Goocha is a simple seafood restaurant, without pretending to be something more, good prices and good vibes. I only have good memories of Goocha, since its beginning. I remember running away from the army one day with Chen, going to Goocha in Ben Gurion st., sharing a pot of “Mules and Frites”, dipping the bread in cream sauce, licking every shell of mussel, then going to get a fruit shake across the road at Tamara and walking happily to the beach on a nice sunny afternoon. Another day I remember going with my Mom ordering another pot of “Mules and Frites” and eating it all before even realizing we received someone else’s order by mistake. Goocha makes me happy because it has the perfect location, all dishes are simple but tasty and they never compromise using quality seafood products.
Goocha’s succeeded over the years and opened more branches: one in Ibn Gabirol and one in Ramat Hachayal. The problem is that you can try to copy a restaurant but you can’t copy the location. Ben Gurion’s first branch is still always crowded but the other branches had less success. Ibn Gabirol branch almost completely failed but kept from closing by a genius move – instead of trying to copy somewhere else’s success, changed the direction of the restaurant to fit the new venue. They turned into “The diner – by Goocha” and as for today this move have not only saved it, but became a success of its own: serving high quality “Diner” dishes like burgers, milkshakes, BLT, while keeping a warm spot for Goocha’s seafood favorites. The other branch, in Ramat Hachyal, survived because it’s a business district and with a good lunch offer it’s possible to get by.
Lately I went to have lunch in both of these other branches and was pleased to discover that over the years, Goocha kept its both principles: good products and reasonable prices. Not an easy task these days, you know 🙂
The Diner by Goocha (an older post about this place at nighttime)
14, Ibn Gabirol st. Tel-Aviv
03-6911603
Ceviche of Mullet (43 NIS), came with radishes, beets, red onion and a smooth and flavorful sauce which made it all come together.
Two burgers, 1+1. Actually this deal made us quite annoyed when we found out the details: we thought we’ll be paying for the more expensive one and getting the second one for free, but in fact we got the value of one classic burger as a discount (51 NIS).
Chevre burger with a very nice melting chevre cheese on top, always a winning combination (57 NIS).
Shrimp burger (65 NIS). Isn’t a burger made from shrimp only (bummer), but a burger with a small dish of shrimp tossed in white wine, garlic and a touch of cream on top. The sauce is really good and adds a lot to the flavor but leaks from the burger.
7, Ha’barzel st. Ramat Hachayal, Tel Aviv
03-6482999
Goocha Ramat Hachayal isn’t that packed like the Ben Guryun ancestor but we came at the very last minutes of lunch.
As a part of the lunch menu you get a soft drink with the main course and wine and desserts are 25% off, so we found something to celebrate. The wine is something Italian (23 NIS after lunch discount), very fresh and light.
Papaya salad (adding 12 NIS to the main course price for a first course and bread). I didn’t like this salad because it had vermicelli noodles inside and the sauce didn’t balance the salad.
Crab bisque (+12 NIS for first course and bread), was excellent. Not as good as Rokach’s bisque but a very smooth and tasty one with very strong flavor of crab. Loved the bread as well.
Seafood mix (shrimp, calamari, mussels and crab) with spicy chipotle sauce, vegetables, spinach and basil (63 NIS). A fun dish and I loved eating the crab from its shell. Didn’t like the zucchini inside though.
The day’s special: A fillet of fish pan fried with rice and yogurt (55 NIS). Was well cooked and tasty but lacking the “Goocha” touch.
For dessert: Banana Gaufre, ice-cream, caramel (30 NIS after lunch discount). Nothing special but it’s an indulgence and it’s worth it.
In my opinion, for about the same price, Goocha offers a much better value lunch in Ramat Hachayal than Segev Express, but for a good papaya salad in Tel-Aviv, you’ll have to go to Thai House, or go as far as Thailand.
Is the menu similar to their branch on Even Gvritol st.?
The Diner – is the Ibn Gabirol branch, if this is what you meant. The Diner and Goocha’s menus are very different with only few similar dishes.