By Elazar Abrahams
Eyal Shani is a noted Israeli celebrity chef and restaurateur, perhaps best known for his Miznon chain, which has four locations around Manhattan. While he might be Tel Aviv-based, New York holds special significance for Shani, as his West Village outpost Shmoné earned a Michelin Star. Now, the Upper West Side has been graced with the opening of Malka at 161 West 72nd Street, an eatery that has the distinct “honor” of being Eyal’s first kosher restaurant in the United States.
Since Malka opened in November 2023, reservations have been hard to come by, as excited foodies grabbed seating the minute a table became available. Buzz was off the charts, especially as those with ties to the Middle East craved not only great bites from the region, but a sense of community as well. Four months later, not much has changed, and Malka remains one of the hottest new spots in the city. TV and City visited the space for dinner earlier this week to see for ourselves what all the fuss was about. While the restaurant fills a void for kosher keepers and is an exciting edition in that space, with a vibe different from the usual dining establishments that strictly Orthodox Jews often find themselves in, for those who have other options, the hype for Malka might be just that — hype.
Firstly, and most importantly, the food was excellent. But it’s impossible to ignore the almost comically small portion sizes of many of the dishes, particularly the appetizers, of which we ordered a number for our party of three. This included both bread options, golden focaccia, which was a tiny
round loaf that lasted just a few dips in the accompanying tahini, and the “bread bag.” The bag turned out to be a mere two slices of challah bread, a surprise being that before ordering, our cheery server had explained that the kitchen encourages sharing dishes amongst the table. Before that we had asked for a third menu, so each patron could look at their own. The waitress explained that only one menu can be distributed for every two diners, to foster a sense of collaboration and again, make sure the food is shared with the group. The menu was a piece of printer paper, and written in Comic Sans font. The two bread selections totalled $17, and were less substantial than the complementary baskets most fine dining has out when you first sit down.
This uneasiness continued through our other starters. The green beans and broccoli were both tasty, doused with a lemon garnish and horseradish aioli, 
but neither were a meaningful portion or had flavor to write home about. Thankfully, two of our three entrees hit the spot and made the experience well worth it. The mashed potato-filled schnitzel is Malka’s signature dish, and it’s clear why that is from the first bite. Crisped to perfection, and bursting with flavor, this is the menu’s must try. Part of the restaurant’s shtick is that each item comes to your table when it’s ready, in true made-to-order fashion. So mains may not arrive all at once, meaning we had time to focus on the schnitzel before the chicken, roasted in collard greens and served in the very pan it was cooked in, was delivered.
The chicken was phenomenal, one of the best I’ve had anywhere. It melted off
bone and was savory and fresh, all while finally providing a hearty portion for our trio. Lastly was the lamb kabob, served on another focaccia. We laughed when we saw it, as it was unbelievably tiny for a dish listed on the menu right between the schnitzel and chicken, and comparable in price. The meat itself too, was lackluster with a gamey aftertaste. The chocolate mousse that we ordered for dessert was fine. It’s hard to mess up chocolate mousse.
Malka’s ambiance is cool, chill, and relaxed. The back of the floorplan houses an open kitchen, so those sitting at the bar can get a close look at the cooks’ preparations. The space has a distinctly Israeli feel and the service was attentive and quick. I never thought I’d complain about a restaurant’s service being too fast, but the quirk of dishes arriving one by one means there’s no downtime to just indulge. A waiter is always coming at you and as such it is difficult to not feel a little rushed.
There’s a cocktail menu we didn’t touch this visit, as well as some fish on the menu that sounded quite appealing. On someone else’s dime, I’d gladly go again. Though after ordering an appetizer called “4 spicy instruments” that turned out to just be four tablespoons of different dips, it’s hard to hold up Malka as a coveted dinner spot that New Yorkers should be flocking to. There are a couple of standout dishes, many fine ones, and a great playlist pulsing through the speakers. In Shani’s native Hebrew, we say “kákha kákha,” so-so.
TV and City 