Interview with Barak Yehezkeli
Interview with Barak Yehezkeli
Interview with Chef Barak Yehezkeli, owner of Burek, one of Israel’s Most Sought-After Dining Experiences
"A cook who is connected to his/her culinary roots and understands where the raw materials come from is no longer just cooking. This is storytelling. And food that tells a story is way more exciting and delicious. ”
Meet Chef Barak Yehezkeli, the mastermind behind one of Tel Aviv’s most talked-about dining experiences. Burek, is an all-senses dining event, a fixed menu with a theatrical twist, using only the best seasonal ingredients. Chef Barak has been rocking Israel’s culinary scene for almost twenty years, working at some of the country’s top spots, including his former restaurant Paella, a Spanish hub tailored to Israeli taste.
In recent years, Chef Barak’s focus has been on Burek and his docu-food programs "On the Napkin" and "Near the Napkin" (for Kan 11, Production: Ma’agalot.) He is now filming the program’s fourth very successful season and was nominated for an award in the Israel Television Awards competition. He also created a new culinary channel called BUREK TV (currently available on Facebook and Instagram), a one-stop media for culinary content.
Burek is open only once a week and is not a typical sit-down culinary experience but rather a more interactive and friendly one. How did you come up with this concept?
As a chef and a person who loves dining experiences, I was tired of the usual restaurant experience. I was especially bothered by the fact that restaurants often limit people to an hour and a half or two hours for their meals. This led me to a desire to give the people who come to eat with me a different type of dining; I wanted to host my guests the way I host my best friends at my house - around the kitchen. I wanted to get rid of the boundaries and partitions (both physical and philosophical) that usually exist between the chef/cooks and the guests, to put them in the kitchen and cooking atmosphere for a moment and allow them to become part of the creation. But, of course, to enjoy something immersive like that, you need time. Time for the experience to be formed, for all the guests to enjoy being part of it, and to allow them to savor the food and the flavors without the pressure of having to give up your table after two hours.
As a GCI’s curriculum summit participant, was there a moment or a statement that stayed with you?
I don’t remember a specific moment from the GCI Curriculum Summit, rather a thought that I couldn’t get out of my head and has stayed with me since. Where in the world is there another culinary school where you can experience culinary studies in this way? To experiment with growing and producing your raw materials, your vegetables, olive oil, wine, and cheeses. These are exactly the things that make you a better cook. A cook who is connected to his/her culinary roots and understands where the raw materials come from is no longer just cooking. This is storytelling. And food that tells a story is way more exciting and delicious.
You're known for your love of the North of Israel. What is it for you that makes this region so unique?
The North is one of the most fertile areas in Israel in part because it has several different microclimates and hence very diverse raw materials; The sea in Akko provides us with rich a variety of fish, the sloping Galilee mountains have fabulous olive trees, the Golan Heights have excellent conditions for growing the best wine grapes and selected fruits due to its low temperatures in the Winter, as well as fertile pastures for raising sheep and cattle and the Beit She'an Valley has the perfect warm temperatures for growing dates. As varied as the climate and topography of the area, such is the diversity of the types of the population that bring with them a wealth of different cooking styles and cuisines.
Having traveled to many places- How do you suggest one can find hidden culinary gems when visiting a city or a country around the world?
In my opinion, the best way to find culinary gems in cities or countries you don’t live in is to connect with someone local and preferably someone who loves good food. Some of the best dining experiences I ever had were from tips by locals who I asked to tell me their favorite places to eat. Believe me, if you do that, you will find yourself at incredible restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and markets that the average tourist will never find.
What's a fun culinary fact about you?
At the end of each workday, after long hours in which I am busy preparing meticulous and accurate food, I arrive home hungry, and most enjoy dipping a slice of bread in "Labneh" cheese with olive oil and Hyssop.