Long months of build-up, nurturing expectations and coordinating expectations disproportionately (and actually, in his case, entirely proportionately, especially considering the amazing tenure at George & John) have ended, and an official welcome can be made. Welcome to Bo'u, Tomer Tal’s new restaurant. How fun it is to type these words on the keyboard.
The promise: An “Open Hosting Home” (hence the inviting name) on the ground floor of the George Hotel in Tel Aviv, and a place that “Wants To Create A Live, Direct And Non-Hierarchical Hosting Experience.” That is, to let you choose what the evening will look like – a date or a stop for a drink, friends or family, מתוך the understanding that “There Is No Fixed Script And No One Right Way For A Meal.”
What else? Tal’s dream team is indeed dreamy, and includes Steven Lobel and Yair Bakier, a duo that knows a thing or millions of things about hospitality and restaurant management, and the design was naturally entrusted to the Baranowitz Kronenberg office. All of these assembled a space that is not loud, not trying too hard, and above all inviting.
What do you eat here? Tal’s famous kitchen has over the years insisted on bringing at its peak thinking outside the box, and quite thoroughly smashing the box itself along the way. Here, they confront open fire and mountains of ice, focus on smoking-aging and do not forget the power of the raw ingredient. Mediterranean, with high waves.
All this is broken down into four menu categories, including “From Big To Small,” which brings to the table giant cuts of meat (or a turbot fish, for example) for a multi-participant show of carving and sharing, and a rather instinctive engagement with smoke, unusual cuts and dishes that seek to restore a bit of logic to restaurants. The stories of the past few weeks revealed turkey necks and parida fish, Latin touches and present Israeli soil, including his well-known fan of seasonal vegetables.
What do you drink here? Wines and cocktails that Tal also crafted, with the assistance of Spanish mixologist Santi Ortiz.
Bo'u, George Hotel, 5 Israel Tal, Tel Aviv, 03-5221224