Two minutes with Oded Oren, chef and founder of Oren
In January, you are launching a Sunday lunch menu at Oren; what makes the menu different from the food you've traditionally cooked at the restaurant?
We’ve decided to slow things down for Sunday lunch. We’re shutting down the grills and are focusing on dishes that are cooked low and long to develop big, bold flavours.
Do you have any favourite dishes on the menu?
I could eat the short rib for every meal. It hits all of the notes for me; it’s rich and deep but balanced with a sharp citrus. I want it just talking about it. The masabacha is also full of my childhood memories. Growing up, my dad would take me to a place where we’d queue for half an hour to get a mountainous bowl of this chickpea stew served with fresh pita, raw onion, and generous amounts of olive oil. Every time I eat it now, I’m transported back to being a skinny kid on the beach shovelling it down.
What's the one ingredient that the Oren kitchen couldn't survive without?
That’s like picking my favourite child, but we run on good olive oil and tahini.