We’re lucky to have one of Israel’s top chefs, Meir Adoni, in New York. With its premier modern Middle Eastern menu, his restaurant Nur serves couscous that critics—including us—consider to be some of the best in town. When he opened Nur in 2017 a block from Gramercy Park he talked to Time Out Israel about New York’s dining scene, “This town has everything, except for Middle Eastern cuisine, a trend that is beginning to develop now, but there is not one restaurant that carries the language of the whole region to fit the New York’s current fast-paced beat. I do not make authentic dishes here, although the menu is based on the culinary repertoire of Middle East, I’m mixing it with my spirit.”
At the Rooftop at Time Out Market New York, Adoni’s Nur offers up an elevated take on all different types of Middle Eastern cuisine with dishes meant to be shared by the table, allowing guests to take a virtual tour of the region throughout the meal. A prime example of this is the Sabich: a pita filled with soft boiled egg, green tahini, fried eggplant, amba and charred leek.
“I had a Moroccan upbringing,” Chef Adoni says. “From early childhood I can remember experiencing food at family get-togethers and friday night dinners. My inspiration comes from home, from my heritage, my roots and my Moroccan grandmother. As a chef, the first thing I bring to the table is tradition. I respect the original flavors and ingredients. Only then do I add my crazy interpretation, launching the dish off to new and uncharted territory.”
Not only does he try to dazzle your tastebuds, he also hopes to nourish your being. “The realization that I’ve touched someone’s soul through my creation,” Adoni says, “that means the world to me.”