December
2003
The Daniel
Hotel, one of the beautiful hotels along the Herzlia Pituach coastline,
has initiated some creative ideas. Most recently the hotel has developed
Shizen Lifestyle Spa resort, a spa section within the Daniel hotel.
The Shizen Yapas Bar serving both drinks and meals, is available to
the guests of the hotel and it is open to the public for breakfast,
lunch and dinner.
The Shizen wing is accessed from the left side of the Daniel hotel lobby.
Follow the signs. This is an exquisite area, designed with the principles
of Feng Shui for a totally relaxing experience.
 The
Shizen Tapas Bar/Restaurant occupies a cozy corner at the entrance to
the Shizen wing. The restaurant seats approximately 30 people. The bar
can accommodate small parties with advance notice so that additional
tables can be added.
The Yapas Bar offers a wonderful combination of décor and cuisine. The
décor whispers Japanese, but the seating is Western. The feel is sleek
and modern but the materials are natural and earthy. For example, tables
are glass covered, but table mats are made of straw.
If you have come just for drinks, you have come to the right place.
We were impressed with the quality and the selections at the bar, as
well as its inviting design. The shelves display good Scotch whiskeys
and imported Gin and Rum. The bar also offers a selection of exotic
beers. The bar is dim, as one would expect, but light enough to read,
as one customer was doing.
 Chef
Collin Gillon, the chef of all the restaurants at the Daniel Hotel,
has outdone himself at the Shizen Yapas Bar. This excellent bar/restaurant
is unique in the culinary landscape, kosher or otherwise. It is swank,
mature, and makes for an extremely enjoyable dining experience.
When
seated we were offered two one-page menus: A very complete drinks menu
and a food menu. We could not resist the offer of a Frozen Daiquiri
and a Margarita. These were well made and delicious. Somebody over there
knows drinks.
The dinner menu offers a limited selection of specialty meat and fish
dishes. Here's a twist! The dishes are not categorized as appetizers
or main dishes. You can select just one menu item or if you are up for
additional courses you can select any two or more of the dishes listed.
 The
Yapas bar cuisine blends the flavors and the styles of Spanish Tapas,
Japanese cuisine, with an Israeli touch. The menu tempts you with items
such as "Chicken breast Yakituri in Sake and almond sauce" or "Sirloin
steak with mushrooms and Tamarind sauce." Each dish is served with a
creative and unconventional, outrageously delicious sauce, often combining
Japanese and other cuisines. For the less adventuresome, the menu also
includes magnificent sushi and sashimi platters from the hotel sushi
bar.
I started with the Tofu salad; a beautifully presented plate of salad
greens topped with almond slivers and browned tofu cubes. The tofu balanced
the salad both in taste and in texture, and I enjoyed the slightly-sweetened
sauce. My companion was enchanted by his soup, flavored with coconut
milk and curry and rich in fresh mushrooms, bamboo shoots, onions and
scallions.
The Sea Bass in sweet and sour sauce, recommended by the staff, was
an excellent choice. Two fillets of fish were served with grilled vegetables,
potatoes, and a lovely date and honey sauce. My companion surprised
me and chose the chicken fillet with peanuts. This dish was served with
an unusual curry and peanut sauce over the chicken and vegetables.
For dessert you'll have a choice of different flavored sorbet but we
chose the Marquis covered with slivered almonds, a delicious dessert
served with a sauce of sake and almond milk.
The Japanese Tea ceremony is alive and well at Yappas Bar. Tea is served
in square cups and is presented with a bowl of brown sugar nuggets and
white sugar crystals. Is this style, or what?
In addition to "delicious" "new" and "creative" the best word that describes
the Yapas Bar is "Style." You'll be impressed with the stylized décor,
the lovely stylized rectangular serving pieces which, like everything
else, are creative, unconventional, and very pleasing.
Tofu Salad: NIS 28, Soup of the day: NIS 25, Chicken
Fillet in Peanut Butter Sauce: NIS 65, Sea Bass in Sweet and Sour Sauce:
NIS 80.
Business Lunch menu 2 courses, NIS 65 per person, 12:00 noon till 5:00pm |