Neya and Motek:
Polar opposite Israeli restaurants
You know a particular type of food is in the culinary zeitgeist when it comes in lots of shapes and forms. Neya and Motek, two very different Israeli restaurants that have been on the Miami scene for a few years, prove that Israeli food is part of that zeitgeist.
Neya, which means intentional and full of purpose in Hebrew, is a chef-driven, sexy, night-clubby place offering craft cocktails and an inviting selection of Israeli wine. It’s anchored by a creative Tel-Avivian chef who pulls together a complex and ever-changing menu that is certified kosher, meaning it follows a strict set of rules for preparing and serving food.
Motek means sweetie in Hebrew and the place is, well, sweet. It’s bright, light, quiet. It calls itself fast-casual, which means the food is more familiar, solidly good and dependable night to night. It’s “kosher style”, meaning it kinda-sorta-maybe has some kosher elements.
I love that two restaurants representing the same multi-ethnic culinary tradition can demonstrate such different approaches, philosophies and experiences.
Here’s the deeper dive:
Neya. Intense. Full of purpose.
Neya sits in Surfside, a residential community north of Miami Beach. It’s across the street from the Megan David Synagogue. The restaurant is certified Kosher.
The religious intention contrasts with the sexy look of the place. It’s very Frank Sinatra loungy, with round booths, leather, wood, a back lit bar provides the light.
It’s dark. It’s also loud. Very very loud. The sound bounces off every surface. By 8:30 the Miami-beat music is at an uncomfortably high decibel level. I’m sitting at the bar with a friend and we are shouting at one another, mostly yelling “What?” The waiter comes up and asks us if we want anything and when we tell him, he says “What?”.
Despite the club scene vibe, my fellow eaters are anything but clubby. It’s a mix of younger and older people; most are conservatively dressed. Many of the men wear yamakas, a sign of respect at a meal. At one long table, a rabbi in his Borsalino (black wide-rimmed fedora hat) is sitting at the center of a large table
Most are here to eat, not party. But that doesn’t stop the owner’s wife from circulating around the room, offering shots to everyone. The shot is cold, anise-y, a little citrus-y. The recipe changes night by night. It feels like a generous offering that creates a sense of “we are all happily and generously here together”.
The food’s the thing at Neya.
It’s inventive, complex, colorful, and creative. The menu leans to small plates, although there are some main courses. It’s lots of veggies and fish prepared imaginatively. There is no pork meat or chicken or shell -fish (that’s the kosher part).
You won’t miss what’s not here because what is here is high on flavor.
The pita bread is “home made” in house and arrives hot and puffy. A total yum.
The Tuna crispy rice with lemon aoli, tomato and tahini tastes like a classic crispy rice sushi. The rice is as crispy as it should be. The tuna is lightly spiced, but there is a jalapena on top that was just too hot for me.
Roasted eggplant with Ethiopian tahini, yogurt, jalapeno was the star of our night. It looks pretty on the plate when it arrives. The secret ingredient is the Ethiopian tahini, known as the “gold standard” of tahini thanks to the sesame seeds grown in the mountains. The server tells us to mix up the dish. It got very messy as you can see:
I can’t exactly describe the taste except to say the swirl of flavors and textures is remarkably wonderful.
We ordered the kohlrabi special. Kohlrabi is a green vegetable about the size of an orange. It’s loaded with good-for-you fiber, vitamin C, potassium, even some protein. It’s tastes a little like a broccoli stem. This version was stuffed and was just bland compared to everything else we had.
Neya also offers a “treat” of fried pita chips: crispy outside, a little chewy inside, a subtle hint of cinnamon. I say, “Chef! Will you please please package and sell these chips! More people need to eat them!”
The wine list leans heavily to Israeli wines.
Jewish wine is frequently associated with Manischewitz, a horribly sweet wine served at Passover, but in reality Israel is producing some of the most vibrant wine around now, according to wine experts. And the wine should be good - it’s been produced in the area for over 10,000 years. For example, remember that guy who figured out how to turn water into wine? The current wine makers do not have the same magical powers as that certain famous carpenter, but they are artisans, working hard to express their regions and vineyards in authentic ways.
As an aside, Jewish wine producers and makers have been very hard-hit by the on-going war. Now might be a good time to try an Israeli wine, as a show of support for all the disruption in the country.
We tried three different wines by the glass. Two were part of the HAI series, which are produced to be food-friendly and distributed outside of Israel.
HAI Emerald Riesling is a great glass to have at the start of a meal. It’s fresh, dry, a little apple-y – a bright delight!
HAI Merlot struck me as very smooth, somewhat rich and a good complement to the rich vegetable dishes.
Tishbi Cabernet Syrah is a classic house wine. Young, light, and dry.
Plates and Prices
$200.34 for 2, including tax and tip. $100.15/person
4 glasses of wine
Roasted eggplant
Kohlrabi special
Tuna Crispy rice
pita
Neya
9491 Harding Ave
Surfside FL 33154
305-452-0768
Neyarestaurant.com
Motek.
Motek means Sweetie in Hebrew. It’s a perfect descriptor. This popular local chain describes itself as a “clean, friendly happy setting”. And it is.
Motek in Coral Gables is a swirl of white walls, green hanging plants, white lights shaped like globes and sparkling clear wine glasses.
It’s also quiet. No trouble having a conversation here!
The food is dependably good.
My dining partners come here every week. They love the thick and creamy hummus (it takes 3 days to get the proper consistency) served with pan roasted mushrooms. They also love the chicken schwarma plate, small pieces of spiced and cooked chicken with a house salad and more hummus. There were also perfectly pan-fried artichokes.
I ordered the arayes burger, a beef kufta kebab in a pita with a schmere of tahini and harissa aioli. Arayes is a classic Levantine dish. Levant refers collectively to eastern Meditteranean countries like Cyprus, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Iraq, Syria, Egypt and Turkey.
The Arayes is delicious. The beef is stuffed in the pita and grilled perfectly so the bread has some crunch that contrasts with the juicy, slightly spicy beef inside. It’s served with an abundance of very hot, very crispy fries. Easy to like!
The Wine
Arneis from Piedmont is on the wine list. Known as the “white Barolo”, it was on the verge of extinction in the 1970s and has fought its way back to respectability. I can’t resist Barolo, so I had to try it. It’s lovely - aromatic, peach-y and apple-y.
We also had the Albarino, a classic, as well as a French Merlot.
The Charro beer is from Mexico - an interesting mash-up in an Israeli restaurant. But very refreshing.
Plates and Prices:
$245 for 3, including taxes and tip. $81.66 per person
Mushroom hummus
Grilled artichokes
Arayes burger
chicken shawarma plate
5 glasses wine
2 beers
Motek Coral Gables
45 Miracle Mile
Miami FL 33134
305-396-8547
Motekcafe.com
Great review. Motek is the one for me.
Great reviews. Thanks for providing info on noise and price. We can't wait until Motek comes to Miami Beach at 27 & Collins Ave.