A young, eclectic cuisine pulling from Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Mizrahi, Yemenite, Arab and modern Mediterranean traditions. Hummus and falafel sit beside shakshuka and sabich; the Israeli salad and labneh on bread show up at every meal. Cumin, sumac, za'atar, paprika, garlic and lemon are the core; a culture of small plates eats from many bowls at once.
Chicken thighs marinate 6+ hours in baharat, turmeric, paprika, cumin, garlic, yogurt, lemon, olive oil. Stacked or spread on a tray (the home shortcut), roasted hot 25 minutes turning once, finished briefly under the grill until charred edges. Sliced thin and stuffed into pita with all the accompaniments.
Chicken breasts butterfly and pound to 5 mm thick. Dredge through seasoned flour, beaten egg, then panko breadcrumbs mixed with paprika, garlic powder and a pinch of cumin. Shallow-fry in 1 cm of oil at 175°C 2-3 minutes per side until deep gold and crisp. Drain on paper. Lemon wedges.
Chicken thigh, liver and heart sear hard in a wide pan with onions; spices bloom; everything cooks together until the meat is just done and the onions are deeply caramelised. Stuffed into pita with hummus, salad, tahini, pickles. The signature is the spice blend, cumin, turmeric, paprika, black pepper, cardamom, and the onion-to-meat ratio (a lot of onion).
Two parallel jobs: a long-simmered chicken broth made from a whole bird with onion, carrot and celery, skimmed clean and finished with dill; and the matzo balls themselves, made from matzo meal, eggs, schmaltz and seltzer, rested in the fridge for the gluten to relax. The balls poach in salted water (never the broth, or the broth clouds), then sit in the hot broth at serving time. Light, comforting, traditional.
A mix of chicken livers, hearts, spleen (if you can get it) and small chunks of lamb shoulder, all hit hot on a flat griddle with sliced onion that cooks down sweet. Spice blend: baharat, turmeric, paprika, cumin, black pepper. Olive oil generously. Cooked fast in batches so nothing steams. Stuffed into pita with hummus, pickles, tahina and amba.
Smooth bulgur softened in hot water, then drained dry. Onion blitzed with baharat, salt and a splash of water to a slurry. Beef mince added and pulsed; bulgur folded through last so its grains stay intact rather than dissolving into the paste. The mixture is pressed into an oiled tin, smoothed flat, then scored into 5 cm diamonds with a sharp knife. Each diamond gets a small handful of pine nuts pressed onto its surface, plus a brush of olive oil. The tin bakes hot until the surface darkens and the inside firms up. Cut along the score lines, lift the diamonds out, serve with tahini sauce and a chopped salad.
