RH18
www.jewishnews.co.uk
Jewish News 29 September 2016
Rosh Hashanah / Food
MY RESTAURANT,
MY ROSH HASHANAH
All year long they serve us in their restaurants. Louisa Walters asked Jewish restaurant owners what they will be serving at home for new year
JONNY KRANTZ owns Bluebelles in Portobello and Mill Hill
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Bluebelles café is open all year except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. “We may re-evaluate the latter on the basis that 1 January is a really good day for hangover brunch!” says Jonny. “We are not religious but we do love a family meal, especially if it includes matzah balls! This year we are heading to my partner’s grandparents’ house. There will be four generations in attendance. There will be lots of honey cake, and pink lady apples with locally produced honey to dip into and then we will collapse on the sofa for an
JO TAPPER owns Jin Sushi in Hendon
Jin Sushi serves sushi and an array of first class unspirited binge fest of Narcos on Netflix. Japanese dishes We actually eat apple and honey with incredible regularly, prolonging the good new year flavours and artistic vibe for as long as possible. presentation. It has I can never remember which festival been open just over is which. In my mind they all merge into a year and has a one and everything happens loyal following. on the same day. So my memory tells me that we fast “For me Rosh to the point of no hope, stuff our faces on Hashanah is a time to celebrate new challah, egg and salt water, lokshen soup beginnings with family and friends. It’s a and then strip bare an entire orchid and time to be hopeful and make everything consume a hive of honey! Joking aside, positive,” say Jo. Rosh Hashanah is all about family for “We will be having lunch with family me – having kids, being a father, a son, a after synagogue. Our table groans with brother and soon a husband and an uncle. food – there must be 20 dishes or more! Now that Bluebelles is established within Mum seems to think the 5,000 will turn up, two communities, I believe that there is an which is always possible in our house as we extended family of regular customers who have an open door policy – anyone could see Bluebelles as part of their lives – an come along up at a minute’s notice. I grew extension of their own homes. We also have up in an extremely inclusive open family. a family of 30 employees who are united As a child I remember going to for the same reasons. “ synagogue and watching the shofar being blown by a young boy. I always looked forward to dipping the apple in honey to bring in a sweet new year. Now I am older I feel thankful and appreciative of the small things and I enjoy celebrating with family and friends.
AVI COHEN owns the Hummus Bar in Golders Green
The Hummus Bar is a relative newcomer to the kosher dining scene in Golders Green and has met with tremendous acclaim. “We close the restaurant for the Chagim, giving us a nice holiday,” says Avi. “Our main meal will be dinner on Rosh Hashanah evening at home with my family and we will also be hosting a few friends. My favourite dish is the honey cake for dessert. When I was a child the highlight of Rosh Hashanah was that all my family used to come to my grandparents’ house in Haifa for a huge dinner and all the younger kids would stay over. As I got older I started to understand the religious meaning of this festival and over the years it became a very relaxing time that gives me a short holiday!
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KERB Camden is open 364 days of the year. (Rosh Hashanah isn’t the day it is closed) There are 35 stalls serving incredible food, including several varieties of Mac n Cheese, and the most incredible halloumi fries, KERB offers a catering service – mainly for
Simon Mitchell of KERB
large corporate events, but it is becoming popular for weddings. “Our Rosh Hashanah meal is lunch on the first day,” says Simon. “This year we are going to family friends. My mum passed away three years ago so family occasions are difficult these days. “I tend to get quite emotional in synagogue, especially during Yizkor on Yom Kippur. As lovely as our friends’ cooking is, nothing will ever beat my mum doing it. This may sound controversial but I have never been a fan of honey cake. Our lunch has always been focused on fish – literally every kind of fish! Boiled, fried, schmaltz herring, chopped herring, smoked salmon... As a child I spent the entire Rosh Hashanah service outside Bushey shul talking to my friends (and telling my parents I was in the youth service).”
FOOD TRENDS FOR 5777 Jonny at Bluebelles: “I saw some cool stuff online about a new toasted sweet potato fad, and ready-to-go products are definitely a growing area. There is also a return to cream teas and conversely some more fitness related recipes.” Jo at Jin Sushi: “Everything Taiwanese - we have already started doing bubble tea and Taiwanese pies. Spring onion flavour is a hit - people go mad for it! Don’t be surprised if you see steamed buns on our menu soon. In terms of sushi, I think it’s all going American with crazy flavours like kiwi and cream cheese, plus deep fried sushi rolls.” Avi Cohen at the Hummus Bar “Trends for 2017... seeing as it’s only getting healthier over the last few years I think ‘poke’ could become the next thing in food trends. It has already started picking up in London and most importantly it’s delicious.”