Following his departure from sustainable seafood restaurant Fish & Co. early last year, chef Tom Kime will be opening the doors to his next Sydney venue, Ceru this week.
Inspired by the flavours of the Levant (Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Jordon and Israel) the Ceru brand was conceived in London (Kime’s hometown) a number of years ago by Kime and British restaurateur, Barry Hilton. The pair have now decided to bring the Ceru brand to the streets of Sydney and have opened on the ground floor of the Larmont Hotel in Potts Point.
Kime and the Ceru team have created a menu comprising unique dishes using authentic ingredients, spice blends and flavour combinations from the Levant.
"The vibrant, three dimensional food demonstrates a modern approach to serving bold flavours of the Middle East to tell one heck of a story," says Kime. "Inspired by the street food of the Eastern Mediterranean and Levant, our dishes are made with culinary authenticity, choosing their own identity rather than bowing to regional traditions. We call it ‘food without borders’.”
The menu has been designed to share and features marinated and fried halloumi with cherry tomatoes, olives and oregano; slow roasted lamb shoulder with shawarma spices; and a warm salad of spiced cauliflower, pomegranate, roasted walnuts and pea shoots. Keeping in mind with Kime’s sustainable ethos, all seafood on the menu will be MSC certified.
Drinks wise, the wine list comprises biodynamic and chemical free options sourced from Australia, New Zealand and the rest of the globe; craft beers from boutique producers; and an impressive cocktail list along with Rainforest Alliance certified coffee and freshly squeezed organic juices.
Hospitality caught up with Kime late last year to chat about his inspiration behind the Ceru brand. Click here to read the full article.