In celebration of the launch of Café EllaMia at Citizens New York, C3 by sbe and chef Shimi Aaron hosted an intimate brunch, previewing the new breakfast and lunch menu items.
The event started with an exclusive babka demonstration, by none other than the Babka King himself, chef Shimi Aaron. We watched him braid the dough and prepare it for baking as we learned about his Egyptian, Iraqi, and Yemeni influences in his culinary creations.
Pictured: Chef Shimi Aaron
“I’m making my own chocolate ganache, and I roast my egg nuts by myself and I chop it by myself because I’m very picky about the ingredients that I use,” says chef Shimi Aaron during the demonstration. “The menu itself, the savory items and some of the desserts are based on family recipes with a modern twist.”
Combining all of his international experiences, chef Shimi Aaron points out that aesthetics are important, as well as food that is “approachable,” tasty, and messy in all the best ways. He recalls plenty of schnitzel in his childhood home as he also demonstrated the Schnitzel Caesar Sandwich and the Sabich Burger for us. He says, “I decided to create the middle eastern caesar version, so I call it: Schnitzel Caesar Sandwich.”
Pictured: Chef Shimi Aaron
We tasted some items that will be featured on the new EllaMia menu such as: The Dolma Greek Salad, The Fancy Aubergine, Spinach & Feta Pinwheels, Crispy Stuffed Pancakes, Sabich Burger, Schnitzel Caesar Sandwich, and more.
Photo courtesy of EllaMia/C3
Chef Shimi Aaron and C3—a leading food tech platform designed to bring communities together through the love of food—present items “…that are filled with fresh ingredients such as garlic, eggplants, avocados, heirloom tomatoes, and cauliflower. Drawing on his famed babka bread, EllaMia will offer both classic and new babka confections featuring ingredients such as chocolate ganache, hazelnuts, halva, pecans, rose petals and candied citrus zest.”
Photo courtesy of EllaMia/C3
Be on the lookout for more EllaMia locations across the country. For now, chef Shimi Aaron’s new EllaMia menu is available at C3’s culinary market, Citizens New York at Manhattan West.