When Ottolenghi hands you the mantle of “new champion of Middle Eastern food”, you’ve got to be doing something right

When Ottolenghi hands you the mantle of “new champion of Middle Eastern food”, you’ve got to be doing something right.

Lebanese American chef and food writer Bethany Kehdy is on the receiving end of this acclaim, and is taking to Jago in Hanbury Street to share this gift.

Growing up in Lebanon during the most volatile years of the civil war, Kehdy’s family moved to the mountains, where her father set up a farm. She was raised to help with the harvest, make cheese and chase after chickens.

Having learnt the secrets of Middle Eastern food preparation from her father, grandmother and aunts, Kehdy has spent the past few years building herself a reputation for her modern approach to the traditional cuisine.

Kehdy’s week long dinner residency at Jago from November 7 to 11 follows a sold out pop up run at Marylebone’s Carousel restaurant.

She will be serving a five course meal to the lucky diners, with delights such as whipped hummus with duck awarma, charred fattoush with marrow croutons, pomegranate and grapefruit tahini, sour cherry kebab nests and khisk and turmeric soup - all recipes from her award winning book, The Jewelled Kitchen.

There will be a good selection of Lebanese wines to wash it down and Middle Eastern inspired cocktails, including her Arak Bloody Mary with za’atar and Mulberry Bellini.

Bookings can be made through jagorestaurant.com/bethany-kehdy. Jago, 68-80 Hanbury Street.