Selena is an upscale restaurant on Emek Refaim. If this seems to be a trend in my restaurant posts, well it’s because this is a very popular restaurant street in Jerusalem. We were seated right away, and a pleasant waitress told us the specials, then took our order after about ten minutes of our deliberations. The ambiance was nice with soft jazz playing in the background without being overpowering, and it was warm in the restaurant, which was a relief from the cold December night. We noticed that the restaurant’s clientèle were all English-speaking.
We only ordered main dishes, which came out staggered from the kitchen. I can understand if the restaurant was in the middle of a crush and there were fifteen plates going out all at the same time, but the restaurant wasn’t busy, so there really was no excuse for the waitresses to bring out everything all at once.
Goose Leg
This came out first. Which wasn’t a Good Thing because even though restaurant etiquette allows for diners to begin eating as soon as their food arrives, not everyone knows this, and eating before everyone is perceived as rude. And it was my dish. To add to that, the flavor of goose is distinctive from chicken, a little gamier, and in this case, the flavor was pretty much indistinct. It was dry, and the cinnamon, while an interesting counterpoint, wasn’t enough to keep my interest in the dish.
Entrcote
It was “flavorful.” I know, that’ isn’t much of a description, but then, it wasn’t much more than a slab of meat on a plate.
Butcher’s Choice
Our friends ordered this off the menu special, which was soft and tender, properly cooked and well-portioned.
Wild Rice Risotto
The risotto was creamy and good, and had peas and mushrooms in it. Yep, that’s about it.
If this review seems to be lacking overall in descriptiveness, maybe it’s because that’s what the meal was. For a restaurant that enjoys popularity and position, it was a remarkably drab dining experience. Which was kind of sad. Luckily, we had good company with us, so while the meal itself was so-so, the dining experience was superlative.