Restocracy

A treia oara la Caju, dupa un an de la ultima vizita. Restaurantul arata la fel de bine, am tot scris despre asta in articolele trecute, nu mai revin.

Mancarea mi s-a parut ceva mai buna decat data trecuta, i-am repus in Lista restaurantelor cu bucatarii fine, de unde ii scosesem dupa ce am mancat ceva despre care sper ca Joseph Hadad nu stia ca a ajuns in farfuria unui client.

Hadad face exces de frunze de salata si de frunze si rosii crude, in general, pentru decor, nu au amuse bouche, desi timpul de asteptare e destul de lung. Nu e adevarata bucatarie fina la Caju, dar e aproape si, oricum, am avut aceleasi dubii si la alte restaurante care au ajuns totusi in aceasta lista.

Acum am luat Calamari a la plancha, nu cine stie ce, cu biscuit de parmezan si mozzarella tempura (asta a fost buna), o caracatita la gratar cu sos, buna aceasta, si un kafta de vita, tahini si rosii coapte cu ierburi, kafta excelenta, restul mai putin. Painea foarte buna, intr-adevar, la fel si cafeaua.

Serviciul a fost inca si mai bun decat la ultima vizita la Caju, desi ma asteptam la mai rau, vazand multiplele comentarii negative de pe Internet. Insa am dat la intrare de o fata foarte sigura pe ea si cu replicae, apoi un chelner foarte amabil si placut, rabdator si atent in ciuda eforturilor mele asidue de a-l enerva.

Terasa plina, ca de obicei. Preturile normale, poti manca bine cu 300 de lei in doi, daca nu esti prea mofturos, si cu cate un pahar de vin.

Caju e un restaurant de referinta al centrului orasului, in primul rand, dar si al Bucurestiului, desigur. Si jumatatea aceea de fine dining, cu salata si cu rosii crude in farfurie nu deranjeaza decat pe extrem de putini dintre cei care fac coada ca sa prinda un loc la Caju. (GB – mai 2018)

A doua oara: serviciul mai bun, mancarea mai putin buna

Am revenit la Caju by Joseph Hadad la scurt timp de la prima evaluare, mai ales ca mai multi m-au indemnat sa fac asta. Lungul comentariu de mai jos al duduii care considera ca mancarea de la Caju by Joseph Hadad e exceptionala si care e convinsa ca de fiecare data a avut un fine dining acolo e reprezentativ. Am fost cu altcineva de data aceasta, am zis ca daca schimb evaluatorul si ca daca iau pareri din mai multe parti voi fi mai credibil. (…) Dar nota de la mancare a ramas cam aceeasi… Am luat o burrata, supa de cartofi si praz, biban de mare si paste cu somon. Burrata a fost, de departe, cel mai bun lucru de pe masa noastra, dar asta pentru ca i-a pus trufe. Or, Joseph, sa stii ca burrata buna gasesti in multe restaurante din Bucuresti, si sa pui niste trufe pe ea nu e atat de complicat pe cat pare. Supa nu a fost buna. Dar deloc, in asa fel incat a… (GB – aprilie 2017) (citeste tot)

Si Joseph, si investitorii si restaurantul merita mai mult pentru toate eforturile facute!

Joseph Hadad mai are mult de lucru cu bucatarii lui de la Caju pana sa-i invete sa fie disciplinati si sa respecte cu strictete retetele si procedurile stabilite de el, asa cum se face in toate marile restaurante. Noua ne-au dat o mancare atat de sarata, incat a ramas in farfurie. Si nu doar la mine (eu sunt sub medie in privinta cantitatii de sare apreciata in mancare, intr-adevar!), ci si la invitata mea, o foarte buna cunoscatoare in ale gastronomiei si „normala” din punctul de vedere al folosirii sarii. Mai multe feluri erau sarate mai mult decat trebuie, insa, in special, spanacul si sosul de la peste, care sos era si inecat in ulei, pe deasupra. Din intamplare, era si Joseph Hadad acolo, i-am dat sa guste. Mi-a dat dreptate, s-a enervat si el pe bucatarii lui, s-a dus in bucatarie si a preparat el… (GB – martie 2017) (citeste tot)

Salonul si terasa Caju by Joseph Hadad

Joseph by Joseph Hadad

Joseph by Joseph Hadad, unul dintre stalpii din Bucuresti ai Haute Cuisine originareDa, am revenit la Joseph de cateva ori, insa nu am scris de fiecare data, pentru ca nu e mai nimic nou de spus d...

CAJU: Casual Dining Mediterranean Cuisine with North African touch

The Brasserie

The concept of CAJU by Joseph Hadad brasserie is casual dining, with affordable tasty dishes, which can pamper all your senses. It’s the place where Joseph Hadad brings to table the tastes of his childhood, with strong North African influences. The brasserie is located downtown, on a picturesque street, behind the Romanian Athenaeum, a symbol that represents one of the main attractions of the city.

The cozy place features a very original and urban design and provides three areas of accommodation and a very beautiful terrace. At the interior, the central and back areas can host up to 50 guests. At the entrance, in the area of the open kitchen, were we lively cook the Moroccan bread, a social table was designed for all those who need a separate space, or enjoy connecting with other people or maybe fall in love with strangers. At the basement, a very cozy and intimate wine library and private table can host special dinners or small parties, for up to 8 persons.

CAJU greets its guests with an international menu, with strong north African tastes, a lot of vegetarian options and healthy oriented cuisine.

The Menu

CAJU greets its guests with an international menu, with strong North African tastes, a lot of vegetarian options and healthy oriented cuisine. The journey in the world of tastes begins from the entrance in the, where there were placed 2 special ovens that bake Moroccan focaccia with herbs and olive oil. The menu includes popular main stream dishes, but all with personal touch of the chef.

