Shuki Goldstein, of Papagaio fame, has opened the new Deca gourmet kosher dairy fish restaurant in Tel-Aviv. This chic restaurant, decorated in rustic minimalist style, has easy access, parking, and comfortable seating. The culinary consultant at Deca is none other than the well-known television chef Chaim Cohen. When you visit this restaurant you may catch a glimpse of him scooting about. AT Deca, Chaim and chef Niv Caspi meet the kosher challenge.
Asked about the next big trend in restaurants, Chaim Cohen said that gourmet kosher dining is the thing of the future. Most people in Israel, says Chaim, prefer eatng kosher. Kosher restaurants have a bad image because for many years there were few prominent kosher restaurants. Now, says Chaim, the many wealthy kosher diners and kosher business people are demanding prestigious kosher restaurants. It is pretty clear that this is the next big trend in restaurants.
Closing for Shabbat is good business, says owner Shuki. The restaurant business is draining. Closing on weekends invigorates the staff, improves the quality, and lengthens the life of the restaurant.
The new Deca restaurant is one major leap in the new trend of prestigious exclusive kosher  restaurants. ELuna visited this restaurant during the pre-opening and here is our take…
We started our Deca adventure with Margarita cocktails: a delicious slush drink topped with pomegranate seeds. The drink was a delight to the eye as well as the taste, not too heavy on the alcohol – very important not to interfere with the food tasting. The drinks were served with two lovely whet-the-appetite dips and a breadbasket of rolls and sliced bread. Netilat Yadayim is upstairs. I hope that in time the restaurant will set up a stand on the dining room level.
My dining companion, the soup maven, was delighted with his bean soup, served with gnocchi. I got one of the restaurant signature appetizers: pumpkin carpachio with mozzarella cheese. This is super-thin slices of pumpkin topped with dabs of mozzarella cheese and herbs. The appetizer that topped the charts at our table was the falafel in fish-flavored humus. This is a refreshing take on an old dish. The falafel was a wee bit spicy for me, but my companion was pleased.
My main course, recommended by the restaurant manager, was a lovely fish fillet on a bed  of risotto. This dish was good comfort food, tasty and familiar. My culinary adventuresomecompanion went with the fish tail. He was so enthusiastic about this dish that it was with sheer generosity that he offered me a taste. I’ll stick to what I’ve got, thank you.
When dessert rolls around (quite literally on a rolling cart), you will be grateful that this is a dairy restaurant. Out came a mini-patisserie on wheels, filled with cakes and desserts. One portion of dessert includes 5 different petit fours of your choice. I dare you to limit yourself to 5. We enjoyed these with our coffee and tea, a delicious end to a spectacular dinner.
On a scale of 1 to 5, this restaurant is a 6. Not to be missed. Diners during the month of October will enjoy a 20% discount on the full menu.
Note: the restaurant had a private party room on the second floor that can seat 25 guests comfortably.
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