Kazan: Dining out in style in Ra’anana - review

Everyone likes to take a break from the kitchen now and then and pop out for a burger. But when you want an elegant evening out, the place to go is Brasserie Kazan, on Ra’anana’s main drag, Ahuza Street.

The veteran restaurant has been there long enough to know what pleases the clientele, has kept up in terms of creating dishes and presentations that are le dernier cri (the last word), and offers a level of service not that common in our rather rough-and-ready society.

What's on the menu at Kazan?

We sat at a corner table by the window and perused the menu. The choices are vast, but we finally decided on a shared starter of corned beef with roasted garlic, pickled onions, rounds of fried baguette, and small sharp gherkins (cornichons).

The beef did not quite live up to the standards of those familiar with Bloom’s in London’s East End, but it was a satisfactory starter nonetheless (NIS 78).

Our waitress, Eva, brought us a marvelous crispy whole wheat bread studded with nuts and seeds and a dip of eggplant salsa – oily but very good with the bread (NIS 26).

Yet another dish arrived which we had not ordered – seared tuna served with an excellent guacamole on the side (NIS 88). Finally, a platter of tomato salad, using the great variety of tomato types now available, with a delicious piquant dressing. Neither of us could quite fancy the coddled egg on the top, which we felt was superfluous.

So much food had been brought and consumed, and we still hadn’t reached the main course. Finally, our choices arrived.

I had selected the fish of the day, which was denis (sea bream). The whole fish was grilled, and topped with a veritable garden of greenery and tomatoes, with olives and lemon. It was very fresh and came with various sauces and mayo accompaniments. I thought that it should have come off the grill a minute earlier than it did (NIS 148).

My companion reveled in his entrecote steak, savoring every meaty mouthful. Both mains came with similar sides – a mix of thinly sliced zucchini, green beans, and peas.

The steak is served on a large rectangular platter with coarse salt and pepper straight on the platter and not in containers, contributing to the earthy feel of the dish (NIS 195).

For dessert, we shared a chocolate mousse which was covered in chocolate. I wish I could do that. The almond ice cream on the side complemented the mousse, and the whole dessert was not overly sweet.

We drank iced water, a glass of Merlot from the Golan Heights (NIS 62), and draft beer.

A word about the English menu. It wasn’t bad as these things go, but there were parts where I felt I really needed my red pencil. For example – “foie grass” – it’s “gras,” not something you play on at Wimbledon. And “bacon” as in “lamb bacon” must surely be put in quotation marks.

We ended this exceptional meal with mint water for me and black coffee for my companion. When we left, the place had filled up, and there was nary an empty table. For a great evening out, there’s no place like Kazan.

• Kazan
• 71 Ahuza St., Ra’anana
• Tel: (09) 779-7300
• Sunday-Thursday, 6 p.m.-midnight
• Kashrut: Ra’anana Rabbinate
• Wheelchair accessible

The writer was a guest of the restaurant.