Yotam Ottolenghi can be credited with a great leap forward in British home cooking.
Like Elizabeth David and Jamie Oliver before him, the Israeli-born - now Regent's Park-based chef - transformed our approach to food. In his case, championing Middle-Eastern ingredients like sumac, za'atar, labneh, and pomegranate molasses to zhuzh up our humble veg.
The very presence of one of his delis on the high street is said to boost house prices and, for those who can't be bothered to assemble a dozen new ingredients for a midweek supper, it's certainly convenient to have one on your doorstep.
With its terrace and big windows displaying a cornucopia of baked goods, the deli restaurant on Rosslyn Hill, once a Carluccios then vegan restaurant Kojo, is a perfect location.
Opened in December there's a rolling service from morning coffee, pastries and breakfasts to lunch salads, lovingly displayed on wide platters, and refreshed throughout the day.
By dinner, the candlelit tables were full of friends chatting and sharing plates of delicious, healthy food - an informal style of communal eating celebrated by Ottolenghi himself.
It's a convivial, but mercifully low-noise atmosphere, that really lends itself to good conversation and good food.
Even the drinks feel beneficial, my Bellini was a blend of fresh peach juice and prosecco that I almost fancied could be one of my five a day as I grazed on crunchy za'atar pita chips dipped in yoghurt and chili.
There are other non alcoholic juice blends for those who don't partake and a carefully selected wine list including a fine southern French red by the glass.
Staff are young, enthusiastic, and knowledgable on unfamiliar ingredients and the complexity of multi-layered and textured salads that borrow from myriad cultural influences.
We enjoyed a heaped portion of kale, grape, bulgar wheat, pickled onion, and seeds, a roasted aubergine with a daub of yoghurt the zing of cumin, and sweet apricot chutney, and a creamy hummus with roasted carli peppers, and spicy Tatbelah sauce scooped up with softly folded Ladopita flatbreads.
Mains arrived. Had we over-ordered?
A pair of garlicky chipotle portobello mushrooms atop butterbean mash with coleslaw was a vegetarian's dream.
A skewer of crisp skinned chicken with punchy spice and crunchy pomegranate seeds, and a hearty bowl of meatballs in a paprika laced tomato stroganoff was topped with dill pickled cucumber and sour cream was a carnivore's dream.
The most straightforward dish was a beautifully-cooked translucent cod steak served with lemon and burnt buttered greens which we eagerly shared.
Luckily Ottolenghi is no fun sponge when it comes to desserts - you are encouraged to select from the legendary cake display - a hazelnut cake with chocolate ganache for him, a raspberry and lemon mini loaf with intense passionfruit flavoured buttercream for me.
If you have over-ordered they will box it up to take home for lunch next day.
Like us you may leave feeling full but not weighed down, and reflecting that this flavourful veg-forward cuisine is really how we should be eating now.
Ottolenghi is serving at 32, Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead from 8am-9.30pm Monday-Saturday and from 9am to 6pm on Sundays.
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