Shuki Shukrun is the 35-year-old chef and owner of Al Dente, an intimate yet family-friendly Italian restaurant in Jerusalem. Shukrun transformed the restaurant by updating the decor and expanding the menu to include homemade pastas, appetizers, pizzas, salads, fish, and desserts. A popular dish is the porcini pappardelle. Shukrun takes pride in providing customers a quality dining experience and using fresh, local ingredients to create traditional and sophisticated Italian dishes.

1. CREATING A STIR
Chef and owner: Shuki
Shukrun, 35 years old
Restaurant: Al Dente
Cuisine: Dairy Italian
bit elegant and modern,” explains Shukrun. “I wanted
to create a different place in Jerusalem – intimate yet
a family place where people would love to come to
because it had a special atmosphere.”
The menu
Al Dente offers appetizers such as antipasti, bruschet-
ta, focaccia and soups; three kinds of pizza; seven salads;
16 sauces and types of pasta; 11 specials including ravi-
oli, gnocchi and rotelle; two types of calzone; five fish
entrees with salad and potatoes or a side dish; eight
desserts; cold and hot beverages, beer and an impressive
separate wine menu of all Israeli wines. The tortellini,
gnocchi and rotelle are all homemade.
“My vision is to give the range from simple food to
Shuki Shukrun. ‘I practically live here during the week, so I don’t cook at home.’ (Photos: Barry A. Kaplan) very complicated and sophisticated dishes,” says
Shukrun.
Drop in for a bite
Al Dente also offers business lunches from 12 to 5
p.m. at NIS 50, NIS 60 and NIS 65.
Most popular dish on the menu
Shuki Shukrun bought Al Dente from the previous owners and For this tough question, Shukrun consults with his
restaurant manager, Anat Hurwitz, before they decide
now works with four cooks it is a three-way tie between mushroom pappardelle,
porcini pappardelle and truffle tortellini.
• By SYBIL KAPLAN ered I’m good at Italian food,” he says.
“This was a big discovery for me – you don’t have to Favorite item on the menu
S
huki Shukrun has been both chef and owner of be Italian to be a good Italian cook! You have to under- “Porcini pappardelle.”
Al Dente for the past two years. He has a nice, stand the soul of the kitchen and how to work with
gentle personality and not only is he very articu- simple ingredients.” Biggest cooking failure
late, but it is obvious he is very proud of having cre- In March 2009, he learned that the owner wanted to “That is hard because I really check myself very care-
ated a high-quality restaurant and is very concerned sell Al Dente. “I always had a dream to have a place of fully. I try to be precise. Some of the dishes here were
and attentive to the needs of his patrons. my own, and I always thought this place had great not precise before and I got feedback from clients, so I
potential.” adjusted the flavors.”
How it started So Shukrun bought the restaurant, and now he
Born in Dimona to Moroccan parents, the single works with four cooks. Biggest accomplishment
young man grew up on Moroccan food. “My mother “To give a special experience to the people.”
was a very good cook. She was my main influence.” The decor
After high school, Shukrun started to do modern Al Dente is a wood frame building with a glassed-in Best part of the job
dance, working with choreographers. To make a living, porch with stone walls, seating 14, usable year-round “To see people really enjoying the food and satisfied.”
he worked as a cook part-time in several restaurants, and and heated in winter.
about 10 years ago he started to cook for his friends. Inside, the walls are painted cream color, with a serv- Who cooks at home?
ing bar at the back and a see-through area open to the “I practically live here during the week, so I
Experience kitchen. There are blond wood tables and chairs, seat- don’t cook at home. On the weekends, I cook
Al Dente had operated as a restaurant under several ing 20, and basket-weave place mats. for friends.”
owners since around 1998. Shukrun came to work The dishes are handmade by a special
there in 2005. First, he was in charge of evening shifts; ceramist. The walls are adorned with the Al Dente is located at Rehov Ussishkin 20, tel.
then he started working with soups. artwork of a different artist every 625-1479. Open Sunday through Thursday, 12
“Then I started to cook part of the menu, and I went two months. noon to 11 p.m., closed Friday, Saturday and
to the next level to manager of the kitchen. I discov- “I wanted to design a place a Saturday evening. Kosher, Jerusalem Rabbinate. •
Fettuccine with Gorgonzola sauce
Since a number of the dishes use the homemade 400 gr. dry fettuccine or tagliatelle
pasta, this special dish (NIS 56) can be duplicated at 14 rocket leaves
home with purchased dry or regular pasta.
Before having the pleasure of sampling this unique-tast- Heat oil in a frying pan or a wok. Add garlic and
ing dish, the writer watched it being expertly prepared, cook until soft. Add broth and cook for 30 sec-
with Shukrun precisely measuring each ingredient. onds. Add Gorgonzola and mascarpone cheeses,
let melt and cook, mashing with a spoon until
2 tsp. olive oil soft, about a minute in all. Add salt and pepper,
2 sliced garlic cloves then nuts and Parmesan cheese.
100 ml. vegetable broth Meanwhile, boil water, then add the fettuccine
100 gr. Gorgonzola (blue cheese) or tagliatelle and cook 4-5 minutes. Drain.
60 gr. mascarpone cheese Add pasta to sauce, shake in the pan and stir.
Salt and pepper according to taste Spoon gently onto serving plates. Garnish with
30 gr. chopped walnuts or pecans rocket leaves and stir gently.
15 gr. Parmesan cheese Makes 2 servings
24 I N J E R U S A L E M FEBRUARY 4, 2011