I’m a bit of a latecomer to the Guardian’s food events, but I’ve now been to three in the past two weeks. I was really excited about the Palomar because I love the food there and I’ve also been to Israel a couple of times with work, so I’ve visited the Palomar’s sister restaurant, the Machneyuda in Jerusalem.
We all ate on two communal tables so it was pot luck who you ended up talking to. We ended up chatting to a guy who is involved with London’s garden bridge project, which was really fascinating.
I loved the way the chefs plated everything up in front of us – that’s how I remembered the restaurants in Jerusalem. Tomer Amedi, the head chef, said he wanted everyone to have fun, and his enthusiasm was contagious. There was hustle and bustle but it wasn’t invasive.
My favourite dish was the stone bass. I’m not normally a massive fish eater but it was a thick slab of white fish with crisp skin, perfectly cooked with roasted veg, yoghurt, harissa, tahini and cured lemon. I’m used to eating preserved lemon but cured had a lovely mellow citrus note. I’ve been thinking about it for days!
I think food should be talked about and noticed. The dishes were wonderful and everything was so beautifully put together. Nothing was an assault on the taste buds. Every mouthful was amazing.
We also tried a beetroot carpaccio topped with burnt goat’s cheese, which had a global European feel to it. The whole meal felt like we were just having fun and that we weren’t constrained by tradition or rules.
I used to be a chef and now work for Marks & Spencer in product development. I go on a lot of food-related trips, which is why I went to Jerusalem. You get amazing ideas, then you have to think about how they translate to the UK market. At the moment we’re obsessed with health. It’s not about dieting – we’re more interested in the quality of the food we eat, which is great.
Caroline Crumby lives in London and describes herself as a passionate and well-travelled foodie.
This event took place at the Geffrye Museum of the Home on 29 September. To find out more about coming events sign up to become a Guardian Member.
