OPEN RESTAURANTS FESTIVAL, JERUSALEM 19-23 NOVEMBER, 2019

With over 100 unique culinary experiences combining food with art, culture, and innovation, thousands of people are expected to enjoy the urban culinary festival “OpenRestaurants™” that will return to Jerusalem for the fourth year running from 19-23 November 2019. The many open kitchens, private tours, food talks, art and culture bring together the rich fusion of ethnicity that multicultural Jerusalem offers, showcased at some of the city’s most exciting and celebrated restaurants and landmarks.

The festival will span across Jerusalem offering a distinct series of events in some of the city’s top cultural venues. Together with world-renowned chefs, OpenRestaurants™ Jerusalem redefines traditional culinary experiences and challenge the norms of food and cuisine.

Some of the highlights from this year’s “menu” includes:

Pasta Siciliana– Antonio “Lello” Favuzzi, Head Chef of London’s Mortimer House Kitchen, is being hosted by Jerusalem’s chef, Moshiko Gamliel, as part of the collaboration with the London Restaurants Festival, and will teach the art of making Sicilian pasta – the authentic way. In the hands-on workshop, Lello will take visitors on a trip to his childhood kitchen in Sicily, where his grandmother taught him how to make pasta using a recipe that was passed down from generation to generation.

The Baker’s Visit- The event will be led by Richard Hart – one of the world’s most prestigious bakers, the former head baker of Tartine Bakery, and the current owner of Hart Bakery, the in-house pastry for the Noma restaurant. Joining Hart will be Ogen Anomarel, who is among Israel’s leading and most respected master bakers, a bread and wheat researcher, and a prominent voice in raising awareness of ancient wheat. They both bring a wealth of knowledge gained through years of experience in both education and the hospitality industry and will take participants on a journey that shows off their techniques and the traditions that inspired their baking. The unique gathering will be held at the Shwaras Bakery, which has been operating in the Old City for 400 years.

Ezra Kedem hosts – Chef Ezra Kedem invites participants to visit his very own Garden of Eden — a dreamy orchard in the heart of Ein Karem, which he founded 20 years after opening his legendary Arcadia Restaurant. The tour starts with a visit of Studio Arcadia’s vegetable garden, where he will talk about the roots, colors, and fragrances of his fresh ingredients. Following, there will be a demonstration workshop with Chef Kedem that will show the preparation of a variety of dishes inspired by the flavors of his childhood and his unique spirited surroundings of today.

Welcoming the Sabbath in Djerba– Chen Koren and photographer Avishag Shaar-Yashuv, back from visiting Djerba, will bring the sensory and culinary experience of far-away here to Jerusalem in a special encounter. Avishag will speak and show her photographs, while Chen will share memories and demonstrate braiding challah Djerba style.  There will then be a traditional pre-Sabbath meal fresh from the island of Djerba.

Baking Night – Pastry Chef David Laor will open his magical French bakery… after hours. Once all the customers have finished their shopping, a baking marathon will begin with three workshops, three varieties of pastries, and lots of soft, puffy delicacies!

 EatTech exhibition is bringing designers, chefs, and food scientists together on one culinary-technology evening, where they will present food tech ventures – edible displays that reflect the most innovative trends – ingredients in the foods of tomorrow. Liron Tzanhani – a designer, creator and curator in culinary arts – will host the evening, with an exhibition that creates a new textural experience and highlights ways to use innovative, protein-rich, plant-based ingredients such as seaweed and chickpea protein.

Homeward- A culinary-musical event that evokes the flavors and sounds of home. This is a one-time journey in the footsteps of the flavors and sounds from the childhoods of leading Israeli performers. What are the roots of their music? What is its flavor? The sounds that wafted from the radio in the corner of the kitchen together with the aromas of the dishes, the flavors that mixed with the gorgeous  melodies of the 1970s, the music of food and home – all come together in a series of multisensory performances on the Alliance House stage..

 Tickets can be purchased through the OpenRestaurants™ website: https://openrestaurants.com/?lang=en