{"id":3229,"date":"2021-03-04T13:44:41","date_gmt":"2021-03-04T13:44:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/?p=3229"},"modified":"2021-03-04T13:44:41","modified_gmt":"2021-03-04T13:44:41","slug":"from-tel-aviv-to-tib-street-the-chef-bringing-israeli-pittas-to-manchester","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/culture\/from-tel-aviv-to-tib-street-the-chef-bringing-israeli-pittas-to-manchester\/","title":{"rendered":"From Tel Aviv to Tib Street: The Chef Bringing Israeli Pittas to Manchester"},"content":{"rendered":"
Introduced as being <\/span>‘born out of boredom with an urge to feed you. Stuffed pittas with a focus on flavour as always’,\u00a0<\/em>The Pitta Shop was <\/span>Philip Cardy’s brainchild, spawned from his time in Israel and his memories of the shawarma stands he would so often frequent.<\/span><\/p>\n “Me and Sax<\/em> (Evelyn’s owner Sax Arshad) were talking about a few things to do during lockdown and we\u2019ve all been so bored, all of us, so we needed to do something. We had this idea in the background and thought \u2018let\u2019s just do it\u2019. It took us about a month and a bit to get it all together to make sure it was all right” <\/em>explains Phil, rolling out his latest addition to the Pitta Shop menu – a white chocolate and Biscoff babka that will serve as the menu’s sweet option to supplement the mountains of mouthwatering grilled meat and flatbread.<\/p>\n As chickpeas are blended behind us, ahead of being turned into some of the city’s finest falafel, Phil delivers one final, satisfying fold to his newest creation before trays of inka grilled, Persian spiced lamb and Middle Eastern inspired chicken are ferried to and from prep benches, with service set to start in a little under an hour’s time. With opening hours currently limited to just Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, there’s barely a moment to rest with demand proving to be astronomical since The Pitta Shop flung open it’s delivery doors last month.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n While a transition towards Middle Eastern street food has certainly streamlined operations for the time being, the level of care and attention to detail dedicated to preparation and flavour is arguably more impassioned than ever, as Phil seeks to replicate his culinary experiences in Israel for the Mancunian masses.<\/p>\n “We\u2019ve had pittas on the menu before. We had a Lebanese mushroom flatbread that we made in house and a Turkish kebab as well as a few other bits, so it\u2019s continuing similar things that we\u2019ve done before”<\/em> chronicles Phil, who’s background has helped curate several menu choices over the years (can still taste the hangover curing heat of his Shakshuka. An absolute life saver on so many Saturday lunch times). As he continues, you get the sense this latest project is a real labour of love.<\/p>\n “We come in the day before to get all the meat done because deliveries are a bit restricted due to lockdown. We get the meat and veg prepped, letting it marinade for 24 hours. The chicken\u2019s got some yoghurt in to tenderise it and the lamb\u2019s got some vinegar and lemon juice to break it down a bit easier, on top of loads of different flavours and spices. We have Persian spice for the lamb and a Middle Eastern shawarma spice in the chicken. <\/em><\/p>\n “Because we don\u2019t have the proper shawarma stand gear here, we\u2019re using the Inka grill and then tenderising it in the oven and thinly slicing it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n “When we get an order, we\u2019re mixing it with what we\u2019re calling a gentleman\u2019s relish, which has plenty of umami flavour. It just adds that moisture that you\u2019ve lost from cooking it previously. For the falafel, I\u2019ve always wondered why people in England use tinned chickpeas for falafel. You should be using raw chickpeas, soaking them and then blending them down.”<\/em><\/p>\n And it’s not just what to do with the ingredients once they hit his kitchen counters that dominates Phil’s thoughts, but also where to source everything from in the first place. Namely, where could he find the perfect pitta?<\/p>\n “I just compare it to what I used to have in Israel, to be honest. The first place I went was Prestwich, I just started talking to people who live there to see where they get their pittas from. The pittas you get from supermarkets and a lot of suppliers in England are dog shit. We use a guy called Pittanoor, which is the guy everyone told me to use. He brought us a couple of samples in and as soon as I opened the packet, I knew they\u2019d be great. We had the option of spelt flour, wholemeal or plain ones and, because the background of Evelyn\u2019s is healthy eating, we chose the wholemeal ones.”<\/em><\/p>\n The more you talk to Phil, the more you understand just how important his background and Israeli upbringing are to the way he runs his kitchen and develops his menus. An intense work ethic was instilled from his formative years, working in hotel kitchens in Israel when most youngsters in England are beginning their first paper rounds.<\/p>\n “I was born in England, but around the age of 11 I emigrated to Israel with my father. I grew up there and had a lot of my childhood there, so I\u2019m a bit of a mixture. My mentality\u2019s more Israeli but I sound like a scumbag Essex boy!<\/em><\/p>\n “I worked in lots of different kitchens in Israel. Hotels mainly, from a very young age. I\u2019ve been working since I was 13. I was working more than I was in school, I didn\u2019t go to school very much. I was renting out a flat with another mate of mine when I was 15, 16.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n