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OCD Restaurant

Tel Aviv

• Sustainable Restaurant Award 2023, sponsored by Arla Pro

Conscious, captivating cooking catapulting Israeli gastronomy to new heights

On the Pass

Raz Rahav

Pastry Chef

Or Amir

The mastermind: Chef Raz Rahav doesn’t want his food to be labelled as European, Middle Eastern or anything in between. At OCD, he only wants to be known for his “progressive Israeli cooking’, a concept that pools inspiration from the above but is unique in its own right. Selecting the very best ingredients from the global pantry, he has curated a restaurant that fulfils his ultimate goal of redefining Israeli gastronomy through exemplary produce.

What’s the deal? To call OCD’s dining room intimate would be an understatement. Seating just 19 diners around a communal bar table overlooking the open kitchen, it has an exclusive and convivial atmosphere designed for diners to bask in. Within whispering distance of the kitchen, each guest has a front-seat view of a masterclass in plating and presentation from Chef Rahav and his astute brigade.

Seasonal eating: In line with the changing seasons, OCD’s tasting menu changes quarterly every year, each iteration featuring around 16 to 20 courses depending on the availability of produce that arrives at the restaurant that morning. Dishes such as the cherry sorbet and trout garum – an ancient fish sauce –, Israeli caviar and tsara oil meld the worlds of savoury and sweet to deliver a memorable and unique dining experience.

Minimal wastage: Sustainable practices are at the heart of OCD’s operation, with wastage and offcuts often overlooked by the hospitality sector being willingly transformed within its kitchen. For one of its dessert courses, every inch of the pumpkin is metamorphosed into a harmonic ensemble. Where its flesh forms the foundation of a luxurious praline, marzipan and profiteroles, its seeds are utilised for their crunch and nuttiness within a double bill of financiers. Demonstrably ecologically conscious, it was named the winner of the Sustainable Restaurant Award 2023, sponsored by Arla Pro.

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