#mizlala

Mizlala calls itself a modern Israeli restaurant. The one in the Sycamore Media District is their third branch. It’s casual – order at the kiosk or order online. I ordered online and my order was ready in a tamper-resistant bag. If you order a plate, you can choose your side (salad, rice, or soup). You can customize your platter with sauces, pickles, and carrot salad.

Kefta plate with mejadra rice ($16.95), hummus, pita, herb salad, ground lamb & beef grilled over coals, tahina, amba, grilled onion & Anaheim chilies, herb salad. There were four thick kefta patties. I was expecting thin, long kabobs. These were thick patties with grill marks. The kabobs were denser than usual and definitely too salty on their own, but the rice and pita helped balance the saltiness. The rest of the place was nice: thick, creamy, tangy hummus, fresh herbs, grilled veggies, and flavorful, soft rice pilaf with green lentils and chickpeas. The Jerusalem pita was thick and pillowy though the edges were a little hard (maybe the heated it up?). Portions were generous.

Falafel plate with Jerusalem salad ($15.95): The falafel balls were huge. The plate came with 7 falafel balls, hummus, herb salad, a pita, and a chopped fresh Jerusalem salad. Mr. Froyo ate it all and said the hummus was nice and thick.

The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating. The interior featured touches of green from the plants and walls, white tile and shelves with plants and books. They offer 90 minutes of validated parking at 953 Sycamore (not the Kaiser parking lot). Mizlala is at the ground floor of the Kaiser building.

4 out of 5 stars

After Shay finished one of his regular Saturday 15 hour shifts in the kitchen at Adora, we brainstormed places to grab a late night celebratory birthday dinner.  I was tempted to go back to ToTo because our dinner there a few weeks ago was just that good, but we wanted to try something new.  We jumped on the bike and headed to Meir Adoni's swanky new restaurant in Tel Aviv, Mizlala.  Meir Adoni is a highly regarded chef who's resume boasts impressive restaurants around the world, and is the owner of Catit, one of Israel's top restaurants- we were both curious and excited to see what we'd find.  

The space itself is crisp and edgy, as were the people dining around us on Saturday night.  In fact, what most excites me about Mizlala, other than the intricate menu,  is the intense Tel Avivy atmosphere. 

Despite the menu's simple presentation, there is not one ordinary dish on the menu.  It merely lists the complex distinctive flavors which are brought together to create scrumptious dishes.  I found myself captivated in the descriptions alone. 

We started with a sweet fluffy garlicky challah served in its baking dish, an unfinished metal pan, with a side of gentle ikra cream.  Simple.  Delicious. Cool presentation.  Nice way to start. 

Next we took the Palestinian tartar, which I must admit intimidated me at first- too many ingredients jumbled on one plate seemingly without order.  Where do you begin?  Our recommended tactic: try to catch a bit of each flavor in every bite.  The flavors and textures blend beautifully (charcoaled eggplant cream, raw tahina and pine nuts, crisp fresh herbs…).  I think that the dish can do without the chopped rump steak- Shay disagrees.  Lo mishaneh, the dish is mouth-watering.

Followed by the turducken of the sea (if you don't get the reference seehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turducken): calamari stuffed with shrimp in a creamy carbonara style sauce with strong hints of olive oil and bits of fresh bacon, served with an egg yolk ready for you to stir in to complete the rich consistency.  Sounds heavy, but surprisingly light (feeling anyway) and delicious. 

To conclude our midnight snack, we ordered the "Boulangerie", a fresh croissant stuffed with smoked peppers and eggplant, hard boiled eggs, creamy nutty ratte potatoes, preserved lemon, and calf brain (among other ingredients).  As much as I want to be open to indulging in such delicacies, I'm not there yet.  Although I couldn't stomach a bite with brain, the flaky croissant itself, along with the other fillings, was divine.   Want to know about the brain?  Shay's face said it all: this combination in entirety is exquisite.  Maybe next visit I will be ready to take a bite…

I'm already planning the next visit.  As we were going for a "lighter" late night birthday snack,  I feel like we missed out by not ordering one of the stew-y heavy dishes; these dishes seem to give even more room for the chef to shine.  Dishes such as pork belly stewed in whiskey and maple, and pullet shwarma with Ethiopian tehina…  And of course I am dying to try the desserts.  The crème schnitt with quinces and amaretto foam, and the vanilla brulee with rhubarb apricot and hot spices compote will have to wait until next time.  Confession: we might have eaten a couple of homemade red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting before leaving the apartment!

Mizlala