Declining charm (restaurant review)

Jerusalem Post, Weekend Magazine; December 20, 2007

Aluma is located on a small street in Tarshiha, an Arab town on the outskirts of Kfar Havradim. For several years it has has been considered one of the most prestigious bistros in the Western Galilee, hosting some of the best chefs in Israel. However, during my recent trip to Western Galilee, my hosts at the guest houses did not recommend Aluma, as an option for dinner. I soon figured out why.

The interior of Aluma promised a pleasant dining experience. Its simple country French design was warm and inviting, but in no way ostentatious.

The food, however, proved adequate at best, certainly not as outstanding as I had expected - and hoped - it would be.

The meal was introduced with fresh homebaked bread served with a tasty olive spread, a punchy tomato spread (use sparingly!), and a fresh lentil dip. It took a downward turn with the "appetizer samples" (served only with the business lunch). The roasted eggplant, served on a bed of white beans, was much too bland. The veal carpaccio arrived buried under balsamic vinegar and arugula, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was an attempt to hide the rather oddly colored cuts of veal. The liver pate, served cold with grape jam and pistachio nuts, lay on a bed of hard shmaltz (chicken fat). The waiter assured me that the liver was supposed to be served like that, but the fat certainly clogged my enjoyment of the otherwise tasty pate. The perfectly crisp crab cakes, while flavored well, felt dry.

The transitional sorbet was not an effective amuse bouche; it was more like slush.

The meal segued into the rather pedestrian poulet stuffed with herbs, pistachio, raisins and dried tomatoes (NIS 78). The stuffing of the rather stingy portion had the aroma of packaged seasoning. But the vegetable side of steamed broccoli, carrots, string beans and kohlrabi clinched my conclusion that Aluma was far from living up to its former glorious reputation. The kohlrabi tasted rotten, and when I asked the server about it, he replied that kohlrabi simply tastes sour when cooked and that other customers have asked the same question. If that's the case, why keep serving it?

Hoping dessert would redeem the meal, I asked the waiter (who was very friendly but not too helpful in providing menu guidance) what he recommended.

"They're all good," he replied.

I was hoping for a solid recommendation, because at this point I needed a sure thing. The "dessert tasters" (NIS 38) came with samples of Galilean delights: malabi, pistachio ice cream and candied squash. They were quite good, but not good enough to save the overall lackluster meal.

After probing a little further, I discovered that Aluma has recently undergone several sous-chef turnovers in the kitchen that have led to inconsistency. I certainly caught Aluma on a bad day.

Tarshiha-Kfar Havradim road; tel: (04) 957-4477; www.aluma.co.il Not kosher.