Ravenous in Ra'anana

Jerusalem Post, Weekend Magazine; November 1, 2007

Borochov 88 is a mehadrin kosher, dairy restaurant that aims high, and, for the most part, delivers

It's easy to understand why, after only a month of operation, Borochov 88 is already packed on a Monday lunchtime with a visibly Orthodox clientele. Located in a quiet, green residential street in Ra'anana, the design, location and atmosphere of Borochov is pleasant and inviting. The wood-paneled, booth-lined cafe-restaurant combines contemporary style and mehadrin kashrut.

The extensive six-page menu offers every kind of dish one would find at the usual all-dairy kosher dig: egg breakfasts, salads, pastas, quiches, sandwiches, pizzas, and fish, but the dishes are given a modern and refined touch by chef-adviser Ilan Niv.

We started off with a rectangular foccaccia (NIS 17), seasoned very nicely with garlic and herbs and served with a delicious olive spread and olive oil. The salads are made with generous helpings of lettuce, and they were saved from being ordinary by a few added ingredients. The tuna salad, served with the predictable potato, eggs and pickles, was upgraded by three generous scoops of tuna nicely flavored with chives and sun-dried tomatoes. The health salad (NIS 38) was given a flavorful kick with granola and Tzfatit cheese. The feta salad (NIS 38) came loaded with sweet potato wedges and dried chips.

The onion quiche came with a crispy, fresh crust, and while the raw materials were fresh and tasty, the onions were a little too undercooked for my taste. Sweet potato seems to be a favored ingredient at Borochov 88, as it was the subject of another quiche and a pasta dish, both delightful.

For a protein entree, Borochov offers fish: grilled salmon, salmon kebab, and the daily catch. I tried the grilled sea bream (NIS 65). The dish was generous and fresh, served on a bed of, what else, a sweet potato mash. Pesto and a light red pepper coulis adorned the perimeter of the dish, but I would have rather a tailored sauce or seasoning layered the fish itself, which required a bit more interest. Lemon wedges on the side would have been nice.

For now, desserts are imported from a bakery in Rishon Lezion, and they include a variety of cakes. Once the rest of the menu is perfected, Borochov 88 will make its own desserts on premises. If their homemade chocolate cookies are a taste of what is to come, that's a good thing.

Overall Borochov 88 is a recommended all-purpose cafe-restaurant, particularly for kosher-eaters interested in casual dining, business lunches, a birthday dinner, morning coffee and pastry, or a first date. It includes a balcony facing the street and a VIP room for 80 people.

Borochov 88, Ra'anana, (09) 744-2203; Menu in English to come.