Delisserie

Angella

Delisserie (New York Jewish style food) 24th March 2008

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The revolving door tells you that this place is likely to be above average. Freshly squeezed carrot juice for me, and freshly squeezed pear juice with a head of froth like a beer for my son - on his birthday - his choice of restaurant, what a great choice.

Our starters were chicken soup with dumplings, and chicken liver with chopped boiled egg - ooh! A double starter! Small round matzos were set vertically in the food. (Matzos are thin crackers. You can buy them or look at the packets in supermarkets in North West London.)

Main courses: We had fish of the day with mashed potato, Beef in high rye bread sandwich with browned onions and coleslaw, salt beef with viennas and latkes. Ooh - a double main course! All prettily presented.

In case you don't know, viennas are red sausages like frankfurters but more solid and springy. Latkes are fried shredded potato cakes, like the Swiss Rosti and the American hash brownies.

We weren't madly keen on the browned onions, nor the coleslaw. If there was anything lacking in the meal it was fresh vegetables - no salad nor simple freshly cooked vegetables such as peas.

Desserts, one apple strudel big enough for two of us. With fattening ice cream. Didn't see anybody thin dining in the restaurant.

Leftovers wrapped up to take home. Two items in plastic tubs with lids, great. Third food item in silver foil split in my handbag, pierced by a ballpoint pen.

Full marks for the choice of coffee. We had single espressos. With milk. And brown sugar. N our view they score higher on coffee than Blooms of Edgware.

Seating comfort, all banquettes which I like. Tables very close to fixed benches. I'm usually complaining that you are so far from the table that your back arches. Here we had hardly room for our knees and were knocking elbows and no room for your bag on the seat next to you in a foursome with another person alongside. Would be fine for two of you. Table tops wipe-clean varnished wood, acceptable.

Clientele on the night we were there, over 45 and looked like they might be Jewish, not young and trendy nor particularly well-spoken, but well-dressed and affluent. Man on next table had a gold bracelet and signet ring - which appealed to me.

Waiting staff were slim girls in black with hair tied back. One of ours was from Brazil.

Bar area, smart with gleaming glass displays.

Toilets, smart with one large ladies toilet containing modern circular basin and large flower display.

Cleanliness good.

Decor Thirties, with art deco vases and what looked like reproductions of Alma Tadema paintings. Not really glamorous - candles were tea-lights in glass, and no tablecloths, but the best of the Jewish style restaurants which I've tried.

My son has tried many of the restaurants in the area. As we drove along through Golders Green he was saying, 'This one has, they have, they don't ...'

Parking
Easy outside on weekends - easier than nearby Golders Green.

Price
Our bill was about £90 without service for four including two glasses of red wine but only one dessert and four spoons between four.

Everybody was very satisfied and will be happy to go there again.

A word on Jewish style and kosher food. Those who really insist on kosher food mostly already know which places are supervised kosher. In fact, I've heard that some customers who prefer the London Beth Din claim that they are more fussy than the Sephardis. (I wonder what the Sephardis say.)

For those of us, Jews - especially Liberal Jews, mixed marriage, or non-Jews, who don't 'keep kosher' when out (or at home), what's the difference between Jewish style and kosher?

One obvious difference is that the supervised strictly kosher places are closed on the Jewish sabbath and festivals. So if you are looking for a meal out on Friday night or Saturday night (depending on time of year) and you want chicken soup, bagels, and food like that made by Bubba (Yiddish for granny) you have to go to the Jewish style restaurants.

Delisserie have another branch at 88 The Broadway, Mill Hill NW7 3TB, tel 020 959 0330, which I have not yet tried. Hatch End, alas, has only a catering branch. (They used to have a restaurant in Hatch End, great for lunch, sadly missed.)

Jimbo at 14/04/08

Aaah, I've been there. Lovely Salt beef...

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