By:Betty Coker, Editor in Chief For World Liberty TV
C3 by sbe and Los Angeles’ Babka King and pastry chef Shimi Aaron will be celebrating the launch of lifestyle Café EllaMia at Citizens New York, the culinary epicenter at Manhattan West.
We were invited to meet Chef Shimi Aaron for a tastemaker brunch celebrating the preview of his EllaMia breakfast and lunch menus.
Key menu highlights include Chef Shimi’s modern takes on babka breads such as Babka Avocado Toast, Babka French Toast and International Pastries, along with sandwiches and soups that are rich with culinary flare. An assortment of brunch cocktails will be provided.
Fans of Chef Shimi’s babkas include comedians Chloe Fineman (Saturday Night Live) and Alex Edelman (Saturday Night Seder), as well as culinary host Jake Cohen.
Chef Shimi Aaron, did a live baking demonstration for of us, where he prepared his famous Babka, he finished making the dough and added the indigents that go into making the Babka, when asked he told us that all the ingredients are fresh nothing is artificial.
He learned from his grandmother and mother and then added some of his own creativity, after the baking process, Chef Shimi add orange peel kind of syrup made with fresh fruits and other ingredients, then added edible Rose Petals and fresh Pistacio.
Once I tried it, it was a superb dessert, that’s melts in your mouth, you can taste everything fresh with each bite, had a nice taste to it. No wonder they call Chef Shimi, the Babka King.
After the presentation we were treated to a brunch, it was fully prepared by Chef Shimi and his staff members, there was array of salads, desserts, eggplant dishes, low fat yogurt parfait, Triangle pancakes with a homemade sauce and so much more.
About Chef Shimi Aaron :Shimi Aaron is an Israeli-born chef based in Los Angeles who has experience working all around the world. Chef Shimi feels deeply connected to his roots and brings forth his Egyptian, Iraqi, and Yemeni heritage in his creations. Having been raised by three avid traditional cooks in the family’s kitchen – his mother Shoshana, and his grandmothers, Allegra and Shulamit, he grew fascinated by food, spices, and bold flavors from a very young age.
Aaron has always seen food as an inclusive tool to bridge between cultures, religions, and personalities. His passion for sparking conversations, creating connections, and pushing the envelope with his extraordinary persona shines through with every element of his art form. He puts a modern twist on traditional dishes using distinctive colors, orthodox and unorthodox techniques that shed new light on his family’s original recipes. Ultimately, his enriched culinary palette creates an unforgettable, unique experience.
Since moving to Los Angeles in 2019, Aaron has made a name for himself for his artisanal and spectacular babkas. In 2020, the LA Times named him the future Babka King of LA. Since then that term has stuck far beyond Los Angeles, and Aaron’s babkas have been featured in publications all around the world, earning him thousands of followers and paving the way for his babka empire.
About EllaMia: EllaMia offers a modern take on craft coffee culture, partnering Italian coffee purveyor Lavazza with a sophisticated menu of breakfast, lunch and early dinner offerings.
Helmed by International Chef Shimi Aaron, EllaMia provides offerings for all occasions and with morning pastries and babka breads featuring the season’s freshest ingredients, to gourmet sandwiches and soups that are rich in flavor. With plans for national and international expansion, EllaMia locations are planned to open in markets such as New York, San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego and Chicago, as well as on University campuses around the country, including Arizona State, UC Berkeley, Iowa State, University of Michigan and more.
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