Nimrod Norman is the chef of the 02 restaurant in Jerusalem, Israel, and has a deep connection to Jerusalem and its culinary history. With over a decade of experience in Israel's vibrant culinary scene, Nimrod has led the culinary direction of a range of restaurants infusing ideas from modern and traditional Middle Eastern cuisines.
Before 02 restaurant, Nimrod designed the menu and led the kitchens of Bar 51 – a tapas bar situated in the heart of Tel Aviv, Cafe Trumpeldor, Anna Italian cafe, and Yudale – the younger sister to the wildly popular Machneyuda restaurant in Jerusalem.
"For many, food is a form of escapism – whether you're escaping the busy work life or celebrating a wedding anniversary. Within that spectrum – food serves as a transient moment of escape from the everyday monotony and a chance to celebrate both our rich multicultural history and thirst for novelty"
Nimrod was raised in Israel, the USA, and Australia, and strives to embed his multicultural experiences into the craft of cooking. As a chef, he is pragmatic – treading a fine line between using high-quality local produce and making culinary culture accessible. In doing so, Nimrod embraces the zeitgeist while creating experiences imbued with elegance and simplicity.
“Food was always a big part of my life; whether it was going to the market with my father on Fridays, eating traditional Jewish Iraqi food at my grandmother’s on Saturdays, helping my mother bake, or skipping school to watch cooking shows. I finished my army service in 2007, and was looking for a job. A friend was already a chef de partie, and he told me the restaurant had an opening in the pastry department. I was hooked after two years, but didn’t think of it as a profession until a few years later, when I studied pharmacy at college. As a pharmacology student, I have a natural affinity to science; a lot of what I love about cooking is looking at what goes into the pot or pan from an educated standpoint."
"In every aspect of our life, we see technology and screens pervading every-day tasks. Shared dining is one of those remaining rituals for real connection and an escape from the relentless interactivity of our age."
