Tel Aviv Restaurant OBI Praised for Skewers, Cocktails, but Ramen Falls Short

The Tel Aviv restaurant OBI offers an impressive Japanese-inspired space with meticulous design and a pleasant atmosphere, aiming to provide a specific dining experience. During its new Sunday special, the restaurant features a limited menu of ramen, skewers, and appetizers, alongside cocktails. While the concept of Japanese food, shareable plates, and good drinks seemed promising for a Tel Aviv evening, the execution had mixed results.

The "Happy End" cocktail, a blend of gin, peach, chili, and lime, was highlighted as a refreshing and well-balanced drink, reminiscent of a classic Jasmine cocktail. Among the appetizers, the crispy rice with excellent tartare and a well-balanced sauce was a standout success. The grilled corn with a slightly too salty sauce was deemed acceptable, but the liver and red onion skewer was a significant success, praised for its rich flavor and complementary onion. The beef skewer was also successful, offering a rich, satisfying bite with a good texture, though it could have used a touch more salt.

The main focus of the Sunday special, ramen, proved to be the biggest disappointment. Both the Shoyu Ramen with chicken broth and the Veggie Miso Ramen with mushroom broth started promisingly with good ingredients, well-cooked noodles, and flavorful broths. However, the saltiness in both ramen bowls became overwhelming, making them difficult to finish and overshadowing the other components. The reviewer, who enjoys salty food, found the salt level in the ramen to be excessively high, detracting significantly from the overall enjoyment.

Despite the issues with the ramen, OBI is noted for its appealing ambiance, good service, excellent cocktail, and successful appetizers like the crispy rice and liver skewers. The reviewer concluded that while they initially came for the ramen, the skewers provided the primary reason to return to the restaurant.