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AKUB RESTAURANT BY FADI KATTAN TO OPEN IN NOTTING HILL THIS NOVEMBER

20/10/2022

Chef and restaurateur, Fadi Kattan, will make his UK debut with the opening of akub, in Notting Hill, on Thursday 24th November. Modern Palestinian cooking through a distinct lens, akub will celebrate the under-represented rich culinary history of Palestine, with a bold and updated approach cultivated by Fadi and his business partner, Rasha Khouri.

‘With akub, we want to share some of our poignant memories, tastes and smells, whilst embracing local seasonal produce in the UK. We chose akub for the name, cardoon in English, as this short lived flowering thistle embodies the essence of Palestine and the quick tempo of the shifting seasons,’ says Fadi Kattan.

The Menu

Dishes will honour Palestinian produce, supplied by fairtrade co-operative Zaytoun, reimagined thanks to the incorporation of quality British seasonal ingredients. Fragrances and flavours will also stem from the cultural influences of Fadi’s upbringing.

On the maternal side, these were heavily Palestinian and French, whilst Fadi’s paternal family handed down the art of hospitality and cuisine through their travels around Sudan, Japan and India in the early 1900s, along with a British culture.

It was his grandmother, Julia, who Fadi cites as teaching him the art of Palestinian cooking. Dishes such as Mousakhan packet and Sheikh el mahshi, will pay tribute to the smells, tastes and comfort her kitchen brought him as a child. Menu highlights will include:

Bread

Nigella seed crackers

Akub focaccia

Dips

Labneh balls

Red lentil moutabal

Salads and Starters

Maftool salad

Arak cured sea bream

Larger Plates

Crunchy mansaf balls

Freekeh risotto

Grape vine leaves stuffed with skate

Condiments

Red shatta

Parsley tahini

Desserts

Dead Sea chocolate cake

Bethlehem knafeh

The Drinks

Along with a selection of natural and classic wines, akub will offer beers, arak and other spirits from Palestine. One such notable supplier will be The Muaddi Craft Distillery, a family owned business producing handcrafted small-batch arak, and craft beer from Taybeh.

Cocktails will champion key Palestinian ingredients: the Amarideen Margarita will use apricot paste cultivated in the area, and the Arak Caipiyalla will showcase the versatility of arak. The oldest distilled alcohol in the world, here shaken with lime, sugar and crushed ice.

The Interiors

akub has been designed by award winning hospitality designer, Annie Harrison of FARE INC, with a colour scheme that echoes Palestine’s landscape, focusing on olive green, earthy pinks, oranges and sand tones.

The ground and first floor dining rooms are muted but textured, with Verdigiris copper crafted lights, Herbon glass cases, bespoke wall hangings and olive bowls defining the space. Hanging vintage keys are displayed on walls throughout as a nod to the beautiful and treasured Palestinian key and a symbol of homes lost in the region. Tableware has been sourced from a third-generation Palestinian ceramist, Nur Minawi.

An internal courtyard, covered by a glass roof, will be flooded with light and accessible via a Verdigris vine motif railing staircase. Filled with olive trees and jasmine, in a nod to the sights and smells of Palestinian scenery.

Downstairs, the bar is striking in aesthetic, its walls covered with a mural depicting the landscape of the countryside and the lighting dimmed right down.

Lunch and dinner will be served from Tuesday to Sunday, and brunch on the weekend. akub has 68 covers in total.


For further information, please contact Lois on l.brown@gemmabellandcompany.com.


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