Chef Tomer Tal never disappoints at George & John in Tel Aviv

• Published date: 07 October 2021
• Author: BUZZY GORDON
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

Chef Tal is also known for updating the menu seasonally, as well constantly introducing new dishes. In fact, the bilingual menu is printed afresh daily to accommodate the very latest changes.

Unfortunately, not all the menus receive the same attention as the food menu. Currently, for example, there is no cocktail list, as the previous one is being revised. In the absence of choice, the sommelier proposed an original creation of the bartender, a drink with the quirky name of Salimi. His description of a blend of fino sherry, rum, arugula and black pepper sounded intriguing; and indeed, this spicy, tart and refreshing cocktail more than lived up to that adjective.

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It is also a good idea to start a meal here with a basket of the house bread (NIS 35), if only to dip the generous assortment of focaccia, Jaffa bagel, and sourdough bread into the restaurant's signature Black & White Eggplant Cream; refills are brought with a smile, although then you run the risk of filling up prematurely. A sizable gluten-free roll is available on request, but it is unremarkable.

The one-page food menu is deceptive: it looks short, but there are more than enough choices to render making final decisions difficult. The main menu comprises four untitled sections: Small Plates (NIS 65-100), Intermediate Dishes (NIS 65-110), Main Courses (NIS 110-180) and two Premium Specials – one fish and one meat – priced by weight. Aside from a couple of salads among the starters, there are very few vegetarian – and hardly any vegan – options.

It is always tempting to order one of the restaurant's tried-and-true classics, such as the George & John Crab Pasta or the Goose Liver Terrine with fruit confiture. But the fun of coming here is also to try what innovations are coming out of Chef Tal's kitchen, so we asked our waitress to point out the most recent additions to the menu. In any event, it is never hard to pick dishes you had never had the chance to try before.

Our first appetizer – albeit, as is the case of most dishes in the first section, a portion that could easily be classified as intermediate in size – was the Charcoal Grilled Kohlrabi. The amazingly thin discs of the root vegetable were surprisingly crunchy and swimming in a pomegranate vinaigrette accented with chive oil. An additional dimension of this outstanding dish was provided by crumbles of...