Malka

"Today, his high-end establishments in town encompass his first Kosher restaurant Malka, emphasizing seafood, and the intimate market-to-table modern Israeli spot Shmoné which earned a spot, and One MICHELIN Star, in our Guide last year." - Shivani Vora

"Located in the old North Miznon space on the Upper West Side, Malka is from the same chef behind Port Sa’id and Miznon. The restaurant is his first fully kosher spot in the US, which is reflected both in the menu and the opening hours (they're closed Friday nights to observe Shabbat). Early in the evening, you’ll see neighborhood locals quietly enjoying a glass of wine and a focaccia and hummus, which you have to order separately. But around 6:30pm, the Klezmer rock and R&B playlist dials up to 11, and an order of the whole lubina roasted with onions and tomatoes will come out of the open kitchen engulfed in flames. The dishes are eye-catching: besides the flaming fish, there are showy vegetable dishes, like slices of beetroot with big flakes of salt laid out like smoked fish on gilded cardboard. And the schnitzel (stuffed with bone-marrow mashed potatoes) comes on a giant chopping board with too much cole slaw and not enough horseradish. But the presentation and quirky menu names—“a dear memory of jericho potato” or “spinach melting into himself”—are the most exciting things about the food, which feels like a bland, underseasoned, and uninspired rehash of the group’s other restaurants. If you’re just looking for a kosher restaurant that brings the party though, Malka will do, thanks to its bright lights and plenty of big tables for groups. photo credit: Ariel Efron" - Will Hartman

"The team behind Miznon and Port Sa’id have a new restaurant on the Upper West Side where North Miznon used to be. Malka, a concept they’re bringing from Tel Aviv, will be the group’s first kosher-certified restaurant in New York, where you can enjoy things like grouper shishlik and schnitzel with mashed potatoes. Just not on Friday night, as the restaurant will close to observe Shabbat." - Will Hartman, Willa Moore

"Chef Eyal Shani is making headlines once again, fresh off the opening of Port Sa’id in Hudson Square, and a recent Michelin Star award for Shmoné in the West Village. Malka is Shani’s newest project on the Upper West Side, inspired by the esteemed Tel Aviv outpost of the same name. Notably, it is his first Kosher restaurant in the US, but the exceptional flavors at Malka are not at all minimized as a result. Fresh ingredients are the star of the show, as emphasized on their menu and by their waitstaff, and presentation is definitely not skimped on. Their famous schnitzel stuffed with mashed potatoes is a surefire crowd pleaser, served on a giant cutting board alongside provisions such as coleslaw, grainy dijon mustard, and garlicky aioli, but you also can’t miss their simple bites like their homemade focaccia, hummus, and beet carpaccio. Most decadent was, as the menu states, the “lamb shoulder cooked to divine perfection”—trust us on this one. Malka is one of Shani’s best US spots yet, so grab a reservation on Resy while you still can.— Emily Adler, global brand associate" - CNT Editors