Oud Restaurant Nazareth is an Arab fusion Chef
Restaurant in Nazareth located at the new Legacy Hotel. Chef Johny Goric brings
together Arab and Middle Eastern flavors and turns them into elegant up-to-date
cuisine.
Oud is an ancient Middle Eastern musical
instrument. The restaurant that was named after it, combines Eastern and modern
flavors. When you go into the Legacy hotel, look up, right at the entrance to
Oud Restaurant you’ll see an Oud hung on the wall. Oud Restaurant is
small and calm, but can accommodate a small family or group. Its décor is
similar to the Legacy hotel’s décor – Jerusalem stone brick wall, touch of
cyan, and a chandelier in the shape of the Flower of Life. The restaurant is
facing the hotel’s terrace. I recommend reading also about the hotel and its
décor.
When we arrived at Oud Restaurant Nazareth on a
Friday evening in December. The restaurant was nicely ‘dressed’ with white maps
and cloth napkins. The restaurant was already decorated for Christmas like the
rest of the hotel, and red flowers have been placed on the tables.
Salads
We started the meal with salads, a common way
to start an Arab meal. The salads were Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Fattoush salad,
and Tabbouleh salad. I was told that they make everything fresh here, including
the Hummus. Oud’s Hummus is excellent! So were the other salads.
Hummus
Nazareth is the city of Hummus. The best Hummus
in the world is found in Nazareth, and Oud proves this. A must-order plate at
the restaurant!
Eggplant Salad (Baba Ganoush)
Baba Ganoush is a salad made of roasted
eggplant. The secret in it is to strain it well so that the bitter juice will
be removed. Oud’s Baba Ganoush is made perfectly and one can feel the gentle
taste of the eggplant that is served with chives and a garnish of vegetables.
Fattoush Salad
This salad was made of Cherry Tomatoes,
Cucumbers, herbs and toasted bread pieces (I can’t remember by now but it is
possible that it also contained yellow bell peppers). The salad is really
tasty, refreshing and crunchy. Much more interesting than plain vegetable
salad.
Tabbouleh Salad
Tabbouleh is a salad made mostly of chopped
parsley, tomatoes, burghul, and seasoning. This Tabbouleh was outstanding. The
tomatoes were served near the parsley and not mixed, and the amount of burghul
was small and did not take over the salad. The seasoning was very gentle and
the mint was hardly sensed, which makes it much more suitable to the
International taste.
Appatizers
We had three appetizers. Two warm appetizers
and one cold.
Kataif dough stuffed with beef
Kataif dough stuffed with beef, served with
lentils salad, Tahini, and Dried Labneh cheese. Kataif is pancake-like traditional
dough used for desserts. The use of Kataif dough for savory food is quite
unique and very successful. Although you need to eat it quickly, as it is best
warm, the dough is wonderfully soft and yummy! The filling is very tasty and I
enjoyed dipping it in the Tahini, great match! The presentation of this plate
was very appealing as well! A must-order here!
Fried Cheese
An especially beautiful plate of bricks of
fried cheese, each lying on eggplant paste, organized on the plate in the shape
of a clock, with a spoon of tomato-purple onion-herbs salad. While the cheese
is a bit salty, this plate is a celebration!
Burghul with Spicy Tomatoes
A cold plate of Burghul with tomatoes and
spices (a bit spicy). Very nicely presented, although less my cup of tea, also
because it is spicy.
Salmon with Beetroot Gnocchi
Boneless Salmon steak with herbs (parsley,
dill, and garlic) sauce with vegetables served on fried beetroot Gnocchi,
mushrooms. The salmon was perfectly cooked and was very pink and soft yet
cooked well, the herbs blended well; although I’m not a fan of gravy (the sauce
had a think texture of gravy, although transparent). The Gnocchi was a real
treat – crunchy from the outside, beet red inside – fantastic! The vegetables
and mushrooms were nicely yet gently seasoned. Overall, this entrée is very
gently seasoned and is a good choice for someone like me, who is not a big fan
of Eastern seasoning.
Mix Grill
A mix of meats from the grill, including a
small boned steak, 2 kebabs on cinnamon sticks, and a chicken skewer, served
with vegetable skewer, steak fries and green Tahini. This Middle Eastern dish
is also served nicely. My daughter especially enjoyed the kebab and the chicken
skewer, but by the time she got to the steak it was a bit dry (also because it
took us a while to photograph it before we started eating), it is a good idea
to ask for it made to order.
Desserts
Desserts were served to us in cups – Malabi and
Crème with toppings.
Crème with Figs – this is made without the crunchy top, served
with figs Confiture and Sesame Tuile. A really tasty vanilla pudding with an
interesting combination of figs confiture, a local treat. The sesame tuile was
a bit overcooked to my taste, but still good to eat.
Malabi – Malabi served with a rose glacage, pistachio
mousse, caramelized white chocolate and pineapple covered with a red colored
white chocolate disc. This dessert looks like an aquarium full of goodies, an
extraordinarily stunning dessert!
Oud Restaurant Nazareth serves a variety of
food including meat, chicken, fish and seafood.
The service at Oud Restaurant Nazareth was
excellent. The waiters are especially courteous and it is evident that they
were professionally trained also how to serve according to the ‘rules’. After
the main course, we were served a warm napkin, and the cutlery was replaced as
well.
The combination of a pleasant restaurant,
excellent service and good food makes the restaurant a good choice with
interesting modern Arabic cuisine!
Information: Oud Restaurant Nazareth, Legacy
Hotel, Paulus street, Nazareth.
Disclosure: I was a guest of the restaurant.
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