UN PLAZA GRILL Launches 'Cuisines from Around the World' with Guest Chefs Through 2022

Starting May 22, the UN Plaza Grill will take diners' taste buds on a journey around the world with the debut of its Global Chefs Collaborative Pop-up series, an exploration of the world's most intriguing cuisines.

Every month through the balance of 2022, a chef with expertise in cuisine from a specific country or region will collaborate with UN Plaza Grill Culinary Director Ines Chattas to create a three-course menu showcasing representative dishes, ingredients, and techniques. The first such collaboration will be with Ben and Zikki, the husband-wife chef team whose menu of their native Israel's food will be available from May 22 to June 2.

Priced at $77 for the three-courses with a glass of complementary house wine, and reflecting the confluence of Jewish, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cookery that characterizes contemporary Israeli cuisine, the menu will feature such starters as Masabacha with Israeli Salad, seasoned with shuk spices and topped with dukkah and Fire Charred Eggplant, with cured chilis and fresh squeezed tomato. Highlights among the man dish options include Baharat Chicken with Freekeh, topped with sumac onions and Tahini and Ground Fish Kebobs in Spicy Chraimi Sauce, with herb salad. Desserts will be Tahini Fudge Truffles and Pavlova with Coconut Lemon Cream and Sumac Strawberries.

Each of the Global Chefs Collaborative Pop-up Israeli Menu by Ben and Zikki will also be priced a la carte so they can be mixed and mingled with the offerings from the luxurious kosher restaurant's regular dinner menu which has always had an internationally sensibility, given its 845 UN Plaza address overlooking the grounds of the United Nations.

"We are excited to offer this new journey exploring food from around the world. Not only will it expand our guests' gustatory horizons, but it will expose our entire restaurant team to an exciting new diversity of ingredients and techniques as we execute the menus by the amazing roster of chefs with whom we will be working," says Chattas. "What better way to start than with cuisine from Israel on May 22, the date of the Salute to Israel Parade in New York City."

To compile that roster of international chefs, Chattas has enlisted the aid of Lévana Kirschenbaum, the chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author considered a pioneer in upscale kosher dining and often referred to as the "Jewish Julia Child." Their pick for the second Global Chefs Collaborative Pop-Ip is Rinku Bhattacharya, known for her earthy approach to Indian cooking through a series of cookbooks, classes and her www.spicechrionicles.com site.

About BenGingi:

Ben is first and foremost a massively talented baker. Artisanal in every sense, he is self-taught, finding his passion in a journey that took him from his home in Israel to The University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy. It was his time in Piedmont where he began his love story with bread. Today BenGingi is an online presence -- more than 600,000 followers (across Instagram and TikTok) tune in to watch him cook and bake. For more information visit his site at https://www.bengingi.com/about

The UN Plaza Grill is located at 845 1st Avenue (at 47th St.), where on-site parking is available. Reservations can be made on the restaurant's website at www.unplazagrill.com or by calling 212-223-1801. Private party space available. UN Plaza Grill is under the kosher supervision of the OU.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of UN Plaza Grill

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