Yotam Ottolenghi’s fantastical dishes

Last year, the renowned Israeli-British chef and restauranteur Yotam Ottolenghi teamed up with the Italian artist and architect, Ivo Bisignano, to create a whimsical collection of dishes called FEAST. The new dinnerware collection was inspired by Ottolenghi’s colorful “culinary creations.”

Most chefs prefer for their food to be the star… keeping dishware simple with plain, white china; Ottolenghi is different however. Courtesy of Serax, “Alongside our newly-found co-creators in Serax, we have tried to tell the Ottolenghi story in objects. It is a story of the tension between the earthy and the sophisticated, between passion and refinement, tradition and novelty.”

Over the past few years, Ottolenghi’s dishes have conjured up plates full of colorful food; his signature style honors the basic vegetable, transforming it into a beautiful centerpiece… this starts with the tableware itself. In selecting Serax as the maker, Ottolenghi joins the ranks of many other Michelin chefs who defer to Serax as their choice in high-quality ceramic and porcelain dinnerware.

Ottolenghi notes that he often spends hours figuring out which plate pairs best with each recipe. The hope is that the newish collection will beget the happiness and enthusiasm that comes from sharing a meal with the people to whom you are closest. Courtesy of an article by Parker Bowie Larson for Elle Decor, “There is a lightness and happiness that comes with an array of bold colors. I don’t often like the feeling of restraint and constraint that come with formal tableware. As the name of the range suggests, this is a celebration, and my kind of celebration is pretty noisy.”

Just like the name, the collection is a feast for the eyes; informal yet overflowing with abundance. Featuring plates in a number of sizes and a fresh palette of bright colors, the designs include an “O-shaped” brush-stroke design that is sometimes alone on the plate and sometimes it is an accompaniment to more.

Bisignano also worked as a fashion illustrator and his husband, Alex Meitlis is the architect behind all of the Ottolenghi’s restaurants; as such, the collaboration was an organic partnership. Bisignano used the beauty of the letter “O” as the starting point for two reasons: the chef’s initial and because the circular motion brings back references to the idea of movement and change. And lastly, just a quick glance references the abstract features of a face.

In keeping with a carefree flair, Bisignano illustrated abstract vegetables such as peppers and artichokes using colors from Ottolenghi’s dishes: basil green, tomato red, and lemon yellow. Other tablewares are available in different colors: zesty yellow, cobalt blue, and dreamy azure, FEAST salutes the Mediterranean. The beauty with the collection is that everything can be mixed and matched so that you can select what compliments you.

In addition to plates, the collection also includes small bowls and large serving platters. For liquids, glasses and modern teacups are part of the FEAST collection. Finally, the FEAST cutlery is classic in styling and made from steel and walnut wood. All patterns are hand-painted and each piece comes with a colorful gift box.

Finally, Ottolenghi includes kitchen and table accessories in his collection. In order to properly display the food, stands in three different materials and two different seizes are available: metal stands in black or gold, terracotta stands, and concrete stands.