Among the most claimed dishes, the menu includes oriental snacks with Moroccan bread, beef burger with French fries, fettuccine with salmon in cream flavored with vermouth, potato gnocchi with candied chestnut sauce and vegetables with a little truffle, tagliatelle with calamari or ragu of sweetbread with mushrooms and vegetables demi-glace sauce and for dessert pineapple ravioli with vanilla foam or chocolate tart with mango sauce and crispy chocolate crumble.

Chef Joseph Hadad

During the last 35 years, Joseph Hadad has dedicated most of his time to his greatest love – Top gastronomy and Haute Cuisine, his talent being noticed by both colleagues and customers in different places famous worldwide: Germany Kempinski Hotel, Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Boston, Savoy Hotel London, Michelin restaurants in Paris and more.

Joseph holds the secrets of over 2000 (two thousand!) recipes sophisticated and, as the star of international cuisine, had the opportunity to create real culinary shows for global celebrities.

“I have been dreaming for long to open a brasserie in the city center, where to be able to bring to all food lovers the tastes of my childhood, Mediterranean cuisine with strong Moroccan influences. A symphony of flavors and spices and but simple in the same timp. I wanted to enable as many people as possible who maybe can’t arrive to Joseph, but want to try my kind of cuisine.” (Joseph Hadad)

Caju by Joseph Hadad (click to open)

Chef Joseph Hadad around The World

“I breath flavors. The magic of taste is in details. You may not notice it, but you will feel it.” (Joseph Hadad)

Joseph Hadad’s passion for the culinary arts has its roots in his early 16s, when he entered the cooking school in Haifa, for three years. At age 21, Joseph Hadad gets his first job in the field, within Dan Carmel Hotel, where he is hired as an assistant chef.

Three years later, Joseph Hadad becomes Chef Garde – Manager at Jordan River Hotel, a 450 room hotel in Tiberias. Starting with 1989 he is promoted to Executive Chef at the famous King David Hotel in Jerusalem.

During the last 35 years, Joseph Hadad has dedicated most of his time to his greatest passion – Top gastronomy and Haute Cuisine, his talent being noticed by both colleagues and customers in different places famous worldwide: Germany Kempinski Hotel, Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Boston, Savoy Hotel London, Michelin restaurants in Paris and more.

Joseph Hadad’s International Know-How

Ritz Carlton Boston – 2 weeks stage on international gastronomy a la carte
Savoy London – 3 weeks stage on banqueting & events up to 500 persons
Le Laurent Paris – 2 stars Michelin restaurant – one month stage
Michel Rostang Paris – 2 stars Michelin – 2 weeks stage
Auberge De L’Ill Alsace – 3 stars Michelin – 2 weeks stage
Kempinski Munchen and Frankfurt – 2 months stage on hotels cuisine

Joseph Hadad’s Prizes

Luxembourg Haute Cuisine – Silver Medal (2^nd prize) Leading Hotels of the World category 5 stars deluxe
Best Chef – King David network (10 hotels) for 3 year in row
Food & Bar Prizes 2013 – 1 st Place – Best restaurant Premium Category for Joseph Restaurant
1^st Place and Special Prize – Best Gourmet Restaurant 2014 – Ziarul Financiar Dupa Afaceri
Food & Bar Prizes 2014 – 3^rd Place – Best restaurant Premium Category for Joseph Restaurant
Food & Bar Prizes 2015 – 1^st Place – Best restaurant Premium Category for Joseph Restaurant
Food & Bar Prizes 2016 – 1^st Place – Best restaurant Premium Category for Joseph Restaurant
Top Hotels Awards 2016 – 1^st Prize Best Restaurant – International High Cuisine

Chef Joseph Hadad in Romania

In 1997 Joseph Hadad arrives in Romania, as Executive-Chef at Restaurant Casa Vernescu in Bucharest, a symbol of high gastronomy, where he develops the ”high cuisine” for 14 years.

In 2012, Joseph Hadad steps into the realm of television and brings his talent on the table of the culinary show Top Chef, one of the most prestigious food shows in Romania. Chef Joseph Hadad was chosen to fulfill this role because of his career and the mastery with which he transforms a dish into art.

In 2013, after 40 years of the first recipes prepared with their own hands, his deepest dream becomes reality. To open their own restaurant that bears his name – Joseph by Joseph Hadad.

The book – “In bucataria lui Joseph”, by Joseph Hadad

“In Joseph’s kitchen” is the first book published by Chef Joseph Hadad and, according to our feedback from the market, it was a hit. As his first book project, it is destined both for professionals and amateurs cooks.

This book aimed to take the Romanian gastronomy to next level. Joseph’s vision was to show what a great diversity of foods and spices can merge together into artistic dishes, transforming the classic gastronomy as we know it into a creative endeavor, focusing on quality, design and taste. Simplicity as the ultimate sophistication. Launch date: June 2016

Cooking with Joseph Hadad – ultimate cooking masterclasses

A culinary experience with one of the most talented chefs in Romania. A cooking class where you will enter a journey of thousands of tastes, smells, ingredients, condiments, secrets and recipes from the fine dining
The trainees will proudly receive an honour diploma, signed by Chef Hadad and a cooking kit give away.

Joseph Hadad’s gastronomy legacy

Joseph Hadad holds the secrets of over 2000 sophisticated recipes. As star of the international cuisine, chef Hadad had the opportunity to create true culinary experiences for world celebrities like Bill Clinton, Francois Mitterrand and Margaret Thatcher, King Hussein of Jordan, King Juan Carlos of Spain or the Prince of Lichtenstein. Movie stars and pop-rock legends were also Joseph’s guest. Among them, Robert de Niro, Madonna, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson and many others.

Chef Joseph Hadad (click to open)