He tells us a story about a dish he tried in Thailand: simple chicken on sticks, rice, and a papaya salad. Yet it remains the best thing he’s ever eaten. Those little stories made him the determined chef he is today.
Nadav’s approach to a good kitchen stands apart from many Berlin chefs. He offers international classics on a menu that looks humble and almost shy to the innocent client.
However, the attention to detail and preparation behind each dish is anything but simple. Take, for instance, the Onion Rings on the menu, a dish often associated with more casual dining, a brasserie indeed. His interpretation is made with fresh ingredients, onions that have been sous-vided in buttermilk, fried to perfection and served with an onion soup to round it up.
Another example is the “perfect fries”, a must-have on the menu of Scirocco. He didn't content himself with a simple plate of fries and created his approach to the popular side dish. A special kind of regional potato is used, meaning the fries are only available if the potatoes are available. The potatoes are steamed in a salted brine solution until soft, then fried twice at different temperatures. This dish highlights the chef's refined simplicity you find in his dishes. The idea of the restaurant is to present food that inspires, that makes the client go, hmm, I don't know what I am eating, but I love it. The detailed and researched ingredients that make the dishes unique are intentionally not highlighted on the menu. Food is not supposed to be the centre of attention when you have a memorable evening with friends or family. It’s not the movie's hero but the side character that makes the main character achieve what he couldn't do without.
I asked myself long before the interview what Scirocco meant. Nadav explained that Scirocco is the word for the wind that brings heat from North Africa to Europe. I don’t think you could think of a better name for such a concept.
Felix is a whole different character. He has this smiling, blond hair, blue eyes kind of face and looks like he just returned from holidays. Felix has been working in gastronomy ever since he was 17 years old. He thrives on improvement and constant change. His entrepreneurial heart dreams big, and he proudly talks about many more restaurants to come. He gave sneak peeks of projects in the future and fantasised about the whole street of Kudamm becoming one big terrace. When he told me about the coincidence of getting to the excellent location, I could only express the luck he must have had. His answer was the harder you work, the luckier you get. We feel like Scirocco represents that quite well. Both have come a long way to finally sit in their restaurant, buzzing with life only a few months after the opening. It’s the outcome that matters because, looking back, no luck could have brought someone that far.
Spoiler alert: Scirocco plans to open an ice cream shop next to the restaurant soon. It’s a different approach to the beloved traditional refreshment. Classic types of ice cream, along with refined and modern scoops. The dessert menu at the restaurant already gives you a preview of the exciting flavours. Have you ever tried Burrata ice cream with olive oil? Trust us, it’s worth trying.
