A gem in Jem’s Petach Tikvah

Jem’s

The first time I had even heard of Jem’s(Kosher rabbanute) was on the way to my bachelor party. My friends mentioned this bar that makes their own craft beer and serves kosher food that is all made from scratch, I got excited. This was 6 years ago and I had a merry time. Problem was I didn’t remember how good the food was because the beers were amazing! So I met up one Saturday night with my friend Mitch and wanted to try the one that was recently open in the new market of Kfar Saba. (They have another location in Ra’anana as well)When we got there we encountered a problem, it was first come first serve and the place was packed, and the waiting list was ridiculousness. So we took a detour and went to their original spot in Petach Tikvah. The same place I enjoyed my bachelors party. Really enjoyed!

I was determined to get a table so I called on the way from Kfar Saba, and sort of gave them a guilt trip to letting us have a table. And it worked. So the hostess leads us to are table and we get our menu’s. The ambiance at Jem’s is a modern gastro-pub with very dim lighting and music that’s a bit loud. Big vats of fresh beer brewing everywhere, a foodies paradise.

Taking a look at the menu, I remembered last time I was there I ordered the variety of homemade sausages and onion rings, but didn’t remember what it tasted like so I ordered it again. Mitch ordered the half a BBQ chicken(he was loosing weight at the time and now is running marathons!) and we shared a plate of pate(chopped liver) with homemade pickles. Oh and of course we had to have the homemade brew! I had a pale ale as did Mitch.

I was so happy when the food came! It looked so appetizing and guess what, it tasted just as good! The sausages had a great snap  and was packing really good meat flavors. The real deal, as were the onion rings, battered in a delicious crunchy coating that was a great compliment to the sausages. The beer was a great compliment to the sausages as well. The pate was one of the best I have had, it was creamy and full of flavor, and you can’t forget the homemade pickles that were just amazing. Mitch said the chicken was very flavorful and moist, and you need moist chicken otherwise it’s like eating plastic.

It was a great meal that was a bit pricey, but if you are already going out to a place like this you might as well enjoy! Not many places like Jem’s and if you find yourself in the area of any of their locations, give it a try.

Jem’s, HaMagshimim St 15, Petah Tikva 03-919-5367

My latest article on theculturetrip.com

The link: http://theculturetrip.com/middle-east/israel/articles/best-grub-at-the-local-jerusalem-pub/\

Enjoy!

 

Guinness® Irish Stew!

 

Ingredients

1 Kilo lean beef stew meat(goulash), cut into 1-inch cubes.Dry the meat before it’s cooked
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tsp kosher salt
1\2 tsp ground black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 large onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tablespoons tomato paste+ 8 tablespoons of water
1 1/2 cups of guinness
1 cup of beef stock
1 celery chopped stalk
2 cups chopped carrot
2 bay leaves
1\4 cup brown sugar
1 1\2 tsp paprika
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Recipe

1. Toss the beef cubes with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Dredge the beef in this to coat.
2. Heat the remaining oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef, and brown on all sides. Add the onions, and garlic. Stir the tomato paste with the water to dilute; pour into the pan and stir to blend. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Pour 1/2 cup of the beer into the pan with the stock, and as it begins to boil, scrape any bits of food from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. This adds a lot of flavor to the broth. Pour in the rest of the beer, and add the carrots, celery, brown sugar, bay leaves and thyme . Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2 to 3 hours or transfer to heated crock pot, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley. serve with mashed potatoes!
F.Y.I if you want to add potatoes to the stew, add more salt and pepper!