Chef Assaf Vered Shares Insights on Cooking Passion and Home Meals

Assaf Vered, known for his intense restaurant kitchen work and precise plating, reveals his personal cooking preferences and professional insights in a recent interview. While accustomed to high-pressure service environments, at home he favors simple, wholesome meals like whole roasted fish with fresh herbs, olive oil, and good bread. Vered emphasizes the importance of quality ingredients and patience, especially when cooking fish, which many find intimidating but is straightforward with the right technique.

Vered describes the restaurant kitchen as demanding, with long hours and intense work, but says the adrenaline and immediate feedback from seeing empty plates make it rewarding. He advises against overcomplicating dishes with too many techniques, advocating instead for letting the main ingredients shine. He also rejects the use of pre-made sauces and synthetic ingredients, calling out dishes that rely on artificial truffle oil as overrated.

On home cooking, Vered appreciates classic comfort foods like meatball sandwiches, which he considers five-star meals if made with care. His top tip for home cooks is not to fear seasoning, high heat, and to trust good-quality ingredients, which do much of the work. Vered’s approach blends professional discipline with a love for simple, authentic flavors.