By SHAWN RODGERSDOK restaurant(photo credit: PR)
DOK has been open for just over two months and has already become a hot spot on Tel Aviv’s bustling Ibn Gvirol Street.The restaurant is owned and operated by Assaf and Yotam Doktor, best known for the popular restaurant Ha’achim (one door down on Ibn Gvirol). This place is terrific, with delicious and imaginative food in small tapas type portions. All the ingredients are made from local products only.We had the pleasure of sitting at the bar, with a full view of the chef creating his gastronomy magic. Our waitress was a delight and took care to make us feel at ease.She took her time explaining details of dishes and drinks. We began our meal with the blanched asparagus drizzled with olive oil and dried yogurt (NIS 25). The asparagus was crisp and beautifully green, with the dried yogurt adding a cheese-like flavor to the mix.Next up was the coal-roasted kohlrabi (NIS 29) with hame’iri cheese, poppy seeds, thyme and hot pepper, which already has become their signature dish. Like most other vegetables, when roasted in the oven the outside of the kohlrabi caramelizes, and the flavor sweetens and mellows. Paired with the hame’iri cheese, it was simply divine. I will definitely be going back for that dish.This was followed by the sliced New York steak (NIS 53) with charred eggplant, Suryian olives and dried tomatoes. The steak was very tender, juicy and rich in flavor. Every bite was delicious, and the flavors melded well together.After a bit of a breather, it was on to the lamb matfouna (NIS 62) wrapped in herbs and fennel on charred eggplant crème and chickweed salad. This was delicious and surprisingly not greasy, unlike what minced lamb often tends to be. The dish was flavorful, well cooked and perfectly seasoned.We were then served the flamegrilled rib eye steak (NIS 29) with schug butter on a slice of toasted halla. Each bite was succulent and rich. I can only imagine how marbled that meat must have been prior to searing.Last we were served Ahron Markovitz’s nave cheese and jam of cherry tomatoes on sourdough bread (NIS 19). This was deliciously sweet and savory. The flavors and textures blended and complemented one another.For dessert we tried the pitanga sorbet, apricot salad with organic date syrup and ground caramelized pecans (NIS 39). The Brazilian cherry, or pitanga, is a bushy plant that bears small red fruit with a sweet and sour flavor. For something that my palate is not used to, the sorbet tasted weirdly wonderful.This was followed by marzipanfilled peach in syrup with whipped cream and pecans (NIS 35). This was a great dessert that had a great consistency and good flavor.DOK is a small intimate space, so seating is limited, but you will have an excellent dining experience. We left full and happy.The writer was a guest of the restaurant.DOKNot kosher8 Ibn Gvirol, Tel Aviv Tel: (03) 609-8118
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