The verdict is still out on Muranow's new kosher eatery
Up in the Muranow district, a grenade's toss from the northern limits of the old Jewish ghetto is the new kosher restaurant Warszawa-Jerozolima. The restaurant is in the cellar of one of the square buildings that have sprung up like tombstones from the rubble.
Heading down the stairs to the basement, the visitor is greeted by the festive sounds of Jewish music and a painting of a bird against a blue sky, as if it were looking in at you from a window. The inside is reminiscent of a desert hideaway, with frescos of the Holy Land on the walls around this large room. Blonde wooden furniture divides the room into several sections.
Arriving ahead of my companion, I announced our reservation and the friendly host showed me to a table in the non-smoking section, a few yards from a lit cigarette. He lifted the napkin, placed it near my lap and inquired about a wine. Not having time to peruse the menu, I asked for water.
By the time Capitalist Comrade arrived, the table was already graced with a basket of freshly heated pita bread, herbed garlic butter and a plate of olives.
We reviewed the menu with delight. It is divided into three sections Israeli kitchen, Jewish kitchen and Polish kitchen each having its own selection of starters and main dishes.
The categories had some overlap due to the mixed influences of the three cuisines. Our waitress told us that the food from all three sections was kosher. Starters, including salads and soups, range from zl. 4-zl. 19. Main courses ranged from zl. 20-zl. 69, with most costing in the high 20s. But first, we needed some wine to set our palates. The short and simple wine page contained five varieties (zl. 78-zl. 165) and three sparkling wines (zl. 69-zl. 350) by the bottle, and four wines by the glass (zl. 13-zl. 16). Capitalist Comrade is fond of Chardonnay, so we ordered that selection, which was simply labeled Chardonnay (zl. 135), with no indication of vintner.
Our waitress returned with a bottle of 1998 Carmel (Israel) Chardonnay. The label, printed in English, announced that it was imported by someone in New Jersey. I contemplated this fact and the wine's lack of legs as I took a sip and pronounced it good a light and buttery Chardonnay. It was a wonderful compliment to our meal that grew tastier as the meal progressed. The nearly room-temperature bottle also grew cooler sitting in the ice bucket.
With our noses out of the wineglasses we redirected ourselves to the food. Steering away from the Polish kitchen we concentrated on the specialties of the house the Jewish and Israeli cuisines. The Israeli menu had a variety of Mediterranean delights from falafel to shawarma. We wanted to try all of the appetizers, so we ordered the sampler, Polmisek Izraelski (zl. 19). Soon our table was covered with plates of falafel, thina, hummus, mathuha and Israeli salad.
We were both delighted by the mathuha, a white sauce with a dash of hot salsa in the middle. It was fantastic and we soon finished the pita bread, which was replaced almost immediately by a fresh basket, so hot that Capitalist Comrade almost burned herself reaching for a piece.
The hummus was thick with the taste of chickpeas, which my companion also found delightful. I prefer a lighter hummus, such as the one served at Cafe Brama, with more lemon and garlic. The falafel balls were slightly dry and gritty, but still quite pleasurable. Capitalist Comrade showed no interest in the Israeli salad, which I devoured. It was a delicious mix of fresh tomatoes, red and green bell pepper, cucumbers, onion, white cabbage, olive oil, and lemon juice. The ingredients were fresh and crunchy.
We moved on to the second round of starters the famous Kreplach and Varenikes. A pierogi by any other name would taste incomplete. And though shaped in cute full moons and crescents, these Jewish-style pierogis left something to be desired by the thin doughy part.
For the mains, we wanted to again move away from the usual choices and test the less common reaches of the menu. Capitalist Comrade chose Cholanta, a pot of boiled beans, potatoes, meat and sausage.
Unattracted by the grilled meats in the Israeli section, which seemed like standard fare for a kebab house, I decided to try the lone vegetarian dish cymes (zl. 20), a mixture of stewed carrots, raisins and dried prunes. I went out on a limb and the branch fell off. The menu advertised it as a large portion and it was not kidding. This would have been an interesting side dish, but was just too monotonous to have as a large main portion. Your vegetarian friends will not be begging you to take them back so they can enjoy the scrumptious cymes again. I left the plate half unfinished.
Computer failure temporarily delayed our faktura VAT but the total bill came to zl. 247 ($60) for dinner and wine. The jury is still out on this restaurant. The wonderful starters, fresh hot pita, delicious wine and pleasant, attentive service made for a wonderful beginning. But our main courses fell short of expectation. I have a feeling we may have done better to venture into the grilled meats and other Mediterranean fare, or the fish. Even though we did not savor our main dishes, this restaurant does too many things right for me to believe that our choices hit the heart of the menu. I will return to explore it further. Upon leaving, it was also a delight to have a warm lobby upstairs, with large windows, in which to wait for a taxi.
