London’s heaving (and some might say overcrowded) culinary scene can sometimes result in an unfortunate blandness. What may have started as a genuinely exciting place to eat can quickly be parrotted (some might say ‘paid tribute to’) and repeated with successive openings until any remaining identity has been cleanly stripped from the bone. But among the crowd of identikit restaurants with cookie-cutter menus, there is still a wealth of chefs doing exciting things and challenging diners – such as Eran Tibi, the Chef Founder of Kapara and Bala Baya.
Eran Tibi is not content to placate the diner’s expectations (and why would he be?). Instead, he’s here to ask more of London’s dining scene. He does so with restaurants that focus on indulgence, adventure, and laid-back but debaucherous vibes. Across his two London restaurants, diners are invited to party and feast with food that stretches across the spectrum of Eastern Mediterranean food. Through the food, the music, the decor, and the drinks, diners are taken on a journey into Eran Tibi’s childhood and past.
After chatting with the likes of Riaz Phillips, Vivek Singh, and The Flygerians, we had a chance for some ‘Kitchen Chatter’ with Eran Tibi.
What inspired you to become a chef, and who are your biggest culinary influences that have shaped your cooking style?
My family are my biggest inspiration as to why I became a chef. From my grandfather’s restaurant and bar to my father’s family bakery, I was surrounded by food growing up! [Whether I was] spending time together around a big family meal or exploring the playground that was my dad’s cake shop, my memories of food were always playful and full of love. This feeling of togetherness that linked to food was something I loved growing up; in becoming a chef, one of my main goals is to provide this feeling to my guests – hence why my restaurants are now places full of food, music and laughter.
What are the biggest challenges and rewards of being a young chef in London?
The biggest challenges I think young chefs can face [are] finding a place to work that reflects their own philosophies and getting stuck within the hospitality hierarchy. So often you see people jump into roles at fine dining establishments without even knowing if they like the food they’re serving just because it looks good on paper. When I was young, I was so lucky to get my start at Ottolenghi and in my 4 years there I had the chance to try all sorts of roles, from commis chef to pastry chef, event chef, assisting with the cookbooks and eventually head chef. Young chefs should take advantage of the opportunities that are out there and push themselves to try all sides of being a chef!
How have shows like “The Bear” and other media representations influenced public perception of chefs?
Shows like The Bear have given those that work in what might be seen as lower-end food establishments the chance to prove that they are just as hard-working and worthy as those that [work] in Michelin style restaurants. It has burst the bubble on what might have typically been seen before as a ‘cool’ or ‘prestigious’ chef and done a world of justice to the smaller independent chefs. It has also shown that there are the same problems in every hospitality businesses, and that these problems should be addressed across the board.
How has the London culinary scene changed over the past few years?
In the last few years, the London culinary scene has changed massively – London has some of the most well-travelled people and because of that, they are so open-minded to every and all cuisines. The diversity of restaurants and people are some of the best I’ve seen across the world
Where do you see the London culinary scene heading in the next 5-10 years?
This is something I find myself discussing more and more regularly and I think in the next 5-10 years, the London culinary scene will see a focus on the next level of fusion food. By that I mean hopefully we’ll see a flourish of new world style restaurants; instead of restaurants with one style of food or cuisine, more will serve and represent multiple backgrounds and countries. For example, we serve Eastern Mediterranean food but [take] inspiration from Korean and American food!
Can you share a memorable experience or anecdote from your time working in London’s kitchens?
Back in the day, I set up Zest at JW3 with Josh Katz – it was to hopefully make Jewish food cool and a few days after opening in walks Giles Coran with his daughter and all they ordered were fish burgers, ate them and then left. They proceeded to do this four more times and paid for them on their own back each time. After the 5th visit I had to go and say something because I was so confused by his visits – Giles proceeds to tell me that he only lives across the road and his daughter loves the fish burger! He came back in for dinner that same day with a few friends and two weeks later a glowing 10/10 two-page review came out about Zest and we couldn’t have been happier. Goes to show you have to trust in your cooking and in the process!
A piece of advice for inspiring chefs:
Don’t just cook, figure out what your philosophy in food is and find somewhere that reflects that but make sure you listen to your gut along the way. That way, a job won’t feel like work and you’ll love what you do!
Eran Tibi is the Chef Founder of Kapara and Bala Baya. Keep up to date with his cooking (and his Spotify playlists) here.
