Oasis

Oasis Restaurant Review:

As most established chefs in Tel Aviv are opening mega restaurants to flex their culinary muscles, serving plate after plate with a “Mediterranean twist” and sacrificing authenticity for shock value, Rima Olvera turns her back to gastronomic norms and modern cultural dining standards. Instead, she created a place based on quality dishes and intimate chef-to-guest interaction, keeping her dedicated following informed and updated through social media networks and e-mails. Dishes change daily based on the freshest local ingredients from specialty farmers throughout Israel, Olvera’s personal home garden and traditional products she collects from her frequent global voyages. Olvera's twenty-plus-years of experience in the industry ranges from formal training as both a chef and baker to longstanding chef at Enrico's in San Francisco. The menu is divided by the country from which the dish originated, and ingredients, techniques and combinations that are specific to each region are included. “Fake Porcinis” a la Roma are a mainstay starter and showcase what Olvera can achieve with less than six ingredients; the king mushrooms are marinated in an aromatic bath of porcini essence, set on a grill and topped with olive oil, ground pepper and Italian Parmesan. One might also encounter homemade cocoa fettuccine served with Cognac-laced grilled chicken liver, ricotta pesto and peach chutney. Start the meal with a tangy and spicy homemade Bloody Mary, and end it with an ice cream sandwich, delightfully balanced salted caramel ice cream between warm and crispy chocolate chip cookies. In regard to wine, there’s an Orvieto from Umbria and a Sancerre. The twenty-cover Oasis provides an evening of dining with one of Tel Aviv's most groundbreaking chefs.