A Bon Appetit in Brooklyn

By COLlive reporter

Eastern Parkway was recently titled Brooklyn’s Champs-Elysees. Looking down from Grand Army Plaza’s Memorial Arch, past the Brooklyn Public Library, the Botanic Garden and the Brooklyn Museum, you can be reminded of Paris and the broad avenues that radiate from the Arc de Triomphe, the New York Times wrote.

What would complete that Parisian aura, in a Jewish and even kosher manner, requires a short drive off the parkway to Chagall Bistro, a French food restaurant which opened a few months ago.

The first thing to know about Chagall (other than being named after one of the greatest Jewish artists) is that you won’t be finding it by merely driving through Brooklyn’s yuppie Park Slope neighborhood.

Located on the corner of Fifth Street and Fifth Avenue, it blends well with the line of eateries and bars. The only visible sign is “cafe” and “bar,” remnants from its previous incarnation as the non kosher Belleville Bistro.

Owner Sonia Halimi said a proper sign will go up when funds free up. She and her husband Dan invested and eagerly cooperated with Rabbi Kalman Weinfeld, restaurant coordinator for OK Kosher, to receive the strict certification.

In retrospect, the lack of a sign might be a good thing. There are Judaica artifacts and a proclamation by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz in the glass breakfront, but this isn’t your typical kosher restaurant (case in point: No sushi, a nice change for once!). The retro-chic look and feel of Chagall Bistro promises you a different experience, albeit a kosher one.

We were a party of four and seated in the corner near the bar. Not far from us we identified a couple and a few girls from Crown Heights. Slices of toasted baguette were served with a soy bean dip.

Our appetizers were salmon sashimi on sliced beet and red pepper, almond milk based “mozzarella” with heirloom tomatoes (credit for the effort, less for the taste), and warn tender beef tongue served with sweet and sour vegetable relish and the French sauce gribiche (the latter a better accompaniment to the bread).

The dishes are beautifully presented and the menu is as eclectic as the setting and the background of French-born Chef Jean-Claude Teulode. This is his first foray into kosher, having been at the former La Cote Basque restaurant in Manhattan, once called the “temple of French cuisine.”

For the main course we went for the fish and chicken. The “fricassee minute of boneless chicken with market baby vegetables and a garlic-singer-soy reduction” was a generous portion and a colorful sight, yet didn’t exceed expectations.

Those that ordered the fish dishes said they were a central reason to visit again. The salt-encrusted salmon and potatoes were stunningly arranged on a rectangular plate and was absolutely delicious. And there was the seared tuna loin, which when eaten with the wasabi scented potato mousseline and flavored Jerusalem artichokes, results in a fascinating delight.

The dessert was also a highlight. We enjoyed a delectable creme brulee, which tasted as good as dairy, made with coconut milk.

Prices are on the higher side and parking can take a few extra minutes. Over all, it was a pleasant meal. The wait was not long, the room is not crowded, the waiters are attentive and there’s wine and beer on the menu. It is close to home yet has the full feel of ‘going out’. So, bon appetit!

Chagall Bistro
330 5th Street, Brooklyn NY 11215
Tel: 718-832-9777
Kashrus: OK Glatt Kosher
Hours – dinner: Sun-Thur 5:00-10:30pm
Hours – lunch: Sun 11:30am-3:30pm, Mon-Thur 12:00-3:00pm