The Mikdash: A Petah Tikva meat sanctuary - review

Kfar Saba’s loss is Petah Tikva’s gain. The Mikdash, a restaurant dedicated to presenting meat dishes in unusual and creative ways, has moved from its original location in Kfar Saba to a hi-tech address in nearby Petah Tikva.

It’s the same father and son team running the joint – Dudu, wearing his trilby hat decorated with crocodile teeth, and his son Liran, who doubles as chef. 

On a recent visit we were treated to a special chef’s menu for couples, which included three openers, two main courses and desserts, with cold drinks and coffee thrown in, too. This costs NIS 500, which we considered a very good deal.

Enjoying meat in Petah Tikva

As we were guests, we seemed to have enjoyed more than three starters.

The first dish to appear was carpaccio of lefet, which sounds impressive but turned out to be sliced turnips in vinaigrette. It was an interesting start to our meal. We also tasted a Japanese soup, a strongly flavored consommé poured from a teapot onto shredded cabbage. I found this rather salty. And the third item, a ceviche of salmon on rice with herbs and sesame seeds had the virtue of being original – the creamed salmon was pink, but one could barely taste the fish.

My other kvetch is that my glass of red wine was served ice-cold, which to my palate just seems wrong. If the experts say room temperature, then that is what it should be (NIS 35 a glass).

Another raw fish dish to appear was ceviche of tuna, which was served on a bed of rice with an orange sauce. The mild flavor of the fish was enhanced by the sauce, which contained orange juice, chili, and garlic. Finally, the waiter had brought something that got an unambiguous thumbs-up from me.

The next starter, a crepe filled with duck slivers, was very good, and the presentation was aesthetic. The crepe was ultra-thin, the meat tender, and the garnish a work of art.

For our main course, a hot basalt brick came to the table with slices of Denver steak, and we had to do the cooking ourselves. Last time we had this, in Kfar Saba, I thought it was fun. Nowadays, I prefer the chef to cook for me. However, it wasn’t difficult to do, and I got into the spirit of it. The steaks are remarkably tender and cook really quickly. On the side we had black lentils, smoked potato, and salad. There were also dipping sauces like chimichurri and BBQ sauce.

Yet another main course arrived in the shape of spare ribs with mixed vegetables on the side. These were really delicious, and the meat was so soft it fell off the bone.

We shared a lemon meringue dessert, which I assumed came from a central dessert supplier, as I have had the identical dish so often. This one had some berries on top to make it more personal.

I can’t end this article without mentioning that, on a visit to the conveniences, I was pleased to see that the pegs for hanging coats were upturned miniature chairs. As a retired miniaturist, I still enjoy seeing them, even if I no longer make them.

This was a good meal and also an adventurous one. Full marks for originality go to Dudu, Liran, and the rest of the team.

• Hamikdash
• Hapsagot 9, Petah Tikva
• Tel: 077-231-1881
• Open: Sunday-Wednesday, 12 noon-10 p.m.; Thursday, 12 noon- 10:30 p.m.; Friday, Shabbat: closed.
• Kashrut: Petah Tikva Rabbinate

The writer was a guest of the restaurant.