Admitting and confessing: At first we did not understand why the people of Mosho, the kosher Asian cocktail bar in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, preferred that diners enter through a gloomy barred door. The real answer - this basement was once used as a bank safe; only that unlike the bank, in Mosho Bar we would actually be happy to visit again.
Before the menu, it is worth tasting the atmosphere as well.
Somewhat cinematic darkness, colorful lamps and neon signs from the East, as well as intriguing video art of changing Asian faces;
Perhaps these are prominent customers of the bank, who knows.
The final touch is the kimono of the waitresses and waiters, who deserve a huge hug - for the style, and of course for the courtesy.
"So how was your day?" We were asked as we entered, "We will try to match you with potions."
They immediately brought us an Asian Dakiri prepared for us by Hanan the bartender.
We loved, we certainly loved.
Then we chose another opening cocktail of our own, "Opium": sparkling sake, homemade poppy liqueur, lychee puree and lime, with a pinch of sour fruitiness.
"Bouncy," is the word we look for.
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Another successful cocktail was the ginseng, with tequila, pineapple, pandan leaf, lime and of course the ginseng plant.
The result is more reminiscent of alcoholic lemonade, but delicious.
A third cocktail, and probably the most special of all - with a sweet-sour-sweet aroma - is simply called "Cucumber II".
In general, the names of most of the drinks here are not sophisticated, unlike many cocktail bars.
Cocktails at Mosho Bar, Photo: Yonatan Ben Haim
But you can not settle for just cocktails, of course. Bar food should be known to contain the exact amount of oil and carbohydrates to aid in the absorption of alcohol, and even in this area the staff at Mosho Bar usually do a very good job. One of the dishes that pleasantly surprised us, and is portrayed as one of the place's best kept secrets, was teriyaki and lemon grass glazed potatoes. We did not really feel the lemon grass, but it could be that at this stage of the evening we were slightly perfumed and the senses were less sharp. Mostly we remember that we eliminated the dish at record speed, not because we were hungry but simply because it is rare in quality. Potatoes that are fried to perfection, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside - what needs more than that in life? We would order this dish again. And again. And again.
The teriyaki eggplant, on the other hand, was already a bit controversial.
Like many of the dishes here it was full of flavors, only this time it seems to us that the business worked less well, or in the absence of coordination between the ingredients, so that what begins as a delicious wash ends in a less successful umami infiltration.
The main suspect in the bitterness was the eggplant, to which they added too generous an amount of chili, which resulted in some of the bites to excessive spiciness that made us dizzy, and also a little too many herbs.
The so-called, dose with potential.
Mosho Bar, Photo: Yonatan Ben Haim
Still, we remember it well, thanks to two ingredients: the first is the excellent cashew cream, and the second - a fried bao bun with a delicate shatta pepper that accompanied the eggplant.
Imagine a slice of toast that has been paired with a donut;
So successful, we asked for an extra, dough lovers like us.
If anyone in Muso reads the review: Friends, Hanukkah is upon us, and the people will be happy to get a pop-up of these rolls with your cashew cream on the side.
With the other dishes we loved we could mention the salmon tartare - with coriander, avocado, cucumber, peanuts and pineapple - which was refreshing and full of flavors (which this time lived in perfect harmony);
Chicken nectar, with carrots and mushrooms wrapped in a sheet of fried rice and accompanied by a sour-sweet sauce that upgrades everything;
And tuna tataki with fried rice, with spicy drizzles that build up gradually.
For dessert we ordered, well, the dessert: chocolate cream, or in human language, mousse-chocolate-chai.
Those who love oriental desserts (like us for example) will find here a nice end to a nice evening.
What to say, it turns out that sometimes you can laugh all the way to the bank.
Mosho Bar (Kosher), 77 Frishman Street, Tel Aviv (on the ground floor of K-Fa Hanoi Restaurant). Sun-Thu 01: 30-19: 00, closed Friday; On Saturday - half an hour you found the Sabbath until 01:30. Phone: 054-7000163