We arrived at the Hutzot Shefayim complex, the two of us, in the early evening, when the place, usually bustling, was already quieter. Years ago I ate at Ronimoti, the restaurant of Roni Belfer and Moti Sofer in Ramat HaHayal. They later moved to the heart of Tel Aviv as La Repubblica di Ronimotti, and as a provincial from Herzliya who avoids setting foot in the torn-up city, I never ate there.
So I was glad to hear that Moti is now leading Lento (Italian for "slow"), an Italian restaurant in Shefayim with a changing menu in a farm-to-table approach. As Moti, the partner chef, and Gilad Yarkoni, the owner, define the place: "We invite diners to stop time, open a bottle of wine and let the evening unfold at its own pace. A concept based on small to medium plates for sharing, seasonal ingredients and an eye-level atmosphere." And I would add: a place that feels like a home-style Italian restaurant.
The menu here changes daily and is built on fresh ingredients. The produce and herbs come from Moti Sofer's farm in Kfar HaYarok, and attention is paid to every component on the menu.
On the way to our table we passed the open kitchen and were glad to see the chef and his team busy preparing the dishes. Our meal began with veal tartare with zucchini fritto (small fried zucchini) and horseradish aioli (NIS 58), an excellent dish that suited an opening. Alongside the tartare came a veal shoulder tender carpaccio with arugula and Parmigiano cheese (NIS 64). For us the veal tartare won the taste test between two well-made dishes of quality raw meat.
Among the first courses we also ate, with great pleasure, the gnudi (Italian for "naked"), originally from Tuscany: spinach dumplings in Parmigiano butter (NIS 58). We loved them.
As a devoted fig lover, I was glad to find fig piki with buffalo mozzarella and balsamic (NIS 62) on the menu, a light, refreshing dish that will please fig lovers and others too. This stage of the meal came with two glasses of wine: for my friend a red Italian Amaranto Sangiovese (NIS 52), and for me a French Domaine de Montmarin rosé (NIS 38), a wine that is a pleasure to drink.
The oven-baked white sardines with crispy Parmigiano pizza triangles (NIS 82) were fresh and well made. I have trouble eating "fish with bones," but I managed.
The vongole risotto (NIS 98) was well made and tasty, but the clams, some of which were only empty shells, were a bit of a letdown.
Still, the sliced sirloin aged on site for 48 days (NIS 158) was very successful, with the long aging softening the meat and deepening its flavors. Well-roasted potato, asparagus and greens contributed not only color but also to the whole of this showpiece dish.
The meat was well matched by a Cabernet Sauvignon from Haim Danon's new Ramon Winery at the entrance to Mitzpe Ramon, poured for us by Gilad Yarkoni, owner of the restaurant and also of the café-deli HaHatzer HaAchorit in Shefayim, to which we will return shortly. The wine also went well with the homemade tiramisu that chef Moti Sofer made in his kitchen. As a tiramisu lover, I rank Chef Sofer's among the best, perhaps inspired by the whole meal, which we finished with a conversation with Gilad Yarkoni.
Gilad has been a businessman in Israel and abroad for more than 25 years. Until now he has been on his own in all his businesses. Here at Lento, Chef Moti Sofer is his partner. His brother, architect Roy Yarkoni, is the architect of Gilad's restaurants and bars, now and in the past, including Lento, which sets a special atmosphere, and will also be his partner in some of the venues. One of them is a 200 square meter complex in Shefayim for performances, events and parties, opening this coming November, and in the spirit of our times it will house a wellness center with content programming.
In general, Gilad Yarkoni's approach to the places he opens and runs is "not a location but a destination." In plain terms: not necessarily the location of the bar, restaurant or performance venue, but the destination people want to reach in order to eat, enjoy and have a good time. To finish, back to the food with Gilad: "We believe in simplicity, not a lot of ingredients. We love simple things with quality raw ingredients, and in general we run long distances."
Lento – Hutzot Shefayim complex, near Kibbutz Shefayim. Reservations: 09-9595955. Monday to Thursday, 19:00-22:00
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