THE ZALA STORY

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Zala is a story of family passion, the dream of two brothers-in-law, Tomer and Alon, whose relationship and love of middle eastern food goes back more than 25 years. One of Israel’s most renowned and innovative cooks, Tomer was formerly Head Chef at the celebrated R’amas Kitchen in Jerusalem and his experience has seen him work in iconic British kitchens such as The Fat Duck and The Ledbury.

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It was Tomer’s experience at R’amas Kitchen that inspired Zala’s exciting yet traditionally inspired menu – combining Arabic and Mediterranean ingredients with western cooking techniques to create earthy dishes, packed with flavour. As Consultant Chef and co-owner, Tomer devises all of the dishes, alongside Head Chef Stefanos Avdis, whose past experience includes Street Kitchen, The Greek Larder and Princi. This combined passion and clear food philosophy is reflected in the simple yet flavourful menu – reflected in the complimentary selection of regularly changing meze, including roast cauliflower, fresh hummus, baba ganoush, tahini, sweet potato and parsley salad, each bursting with natural flavour.

At the heart of the kitchen proudly sits the Taboon, the wood-fired oven in which the Levantine Pizzas are baked to perfection. Crisp and light, their unique quality is achieved using a classic Turkish dough containing yoghurt which is fermented, the Neapolitan way, resulting in a bread that combines the best of Italian with the popular Turkish ‘Lahmacun’, meaning ‘meat in bread’ in Arabic.

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Levantine cuisine wouldn’t be complete without the signature pitas, impossibly soft and light and served with exciting flavour combinations. Or experience our standout main dishes like skewer of rib eye marinated in silan and olive oil, Jerusalem chicken, slow roasted lamb shoulder, or beef and lamb kebab – all hand crafted to order and served with traditional sides and sauces such as our homemade Matbucha of slow roasted tomato and pepper, or delicious Amba made from Mangoes.

 

For those looking for something different Zala offers simple, honest Middle Eastern cooking with fresh flavours and a sprinkle of flare, the kind of food you want to instantly devour set in a cool, calm middle eastern inspired oasis in the heart of buzzing Camden. We look forward to welcoming you to our table.