Chentro Kosher: New Hadera joint offers a fresh take on the classic burger - review

To recreate the flavors of Chentro’s non-kosher burgers, Atmana developed sauces using vegan cheeses and cream sauces.

Indoor seating is limited to a few seats at a small counter facing the window, so after placing our order, we stepped outside and sat down at one of the metal picnic tables spread across the pavement, overlooking the nearby roundabout.

We started with an order of nuggets, which were perfectly bite-sized and very tasty, and were accompanied by a variety of dipping sauces, most of which are made in-house.

My favorite was the truffle sauce, while my partner was partial to the chipotle. The portion was both generous and delicious, and the only reason we didn’t finish it was that we wanted to save room for the main course.

The vegan cheeses and sauces felt cheesy and rich, though it was hard to discern whether either the “gouda” or the “cheddar” actually tasted like their dairy counterparts. I especially enjoyed the Crunch Burger, while my partner preferred the Smash Burger.

Neither of us was particularly drawn to the Chentro Burger dish, and we thought it was just “okay.”

The side order of chips we received was fine. The special burgers we didn’t get to taste include the Mushroom Burger with gouda, mushrooms, fried onion, mushroom cream sauce, and truffle aioli; the Mexico Burger, with lettuce, pickles, tomato, red onion, jalapeño, and chipotle aioli; and the Angus Burger, with cheddar, gouda, arugula, red onion, jalapeño, and special aioli.

Following a meal that incorporated so many different flavors into each burger, we would have preferred the option of a simpler dessert than the one offered on the menu, the Rotondo, which we didn’t try. It is described as being composed of a crunchy layer of Loacker wafers and nougat topped with a cream puff filled with crème patissière, wrapped in Nutella cream and salted caramel, and coated with Nocciolato and toasted almonds.

Overall, we were pleased with the experience. Chentro offers a creative take on the classic burger, with decent-sized, tasty portions. More indoor seating would be ideal.

Though this is chef Hamada Atmana’s first kosher branch, it is his fifth Chentro eatery. Introduced to the culinary arts at 16, working at his father’s catering business, he opened his first restaurant in his hometown of Kafr Qara approximately five years ago, followed by branches in the northern town of Bir al-Maksur, the first (non-kosher) branch in Hadera, and even a branch in Dubai – all of which are table-service restaurants, as opposed to the kosher branch’s express concept.

Kobi Iluz, the restaurant’s manager, explained the rationale behind Atmana’s decision to open a kosher branch. “There’s a large religious population in the area, as well as many people who aren’t religious but still keep kosher, so there was clearly a demand for a kosher version,” he said.