Rising Chef Narkis Alfi Shares Family Holiday Recipes

Narkis Alfi, a prominent rising culinary talent in Israel, has shared traditional family holiday recipes, highlighting her Iraqi-Jewish heritage. Alfi, who opened the successful Tel Aviv restaurant "Baina" three and a half years ago and later the popular pizzeria "Kutah," discussed her culinary journey and influences. She attributes much of her skill to her grandmother, whom she affectionately calls a "real sheikha" and "mini-sheikha" after herself, emphasizing the deep culinary traditions passed down through generations.

Alfi, 39, born in Holon to an Iraqi family, explained her grandmother's name change from Narjes in Iraq to Shoshana upon immigrating to Israel, before reverting to Narkis later in life. After gaining experience in high-end restaurants like "Shakuf," "Manochat Eden," "Pushkin," and "N. Ch. Abraxas" under chefs such as Eldad Shem-Tov, Gilad Feld, and Eyal Shani, Alfi felt ready to open her own establishments. She also completed an internship with Moshik Roth in Amsterdam and worked as sous chef at "Ketit" under Meir Adoni before becoming head chef at "Santa Caterina" and "Igara Rama."

Despite facing challenges, including opening Baina just before the recent war, the restaurant has thrived. Alfi also co-owns Kutah with Shelly Graebler. She acknowledged the demanding nature of the restaurant industry, particularly for women, but stated she has never felt discriminated against, though she noted instances where less qualified male colleagues were promoted over her. Alfi expressed support for affirmative action in the culinary world, citing the recent controversy over the absence of a female judge on "Chef Games."

For the holidays, Alfi shared her grandmother's "Kuba Patata" (potato dumplings) recipe, a variation of fish balls in red sauce with saffron potatoes, and Ofir Waknin, Baina's head chef, contributed his Moroccan-inspired "Oxtail, Chard, Chickpea, and Preserved Lemon Stew."

Alfi is currently focused on recouping her NIS 3.5 million investment in Kutah and hopes to eventually open more establishments, perhaps even a fine dining restaurant that can sustain itself more easily, joking that she would need many more "Kutahs" to afford her dream home with a pool.