Unfortunately, the Rabbi Shuk Restaurant closed in 2023.It is recommended to enterRestaurant page on the site to find other recommended restaurants.
In recent years, a wave of Parisian love has swept over Israeli cuisine, and there are plenty of Israeli food spots throughout the city, from tahini-drenched street food joints, challah bakeries, to Michelin-starred restaurants. The French love the Mediterranean niche, and for good reason.
As a Parisian for two years, curiosity overcame Francophilia and I started trying out the different places in the city. Well, also because all the friends who came to visit asked for first-hand recommendations.
You'll usually find me writing in Francophiles Anonymous about art, history, and tours of the Monemor neighborhood, but this time I went in a slightly different direction – flavors. And not just any flavors – Israeli, well-mixed and intertwined at the heart of Paris.
Shouk Restaurant inTenth District It's one of the Israeli restaurants I pass by in the neighborhood at least a few times a week. I've always wanted to go in and check it out, but I've never had the chance. But it's all a matter of timing, because I just happened to visit it, and I guess I arrived at the perfect time - it turns out that all the dishes are brand new and 'Shuq' has undergone a complete makeover.
Israeli food with a twist
I arrived in the evening with two friends and we sat at the bar, which is usually considered the least comfortable location in a restaurant. But it turns out that only those who sit at the bar in the market get the real experience – an open kitchen right in front of you, and you can see all the processes of preparing the dishes and even be a little cheeky, as befits Israelis, and ask the chef what he recommends today.
When you look around, it's easy to assume that all the customers are French and 'why would Israelis want to come and eat Israeli flavors in Paris', but here too there is a surprise - the restaurant also had Israeli tourists sitting in it throughout the evening, looking for a restaurant with an atmosphere they like and sophisticated flavors made in the country.
I took my Israeli audacity a step further and did some research on the new chef, Ohad Amzallag (who moved to Paris specifically for ‘Shok’, and was previously the chef at Topolopompo, Kedma Mamilla, and more). Ohad says that he makes sure to produce the restaurant’s cheeses and spices on site, and that the experience of “feeling the land of Palestine in the dishes” is what led him. He put together the new menu from scratch, which breathes an Israeli spirit with the delicacy of a chef’s restaurant.
And what do you eat? Don't let the menu confuse you – although some of the dishes sound completely familiar to us, each dish had a surprising twist, as befits a chef's restaurant.
Ohad talks about the connection he made in the menu between the seasonal rotation of vegetables, which are given a place of honor on the menu, and the soil of the Land of Israel. You will recognize a mix of local French ingredients along with a Mediterranean soul.
The intriguing dish of lamb chops with potatoes and garlic cream is truly an experience – the potatoes are wrapped in herbs and there is a kind of small 'ritual' in which the diner breaks the wrapper with his hands, and a deep scent of roots is felt in the palms of his hands.
Another interesting dish is beets and orange cream, it's clear that a lot of thought has gone into this. The beets have been opened and 'flicked' in hibiscus juice, and are served with orange cream and cauliflower crumble. A delight.
Another dish worth checking out, this time in the seafood section, is a fine calamari masabah, which surprised us with the combination of flavors and was eliminated from the table!
I'm not going to reveal everything to you, we enjoyed everything we tasted, from the starters to the dessert, and we especially liked the first one with the cauliflower and parmesan, the rolled kohlrabi with grape sauce and the knafe with turmeric ice cream for dessert. The restaurant is not kosher, but you can find dishes of all kinds, with or without meat, with vegetables or more seafood - in an interesting combination and unique aesthetics.
So right next to the Canal Saint-Martin, in the small streets full of cafes and bars, Shuk Restaurant is a beating heart of an Israeli atmosphere and thoughtful chef dishes made from French ingredients. I recommend you check it out for the special feeling of connection between cultures, you can connect with your roots in French, so even the biggest Francophiles get a special experience alongside excellent natural wine and aesthetic presentation as only the City of Lights knows.
good app 🙂
Address: 59 Rue de Lancry
The restaurant's Instagram page