Bustan Nyc

Very nice place for some authentic Israeli cuisine. We had a group of 16 and they were able to accommodate us. Small plates: Tahini, very dense and nice. Labneh, how bad can it be? Hummus, great as usual, but not wow. Tzatzik, fresh and dilly and cucumbery. Pita is thin and stretchy and puffy and soft. Taboos is crispy and savory with more oil content. Medium plates: Cauliflower, not so crunchy but does have a charr. Quiet bland in seasoning. Artichoke, one of today’s specialty, better seasoning than the cauliflower in my tastes. Only hearts were presented and very soft and nice. Crudo, cannot remember a thing so I guess so so. Burrata, the beet salad underneath is AMAZING. It is so contrary to my intuition as it is not sweet but aromatic. The seasonings is mastery. Hummus bowl, just larger version of hummus. Israeli salad, very very nice mix and refreshing. Should supplement with any bread, meaty dish ordered. Larger plate: Moroccan fish, lovely domed top with crispy flaky texture and with a bit of scallion flavor. The fish fillets are tender but not mushy. Lovely and warm and comforting during winter with tomato, tahini, and chickpeas. Lamb kebab, very very lamby, if you know what I mean. If you are not eating lamb, then you shouldn’t order it. Otherwise, nice seasoning and great aromatic flavor profile. Chicken musakhan, very very nice and crispy chicken. Imagine chicken from crispy chicken sandwich but without the buns. A bit on the drier side, with salad and a pita underneath topped with hummus. Dessert: Malabi, chewy coconut flake with crushed pistachios on top of rose water coconut pudding that tastes creamy but the rose water can be a bit overpowering and makes the dish taste fake. In general, would come again for their fish and chicken.