Rashel in Tel Aviv Port: Moroccan feast of holiday flavors - restaurant review

They are the festive dishes served in the Moroccan kitchen for holiday meals. You may recognize some of the names, but all the dishes are upgraded versions of the familiar.

Dining at Rashel is a sensory experience, from the gorgeous decor to the presentation of the dishes, to the exotic flavors. There is a strong sense of aesthetic and attention to detail. The restaurant itself has a lovely modern Moroccan design befitting the cuisine, with classic arches and filigree work, tiled tables, and a dominant rich green color that sets the tone of your dinner. The extraordinary presentation of the dishes on plates specially designed for this restaurant, the subdued lighting, and soft background music are all part of the enjoyable dining experience.

Forget the electronic menu. It does not begin to tell the Rashel story. Take your pointers from your server. The starters are where the Moroccan holiday dishes shine. We began with an appetizer of four Moroccan dips served with a warm pita bread (NIS 54). Not a standard pita, this was the Moroccan frena bread, heavier and tastier than a standard pita. The pumpkin/eggplant dip was a hit, but the standout dip was the tomato-based matbucha, known as the king of the Moroccan menu. The original Rashel homemade matbuha recipe is served warm.

“Moroccan cuisine is either sweet or spicy or both,” says restaurant manager Ron. The pastilla signature starter dish combines both, for a bouquet of sweet and piquant flavors (NIS 62). It is a most impressive pyramid filled with minced meat and tehina, topped with sweet tanzia sauce. This is a specialty dish, traditionally served on Rosh Hashanah and other Jewish holidays.

The tanzia is what does it. This is a sweet mix of dried fruit, nuts and silan, offset with a touch of spice, and is about the best charoset that you will ever taste. Used as a topping for the pastilla, it is also paired with high-end main meat dishes, such as the veal. If asked, the restaurant will bring you a tasting bowl of tanzia that you can eat straight – not as a topping. Screw up your chutzpah and ask for it. Don’t be shy.

We often say that the foods from different culinary traditions are really the same with different names. Dim sum is kreplach by another name. And Osh pulao is cholent from the Caucasus. But the foods at Rashel are unique, with no equivalent in the Eastern European culinary tradition. That might present a challenge to the Ashkenazi palate, but this Galitzianer foodie can say that she did enjoy many of the Moroccan dishes, especially the sweet dishes and the dishes with nuts.

The Rashel salad, for example, is a leafy green salad in a pleasant vinaigrette dressing. It is topped with a healthy sprinkling of sweet and crunchy candied nuts. You can’t get enough of it. But look out for the slices of chili pepper.

A beautifully plated dish of Moroccan cigars was next. The extraordinary Rashel cigars are a modern twist on the familiar crispy dough filled with asado (NIS 59).

If you want to make your dinner a selection of starters, as these are the outstanding Rashel dishes, you will not be alone. We noticed that several other tables were doing just that. But fair warning: If that is your strategy, you will miss the extraordinary main dishes.

We shared a main course of a large filet of drumfish (musar yam) served with freekeh with Moroccan flavorings and a creamy sauce (NIS 158).

After all the starters, it was hard to do justice to this main dish. Our appetites were revived just looking at the beautifully presented fish, with its crispy skin topped with sea salt. The portions were all generous, and, even shared, the meal was quite filling.

SFENI is the Moroccan main attraction on the dessert menu, iconic at the Moroccan Mimouna. Sfeni is reminiscent of the Israeli sufgania (from the same word), shaped like a doughnut without the jelly. The doughnut is super light and airy, fried, and sprinkled with sugar. The sfeni, together with a light tea served in a charming ceremony, rounded out the Moroccan experience.

Rashel has an extensive, even huge, wine list, with some extremely pricey bottles. The restaurant bar is impressive, with a professional barman shaking it up before your eyes. The non-alcoholic “Driver’s Cocktail” is thoughtfully available for the designated driver. This is a juice cocktail, beautifully decorated in the aesthetic style of this restaurant.

Rashel is a find. Not to be missed. It is tucked deep in the Tel Aviv Port. Just keep going. We found plenty of parking in the large parking lot at the restaurant.