January 2023
It is always nice to meet the owners of our restaurants. It is even nicer to meet an owner with a kippa. 4Sea was originally a very popular and highly rated non-kosher restaurant. Max, the current owner, was a partner in that enterprise. But when he began observing mitzvot he bought out his partners, replaced the staff, changed the menu to comply with kashrut, closed the restaurant on Shabbat and got the stamp of approval from Rabbanut Herzlia. He did all of this just a few months ago. This is a guy who gets things done.
Max never expected to become a restaurateur. He comes from the world of property development. But Max has a vision. Before he was mitzva-observant he traveled widely and ate anywhere and everywhere. Having seen it all, he knows just what he wants for 4Sea. And it is going to be good.
For starters Max brought in Aviv Hamo as the new chef. He comes to 4Sea with experience working with key players like Eyal Shani and Yonatan Rushfield. Chef Hamo is aligned with Max’s vision and together they are building a menu that reflects the new concept for this restaurant.
 The cuisine at 4Sea is Mediterranean with a Sushi bar.
How do those two go together?
Mediterranean is where we live. And Max loves sushi (we have that in common). He suggested that we start our meal with the Salmon Grill, a delicious sushi roll that contains baked salmon, potato and avocado, topped with seared salmon, caramelized teriyaki sauce and sliced almonds. The wasabi was in the shape of a small flowerets. The sushi spoke for itself and needed no wasabi or sauces. Wow.
When at a meat restaurant my companion orders meat. He wants a meat starter, a meat main and if desserts came meaty, he would choose that as well. To my total surprise he succumbed to the rave reviews of the Eggplant Fan dish as his starter. With techina drizzled on top, this eggplant loaf works best with bread. The Frena Bread is a warm and crusty loaf served with three sauces: techina, salsa, garlic confi and a whole hot pepper. Together with the bread, the Eggplant Fan made a great starter.
My carnivorous dining companion then went on to resume his comparative study of burgers in Sharon area restaurants. The 4Sea burger is a purist’s burger. No layers of goose meat, no fried egg on the burger. Just a delicious thick Entrecote meat burger in a bun, with a bowl of chips alongside. He did add ketchup, though in truth I don’t think I have ever seen him eat a burger without adding something red. The meat is supplied by high-end Lagziel butchery of Petach Tikva.
Of the three fish main courses on the menu I chose the Sea Bass Fillet served on a bed of gnocchi prepared in white wine sauce. Fish, when properly done, is a delicious dish. The sea bass was prepared perfectly, with crispy skin, soft meat and a lovely flavor. Fish is usually served on a bed of pureed potatoes or a grain, so the gnocchi was a fun surprise.
Cocktails! This is my kind’a restaurant. I searched the cocktail menu for a fruity cocktail with rum. Not finding one, the barman offered to create an abbreviated Mai Tai just for me. Now, if they named the drink “eLuna,” my visit would be complete. My companion’s cocktail was not as strong, which worked better for him.
Coming at the end of the meal, after we have eaten our full, we often skip dessert. 4Sea has a collection of beautiful desserts that we could not even consider. Don't let that stop you.
4Sea is a beautiful restaurant with a shimmery bar and an active kitchen. I don’t recall too many kosher restaurants with a design as lovely as this. There is plenty of seating in several different spacious rooms. The seating areas have a sea view that will be stunning at sunset when the days get longer. 4Sea, with dim lights and soft music, is a uniquely romantic restaurant.
 The restaurant is in a perfect location on a row of shops near the Daniel Hotel. There was plenty of parking at 6pm when the restaurant opened.
4Sea restaurant is open weekdays from 6pm. The restaurant is available for groups and events during the day. With its sea view, there could not be a better venue for a simcha. The restaurant is in fact booked for a wedding in May. I am wondering how I can get an invitation.
This is a reasonably priced restaurant for the quality that it offers. Two starters and two moderately priced main courses will come to about NIS 300. Cocktails and wine, at over NIS 50 each, will pop your bill.
From the Menu:
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