Demand for reservations for Or’esh (450 W. Broadway, Soho) — the latest restaurant from the scenester-magnet Catch Group — is as intense as the flames on the custom-made charcoal grill in the kitchen.
Live-fire cooking is rarer in New York than it should be, and it took O’resh owner Eugene Remm and chef Nadav Greenberg nearly a year to steer through the city’s regulations maze to make it happen.
It was worth the trouble. At Or’esh, the open flame smokes and blisters one spectacular Israeli-inspired dish after another.
The Israeli-born Greenberg, who’s half-Moroccan and half-Romanian, channels the thrilling flavor constellations of the Levant with childhood home-cooking passion. He helped his mentor, Eyal Shani, earn a Michelin star at Shmone in the West Village. Now the Catch Group gives him a proper stage for his talent.
The magic unfolds in a pretty, Rockwell Group-designed dining room and bar with several cozy alcoves and just enough Middle Eastern motifs not to seem cliched. The red-on-brown palette and round chandeliers suit the mood; arched mirrors reflect customers noshing in booths and banquettes. A plush carpet softens the din.
On a trip to Israel a few years ago, I fell in love with the country’s cuisine — a sunny symphony of simply-prepared fish, meat and produce enhanced by the nation’s bounty of vegetables and fruit and brought to life by a generation of well-traveled chefs. Or’esh brought back the marvelous flavors I remember from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and the Golan.
Named for light and fire, Or’esh applies maple- and oak-fueled flames to most of its meat and fish dishes to great effect. Greenberg explained, “As fat drips onto the coals and smoke rises back into the protein, it creates layers of depth and character that can’t be imitated on a gas grill.” And how!
Most everything I tasted made me yearn to return to Or’esh. Oval-shaped Jerusalem bagels ($19) are za’tar-spiced, sesame-crusted and served with babganoush, marbucha and mint tzatziki — the bold, bright flavors transporting you to a Mediterranean wharf. A large Spanish octopus tentacle starter ($37), lightly crusted on the flame and marinated in multiple spices, was as flavorful as it was tender.
Greenberg works wonders with phyllo dough. Golden Halloumi kadayif ($8) are a bar snack worthy of the dining table. The Greek-Cypriot cheese is blended with mozzarella inside a crispy envelope of pastry. A six-inch long Hudson Valley chicken liver “cigar” ($19) packed compelling, gamy flavor inside the flaky phyllo.
In a year of great steaks, my favorite might be Or’esh’s 16-ounce “layered” Wagyu strip ($77), a richly marbled Australian cut. The beef is cut into square slices. A subtle smokiness pervades the soft-as-butter meat under the near-crackling crust —a masterpiece of elemental flavor and textural surprise.
Another winner was Ora king salmon ($46) similarly sliced into squares, emerging from the fire with a pretty shade of pink beneath caramelized skin. A light chicken jus and lemon beurre blanc finish brightens the specimen’s natural fattiness.
There are only three desserts but every one blew us away — particularly pistachio vanilla cheesecake ($19) with creamy pistachio frangipane and lemon honey coulis, a sweet-and-crunchy masterpiece.
Or’esh has 80 seats, twice as many as at Catch Group’s near-impossible-to book The Eighty Six and about the same as at its equally in-demand Corner Store. A host told me they take a limited number of delighted walk-ins every night.
If that’s too risky, reservations are taken on DoorDash seven days in advance starting at 9 a.m. every morning. May your fingers fly as fast as they can.
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