Israeli dips

Chef Zion Barnes, one of Israel’s rising culinary stars, blessed gourmets and gourmands when he recently showcased his gastronomic flair at the Paseo Uno of Mandarin Oriental, Manila, as part of their weeklong Israeli Food Festival slated until August 16.

The 28-year old chef from Tel Aviv who trained under Alain Passard, a three Michelin-star chef at the L’ Arpege restaurant in Paris, France, was lauded by the prestigious Al Haschohan food magazine in Israel, as one of the country’s “eight outstanding chefs of the next generation.”

For the event, he enthusiastically prepared his Arabic-influenced Israeli cuisine which included an extensive array of fresh spreads, dips and salads that are distinctly of his country.

His hummus, a dip from cooked, mashed chickpeas, blended with tahini (a paste made from ground sesame seeds), olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic, is quite addictive. His spreads of Eggplant with Tahini and Yoghurt Zucchini, including the Tabbouleh, a distinctly Arabian salad dish of finely-chopped parsley, mint, tomato, scallion and other herbs made every pita bread simply sumptuous.

“Everything is fresh in Israel and we prepare them at home,” Barnes says of the ingredients on his dips, and his Tuna Tartare dish, which food columnist Norma Chikiamco describes as a ‘new way of eating sashimi.’ Tuna tartare is actually fresh tuna mixed with coriander, shallots, lettuce, yoghurt and olive oil, topped with a poached egg yolk, which gives a touch of creaminess to the whole dish.  

One popular Middle Eastern food is the Falafel, a deep fried ball or patty made from spiced chickpeas placed inside pita bread. It is good when dipped in the tahini paste.

The Kubeh soup, a tomato soup with veggies, is an interesting entrée. It looks like a “vegetable pochero,” with a mix of okra, pumpkin, beetroot and a meat dumpling drenched in tomato paste. And it tastes more like Italian pasta.    

Another unique dish is Barnes’ Fish Kebab, a seemingly half-baked fish dish using the expensive grouper fish with eggplant and a salsa of grilled tomatoes and other vegetable ingredients. The tomato paste neutralizes the salty flavor of the fish.

The Burekas leads the pack of sweet delights prepared by Barnes. Burekas, puff pastries filled with eggplant, pita chips and yoghurt sauce, gives a refreshingly sweet and mint flavor to the palate. The soft and crispy texture of the pastry provides a relish of goodness to every bite.

The Tahina cookies (a lot like our oraro pastry); Baklava (layers of sweet phyllo pastry embedded with nuts); Malabi, a sweet dessert much like panacotta; and the Knaphe (flattened and melted mozzarella with butter, topped with hay-like, crispy, flour mix, drenched with syrup and sprinkled with pistachios) – all bring to life the essence of true Israeli desserts without comprising its distinctly Mediterranean flavors and textures.

And for something sensational to wash it all down, you don’t need to turn water into wine; his Lemonade with Floral Scent is miraculous enough.

For more information on Paseo Uno's Israel Food Festival lunch buffet, call at 750 8888. The Mandarin Oriental, Manila is located along Makati Avenue, Makati City.