Dor
Google
I really wanted Carmel to blow my mind, but it simply didn’t. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t bad. It was a little better than okay.
Nothing was innovative. The dishes were fine. For example, the aubergine was simply baked aubergine with tahini, which isn’t bad—quite the opposite—but you can easily make that at home. The challah was burnt and bitter because it was most likely done on a pan that had been used so many times that it soaked up the previous burnt challah flavors. Simply putting it in an oven instead would solve that issue.
The burrata flatbread as an idea is nice, but the burrata was too dense and didn’t spill, though the flatbread was amazing and I would have had it on its own. The lamb tartare was nice but a bit tasteless and missing salt. The cabbage had far too many macadamia nuts and, if I am not mistaken, sat on a plum sauce that could have used 70% less sugar!
The confit duck shawarma was the dish I was most excited for. It was on a lachuh (a Yemeni flatbread made on a pan). The issues with that dish were that the duck tasted nothing like shawarma and more like Asian sweet flavors, instead of simply shawarma spices and salt. There was far too much slaw on the lachuh, which made it too soggy.
The soufra dessert was amazing. It wasn’t overly sweet, and the use of real vanilla beans was noticeable. The Turkish chocolate tart was also great and well-balanced. The cheesecake wasn’t good and was left untouched.
The staff were super kind and welcoming, so they’re definitely a 5-star.