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A by Yuval Ben Neriah

Tel Aviv

Dry-aged neo-Japanese fine dining at the beating heart of Tel Aviv’s gastronomic boom

On the Pass

Yuval Ben Neriah

Pastry Chef

Gal Shtain

On the pass: Chef Yuval Ben Neriah has built a reputation as one of Tel Aviv’s hottest talents. In 2013, he opened Taizu, a Mediterranean kitchen injected with Asian street food elements, to great acclaim. In 2022, after three long years of planning and honing his concept, ‘A’ was born – his ultra-modern, produce-driven Japanese restaurant with deadly precision.

Less is more: There’s no room for superfluity on A’s short but sweet menu. Each plate that leaves the kitchen is inherently beautiful, yet distinctly void of lavish decoration or theatre. Instead, the honed team of chefs approach each dish with restrained minimalism, platforming exemplary Israeli produce through Japanese techniques and recipes.

What should I order? Steak. Whether porterhouse, prime rib or New York strip, every cut is supercharged by nutty dry-aged funk or house-made koji grain, further enhanced by a thick sear blessed by the Maillard reaction. Paired with a potato gratin saturated in a koji-spiked beurre blanc with bonito, any of the steaks are must-orders. Should that not take your fancy, the range of other Japanese-inspired plates, including tempura shrimp, sashimi or takoyaki, are just as notable in execution.

And to drink? Alongside its Japanese-accented menu, the restaurant boasts one of Israel’s most extensive selections of sakes complemented by an astute wine list with a focus on French vintages.

Deliberate design: Taking inspiration from Japanese ceremonies, the interior of A – designed by Israeli architects Pitsou Kedem and Baranowitz + Kronenberg – is effortlessly chic, adorned by limewash walls and elegant light fixtures suspended from the ceiling. Its tableware follows suit, choosing muted palettes of earthenware and ceramics that amplify the alluring colour of each dish.

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