The Friday Dinner Club

  • Asian
  • European
  • Mediterranean
  • Middle Eastern
  • Turkish
  • Kosher
  • Vegan/Vegetarian
  • Gluten-Free
  • Allergy-Friendly
  • Can work with Limited Kitchen
  • Enjoy Teaching
  • Event Catering
  • Breakfast & Brunch
  • Desserts & Pastries

My Cooking Style

Growing up in a Moroccan- Lebanese home was the starting point of my journey into the realm of professional kitchens.

Acquiring my culinary degree in Israel gave me the opportunity to establish my own version of Mediterranean - Middle Eastern cuisine.
All pastries and desserts are done by me and my wife, the pastry chef , Leetal. you can view more of her creations on her profile:
http://www.kitchensurfing.com/leetalarazi
You can also find me on my website -
http://www.nyshuk.com/

My Culinary Experience

Having learnt the fundamentals in culinary school, I decided to broaden my culinary resources in NYC. Working under mentor chefs as Yuhi Fujinaga, Hiromitsu Takahashi and Susur Lee gave me a close insight to both a traditional and a modern take on Japanese and Chinese heritage cuisine.

Merging this experience with my Moroccan - Lebanese roots gave me an opportunity to create my own unique style of middle eastern- Mediterranean cuisine. I executed those different styles of cooking as a sous chef in a Spanish inspired tapas restaurant in Israel.
Having a Moroccan mother means that every Friday night (no exceptions!) we all seat together to enjoy a traditional Moroccan dinner. As a child, I remember coming back from the synagogue with my Dad to those amazing smells of stews cooked with cinnamon, cumin, saffron, onions, to name a few. We start by blessing the wine and the fresh challah that my mom made, sitting down at this amazing colorful table that includes dishes such as: Matbucha, za'aluka, slada dil'barba and many others to start with. We then continue to a big center plate of hand rolled couscous accompanied by braised saffron chicken with preserved lemons and olives. Every meal would end with a hot cup of mara mia which is sage blossom tea and a small piece of homemade marzipan or sfinge (honey soaked doughnut) on special occasions.
Being a kitchensurfing chef, am hoping to bring my take on a Middle Eastern family meal to NYC kitchens.

Certified in food protection by the NYC department of health.

My Three Favorite Ingredients

corriander seeds , chili pepper and cured lemon

A Menu I Once Served 80 People

A wedding reception in the restaurant I was working for. A Mediterranean feast! Menu included:
Anchovy stuffed olives
Hearts of lettuce wrapped with sirloin roast and saffron aioli. Toasted sourdough bread with fresh grated spicy tomatoes. Tomatoes and bell peppers gazpacho
Homemade empanadas.
Calamari with fresh herbs, grilled tomatoes and olives
Stuffed Swiss chard with zucchini and yogurt
Charred cauliflower with almond sauce
Seafood paella
Ricotta gnocchi with Syrian olive oil and chilies
Grilled crystal shrimps with corn butter and miso
Panzanela salad
Artichoke hearts with labane cheese and fresh za'atar

Pictures (10)

  • couscous topped with braised meat

    couscous topped with braised meat

  • challah

    challah

  • potato salad

    potato salad

  • Pumpkin stew with caramelized onions, almonds and raisins

    Pumpkin stew with caramelized onions, almonds and raisins

  • roasted eggplant salad on toast

    roasted eggplant salad on toast

  • meatballs stuffed with quail egg in a spicy tomato sauce

    meatballs stuffed with quail egg in a spicy tomato sauce

  • Baba Rum

    Baba Rum

  • chickpea and meat stew

    chickpea and meat stew

  • Harrisa spiced carrot salad

    Harrisa spiced carrot salad

  • Hand-rolled couscous

    Hand-rolled couscous

Reviews (9)

Overall Rating

100% Positive

  • Didn't meet
    Expectations
  • Exceeded
    Expectations
Detailed Rating
Food
Cleanliness
Menu Accuracy
Service
Communication
Charisma
  • Didn't meet
    Expectations
  • Exceeded
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Christopher M. Christopher

Ron did a small dinner for five people featuring his hand-rolled couscous with a Spring Lamb. He also did his variation on traditional Moroccan bread—he adds a little bit of sourdough so it's chewier and not as cakey (which I loved). All in: Ron is an incredible pro—always on time, great follow up, and exquisite food.

I've worked with him on multiple occasions and hope to work with him again in the future. He's got a passion for sharing his heritage through food and it's a privilege to be the recipient of that.

HOST
Jeremy L. Jeremy

Ron catered a dinner for 20. It was great.

HOST
Kathleen K. Kathleen

Wonderful evening!
Ron and his wife made the most fantastic meal for our friends . We celebrated and enjoyed the evening completely.

HOST
Saskia S. Saskia

Ron and his lovely wife Leetal prepared an extraordinary dinner for 6 in our home to celebrate my birthday. Every one of our guests, all picky New York City foodies, was blown away by the quality of the ingredients and their preparation, the care and attention to presentation and the passion with which Ron and Leetal explained what we were enjoying. These two have all the talent to go very far, and we will be booking them again in the near future. Thank you Ron and Leetal!

HOST
Vincent W. Vincent

The experience was fantastic. Ron and his wife made amazing food, took the time to share the origins of the recipes, dishes, tastes, etc. They also let us partake in making the ravioli which was a very fun experience. All 4 of us had a really good time.

HOST
Samantha C. Samantha

Ron and Lital conceptualized, made and served a beautiful, delicious and well balanced Friday night feast for my family. They accommodated our dairy and gluten intolerances without compromising taste or style. From my young children to their grandparents, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the taste sensations! Unequivocally recommend Ron and Lital to others!!

HOST
ariane g. ariane

Ron was fantastic. The service, food and company was just superb. DEFINITELY recommended again!

HOST
Priya P. Priya

Ron was a wonderful wonderful chef. He made us an incredible (made-from-scratch) Moroccan feast, complete with hand-made couscous. I've never had anything like it. It was a delicious meal and carefully crafted to show off tastes from the region. I couldn't recommend him higher.

Christopher M. Christopher

Ron made an amazing meal assisted by his wife and pastry chef, Leetal. The brief to Ron was: make a meal that's meaningful to you for a dinner party. Ron did not disappoint. He drew on his Moroccan and Lebanese heritage to create a richly spiced and textured meal that consisted of: homemade couscous (you usually can't buy the real thing which is made out of semolina flour), crostina, Moroccan salads, and an amazing seasonal pumpkin, chickpea, and caramelized onion concoction to put over the couscous. Everything was spectacular—earthy and flavorful on a cold winter night. On top of that, Ron also freshly baked some Moroccan bread, which was out of this world. The kitchen was left completely spotless and both Ron and Leetal were amazing personalities and enjoyed sharing their food and cultural traditions. We couldn't have asked for more.

HOST
Ron Arazi

Ron Arazi

9
Reviews
100% Positive

$55

Hourly rate

Fact Sheets

Languages Spoken English Hebrew
Min. booking 10 hours
Max. people 80

Ron Arazi's Cities

New York, United States