Israeli chef Oren – who has previously hosted a supper club at The National Gallery with Oliver Peyton and has held residencies at F.Cooke pie and jellied eel shop on Broadway Markey and at The Common Cafe in Bethnal Green – will be taking over Oval Space’s outdoor terrace for a summer-long residency, showcasing his signature Mediterranean food with an Israeli twist.
The Oval Space terrace sits amongst East London’s industrial surroundings; a tropical plant filled, wooden decking clad suntrap with a view looking out across Bethnal Green’s vast decommissioned gasworks. Oval Space will be upgrading and transforming the outdoor terrace for 2016 with a new roof, living walls and wooden seating.
On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays there will be a weekly menu of small plates and pita dishes, including lamb kebabs with smoked aubergine and green tahini; jersey royals with romesco and soured cream (v), and fish kebabs with spicy pepper confit and yoghurt. Pickles will be available as a side order.
On weekends there will be casual all-day dining on communal bench seating, with an extended menu featuring sharing platters and larger dishes. Parties over 6 can reserve a bench by emailing [email protected]
Dishes include sea bream tartar with roasted tomatoes and avocado; grilled cauliflower steak with labneh and preserved lemons; beef prime rib with salsa verde; monkfish tail with summer tomatoes salsa; and pavlova with summer berries. Oded’s food is based on natural flavours and light seasoning, using fresh herbs and olive oil to compliment the main ingredients, and refraining from the overworking of food. He believes in balanced flavours, seasonality and staying true to the ingredient.
Oded Oren’s style of cooking is influenced by the multi-cultural nature of his hometown Tel Aviv. Cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem offer a rich variety of flavours and cooking techniques due to their melting pot nature, such as pungent Middle Eastern street food alongside European classics.
Sample Menu
Tomatoes, tahini, sourdough
Spicy fish kebabs, soured cream
Cornish squid, Greek yoghurt, harissa
Sea bream tartar, roasted tomatoes, avocado
Pita – Lamb kebab, smoked aubergine
Grilled cauliflower steak, labneh, preserved lemons
Beef prime rib, salsa verde
Monkfish tail, summer tomatoes salsa
Pavlova, summer berries
Monday – closed Open Tuesday – Friday from 5pm – 11pm