jerusalem Restaurants – Gastronomy with a World-Class View!

Israel may be famous for its spectacular breakfasts and fabulous street food, but we’ve been hearing so much buzz over Israel’s relatively new breed of top chefs that we decided we needed to experience the upscale food scene for ourselves.  Since we were already being treated like royalty as guests at the legendary King David Hotel in Jerusalem, we decided to see if the cuisine, service and ambiance of the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, La Regence, was on a par with the hotel’s “royal treatment” of its guests.

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Let me set the stage for you … As you enter La Regence, you are welcomed with warm hospitality and immediately escorted to your table, either in the elegant interior of the restaurant or on the charming exterior patio.  The rich warm tones of the wood paneling and the red and gold decor are complemented by soft, romantic music.  Photos of royalty, world leaders, and celebrities line the walls and adorn the table of the foyer.  You feel the weighty sense of history.  More photos grace the walls of the restaurant’s magnificent Wine Room which, along with the more intimate Diplomat Room, has surely hosted many memorable meals where diplomatic relationships were strengthened and bonds forged.  Yet the tables in the main dining area, with its quiet alcoves and dimmed lighting, set the stage for an intimate dinner for two.  This is a restaurant whose refined elegance is the backdrop for its star feature … classical yet extraordinarily innovative cuisine artfully presented and served by highly-trained staff.  But lest you forget that you are in Jerusalem you have only to look outside the many full-length windows or, if you are sitting outside as we did, over the ledge of the balcony to enjoy a breathtaking view of the Old City at night.  What could be more legendary?  Aaah … just wait until you savor the meal.

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The Chef of La Regence, David Bitton, was born and raised in Jerusalem.  Renowned for his tasting menus, his use of fresh, seasonal produce, and his culinary excellence and innovation, Chef Bitton prepared an exquisite twelve-course tasting menu for us.

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While we sat outside and sipped the marvelous Israeli Montefiore Cabernet Sauvignon proposed by the sommelier of La Regence, the sun slowly set over Jerusalem as we admired the unforgettable view of the Old City and savored our meal.

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The first course was a Horseradish & Aioli Dip with house-made Saffron, Beef, and Wild Rice Tapioca Crackers which excited and taunted our taste buds.

Goose Liver Tart on Cacao Sesame Cracker with White Wine Jelly followed, creating an explosion of flavor in my mouth from the unique pairing of the rich goose liver with the sweetness of the cacao.

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Chicken Consomme Soup with Rosemary and Thyme, Brioche Toast with egg white Tapioca, charred Bay Leaf and Herbs to aromatize the soup cup.  The process of aromatizing of the soup cup invited us to begin this course by inhaling the charred aroma, intensifying our sensory experience, and the herb pouch provided us with the ability to personalize the herb flavor in our consomme.  Another example of Chef Bitton’s focus on a complete culinary experience.  Three types of House-Flavored Salt, Smoked, Porcini Mushroom and Ash, also enabled us to personalize the courses in a most unique way.

Tomato Leather Seafood Salad, Cucumber, Radish, Tomato Jelly, Smoked Tomato & Tomato Granita.  I was truly delighted when this particular course appeared, as I had read about the very successful Tasting Menu Chef Bitton had prepared for the launch of his Spring Menu at The King David which included this very appealing dish.  I could make an entire meal of this very light yet sumptuous course.

Jerusalem Artichoke, Caramelized Onion Cream, Chopped Carmelized Onions, Jerusalem Artichoke Chip, Bok Choy Leaf.  A magnificent and unique medley of textures and flavors in a totally innovative presentation of of Jerusalem artichokes  — one of my favorites.

Veal Sweetbreads, Garlic Spuma, Fried Beef Rillete.  Despite what you might expect, this course was very light and harmonious.  It also appealed to the Francophile in us.

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Lamb Tongue, Potato Slice, Mushroom Ragout.  If you think you might be satiated, then just wait to see what comes next …

Celery Root Ravioli, Duck Confit, Quail Yolk, Shimeji Mushrooms, fried Baby Shallots.  Along with the Tomato Leather Seafood Salad, this was my favorite course of the evening. The fried baby shallots and the quail yolk rendered the dish simply exquisite.

Lamb Loin, Leek Confit, Marigold Leaf, Parsley Root Puree.  Under the direction of another chef, this dish might have been one too many meat dishes, but under Biton’s skillful direction the tenderness of the lamb perfectly complemented by the leek confit and the creaminess of the parsley root puree was very easy to appreciate.

Almond Flan, Almond Milk, Strawberry Sorbet, seared Almond Cake.  The almond milk brings the almond flan to new heights in a kosher “meat” menu where diary is not to be seen.

Chocolate Fondant & Olive Oil Sweets, Salted Caramel.  Local and very flavorful Israeli olive oil creates a most original touch to a favorite classic dessert.  The little olive oil sweets offered a surprisingly divine pop of olive in my mouth … truly an Israeli take on a chocolate fondant.

Mignardises of Almond Madeleine, Orange Jelly, Chocolate Praline.  We were very full when these arrived, but who cared at this point as our taste buds were very happy.

Fresh Mint Tea … Fresh mint from the hotel’s garden … the perfect digestive!

I highly recommend the tasting menu specially prepared for you by the extremely talented Chef David Bitton of The King David Hotel‘s La Regence.  It will be extraordinary … but remember that if you prefer the “tasting menu” to dining a la carte, you must book this request in advance.

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From the quality of the ingredients to the highly-skilled preparation and presentation of each course developed by Bitton’s unique Israeli sense of “innovation”, to The King David’s approach to treating all their guests like royalty and the world-class view, you have the formula for an unforgettable meal. In fact, I would venture to say that dinner at La Regence is one of the best culinary experiences in Israel.  Bon Appetit!

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