5 of the Best 'Small Maker' Artisanal Knives for a Sleek Cooking Set Upgrade — According to the Chef of St. James's Chicest New Restaurant
When choosing a knife, "what I look for is the angle of the blade and the steel it's made from," says Shadi Issawy, who helms London's dazzling Mediterranean eatery Claro
Chef's Essentials is the Livingetc series exploring your favorite chefs' go-to kitchen utensils and how they contribute to shaping their craft, so that you, too, can start collecting their treasured cookware — each piece uniting functionality and style — and hone your culinary art.
There is an unexpectedly familial energy to the bathing-in-sunshine, elegant dining room of Claro in St. James's, the London sister address to chef and restaurateur Ran Shmueli's original Mediterranean eatery in Tel Aviv, which he opened in 2014. And no, it's not just the essentially striking mid-century modern furniture that, placed atop the black and white, checkered floor of this listed, former bank building, imbues the space with a sense of home.
Established in October 2024, the restaurant is helmed by the burgeoning culinarian Shadi Issawy, who picked up his gastronomic flair for beautiful, seasonal dishes with bold flavors from his food-versed family — whether assisting his pastry chef mother with baking or quietly observing his grandfather assemble the wild game his relatives gathered on a hunting trip into a slowly unfolding, layered hunters' stew.
It was a group of four long-term friends who set up Claro, Shmueli being one of them. Putting a warm, approachable spin on Mediterranean fine dining from the Middle East, the restaurant's head chef, Issawy, was tapped with a new mission when it opened two years ago: transporting the hearty cuisine of Tel Aviv to the heart of London. A mission he wouldn't have accomplished so successfully without the help of his trusted kitchen essentials.
What Kitchen Essential Speaks Most to Your Craft?
"My cooking utensil of choice has got to be the knife. Most knives are Japanese, and over the years, I have learned to prefer smaller, artisanal makers over big brands. The criteria based on which I pick my knives are two: the angle of the blade itself and the kind of steel it is made from, which to me is the most important component of this kitchen essential. Here are five impressively crafted knives that pass the restaurant test."
"This beautiful Victorinox knife is used for slicing bread and sometimes for high-volume vegetable cutting. I find that it can also be useful with filleting big fish, like salmon."
"I like this specific Deba knife because of its heavy weight, which gives me the possibility to cut through bones." After a more affordable alternative? Try this Sous Chef one.
"This has become my most-used knife. Although intended for bone, its shape fits my hands so well that I use it for almost everything."
"This Japanese Sushi Sashimi Chef Knife Shiroko by Syosaku is another must-have. I use it mostly for slicing fish, given its length and design."
"Because of the short curve of its blade, I use this F. DICK turning knife mostly for delicate things and peeling."
Curious to read more about more London restaurants that, like Claro, are attracting momentum with their moreish delicacies and iconic interiors? Stick with us just a little longer.
