BishiQ, a barbeque restaurant, challenges even those who can eat their weight in steak
By LINDA GRADSTEINBishiQ(photo credit: Courtesy)
If you are a vegetarian, or even worse a vegan, you can stop reading right now. But if you’re not, then it’s worth checking out BishiQ, the all-you-can-eat and drink beer and barbeque restaurant in Mishmar Ayalon, near Modi’in.I visited BishiQ with my 18-year-old son, Netanel, who even though he’s skinny, can almost eat his weight in steak. And he certainly tried.Upon arriving to the wood-paneled restaurant which is in the Bishi family’s courtyard, the table was immediately covered with interesting salads including a beet carpaccio, hummus topped with short ribs, a whole eggplant grilled with meat and tehina, tabbouleh, green herbs with craisins, a carrot and lemon salad, and my son’s favorite, a sirloin carpaccio with balsamic vinegar. (He ordered at least five refills of this one.)Next came a plate of smoked meat, including smoked brisket, smoked chicken (my favorite), asado (very good but fatty as asado often is), and merguez sausages.From the grill came a platter including pargiyot (dark meat chicken) and liver. Next up was a plate of small sirloin steaks which were juicy even though they were cooked medium and I usually prefer medium-rare, and skewers of juicy entrecôte. This last dish was the winner of the night for me. The skewers were fresh off the grill, and perfectly cooked. This was the dish I went back to for seconds.The all-you-can drink beer was delicious. They have a nice sampler with four small glasses, one of each of the beers BishiQ offers.There is a Bavarian wheat beer, and a light pilsner, both at five% alcohol. The heavier hitters were the Redhead Triple Belgian Ale and the Doublebok Dark, both at eight%.Once you’ve tasted all four, you can choose which one to order. I went with a small mug of the Doublebok Dark and enjoyed every sip.Nir Bishi opened BishiQ (Bishi plus the Q for Barbeque) two years ago with 150 seats in two dining rooms. The smoker is out back.It’s a family business with his parents running the kitchen and one of his sisters making the desserts.
Eating at BishiQ felt a little like a family celebration. The wooden tables are crammed close together, and someone at every table seemed to be having a birthday. One large party came with their own alcohol to supplement the beer.BishiQ is not a quiet romantic destination. It’s loud and fun – the kind of place where you quickly make friends with the neighboring table. Both the food and the beer are very good, but the service needs some work. The waiters were friendly, but were scrambling to keep up with the crowd. My son wanted more steak, and it took 40 minutes to arrive. By then I was ready to go home.The meal at BishiQ costs NIS 225 which is not cheap, but is a good deal for all the food you get. As a foodie, I always order the taster’s menu when I can. I would much rather have small tastes of many different dishes than one dish, even if it is excellent.BishiQ does offer some add-ons, which I did see being ordered, although I did not get to taste them. A serving of goose liver is an extra NIS 100. Filet mignon or 100 grams of lamb chops is another NIS 75.A basic dessert of baklava and mint tea is included in the price, but there are fancier desserts on offer for an extra charge. By this point I was so full that I couldn’t even think about eating dessert.The restaurant is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights for dinner and other times for private events. Reservations are essential.BishiQKashrut: Rabbanut although all meat is HalakRehov Ha’elon 26, Mishmar AyalonPhone 050-998.9199The writer was a guest of the restaurant.
