A Taste of Israel in West Palm Beach

Malka restaurant brings Israeli food and design to the city’s downtown district

Malka’s kitchen with a wood-burning grill. Photo by Amit Geron
Malka’s kitchen with a wood-burning grill. Photo by Amit Geron

One of West Palm Beach’s newest restaurants is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the taste buds. In December, Malka opened in the industrial-style space formerly occupied by The Butcher Shop. However, all evidence of that eatery is gone. Instead, Israeli chef Eyal Shani and his restaurant group worked with Kimmel Eshkolot Architects to create a high-design restaurant at once rich in Israeli materials and perfect for the kind of posh alfresco dining experience patrons have come to expect of the area’s best eateries.

Chef Eyal Shani. Photo by Alissa Dragun
Chef Eyal Shani. Photo by Alissa Dragun

“We wanted to find a way to bridge the two, Tel Aviv and Palm Beach,” says lead architect More Gelfand.

They’ve achieved just that across the seamlessly integrated interior and exterior spaces, including a dreamy breezeway through which all guests enter, a lush outdoor garden with its own bar, and a sleek main dining room. Though each area is unique, there are certain commonalities. The most distinct is the 24,000 perforated Ackerstein concrete bricks that together form mashrabiyas—traditional breeze walls that encourage the natural flow of light and air.   

Signature chicken schnitzel. Photo by Max Flatow Photography
Signature chicken schnitzel. Photo by Max Flatow Photography

Shani’s food is equally compelling. The restaurant adheres to kosher dietary laws, and the menu reflects the composition of the kitchen, which includes a custom wood-burning grill. Shani approaches his ingredients with the highest reverence, aiming to craft dishes in which “each part of the creation is reflected in the creation in its own way,” he says.

And while those creations are ever-evolving, standard standouts include a signature schnitzel that has become famous at Malka’s other locations in New York and Tel Aviv, and hummus so good that it’s described on the menu as: “A very Israeli hummus so close to perfection. Unlike any other.”

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