We are always on the hunt for great food, friendly people and new perspectives. When we get all 3 of these in one place it really is a WOW moment. Faraz and Nima Ghorbani have succeeded in creating just such a place in Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Omelegg! Omelegg, The Netherlands first omeletterie, is a restaurant at its best. The food is simple and delicious and the service is some of the best in the city. If ever you are in Amsterdam, Omelegg is a certain stop for breakfast or lunch. Even if your not hungry, swing by for a cup of coffee and a chat with Faraz and Nima. Their friendly and welcoming demeanor makes Omelegg a great spot to check out.
In the Knickerbocker Glory spirit of searching out new perspectives, getting to know more people and spurring on conversation, we asked Nima and Faraz to answer a few questions about themselves and Omelegg. They were happy to oblige.
So please welcome the Owners and Chefs of Omelegg in Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Faraz and Nima Ghorbani
Tell us a little about yourselves – background, education, where are you from?
We, Faraz & Nima are two brothers, two friends but above all two partners. We take our ideals very serious and with our no-nonsense mentality, we believe that no dream is too great to realize. Our goal is not so much the financial benefits of doing business, but rather freedom, independence and proper time-expenditure. As ambitious as we are, we will keep it calm and never let our ambitions exceed our principles.
As far as education concerns we followed kind of the same path but in a different period. We both followed the bachelor of International Business Studies, and one of us also completed a master in Business Studies.
What gave you the idea to open an omelet shop? And how did you come up with the name?
The idea of starting a business together originated already some years ago, mostly because of our strong common believe that working for one’s self is a much better substantiation of “freedom” in life as opposed to building a career.
Nima and Faraz – Nice Guys and Owners of Omelegg in Amsterdam.
So, some years ago, we started with building websites for companies and launching an e-commerce website with herbal tea and food supplements, all of this alongside our studies and jobs. However, soon after that we found out that even though the online world is exciting and fun, we rather spend time in starting a tangible business. And given our interest in food and a slight obsession with cooking the choice was made pretty fast to get into the restaurant business.
Looking back, we still cannot pinpoint the exact moment that we came up with this idea, but at some point it just popped into our mind that there is no designated place where you can eat something as simple as an omelet in different variations. However, it took a while to realize how, potentially, great of an idea this could be. From that point on we started contemplating about what it should look like, who would be interested, where would it be located an so on… and finally after a period of 6 months looking for suitable locations we found a very appropriate shop for Omelegg to grow its roots.
The name was created pretty soon after seriously thinking the concept through. Simply bumping the words omelet and egg together created enough spark to form Omelegg.
Omelegg is recognized as the first omeletterie in the Netherlands. Do you think eggs are on the cutting edge for the Dutch scene?
Everything that is as “simple” as eggs has the potential of becoming cutting edge when it is presented well. But, we believe that eggs on their own are not the deciding factor here, although eggs are one of the most beloved ingredients throughout the world. This fact on itself was one of the reasons we took this simple concept very seriously, because regardless of any major religion or culture and its accessibility eggs are very popular. We think that it is the versatility and compatibility of eggs with a wide range of ingredients that makes it so beloved. But to answer your question, it is very well possible that omelets become nearly as popular as pancakes in the Dutch scene.
Omelegg is in Amsterdam. What do you think about the food scene there?
It’s getting there… Generally if you look at the Dutch food culture, it’s lacking the necessary body to even be considered as a culture on its own. However, in the past years Amsterdam is witnessing some serious shifts in the food offerings. Going out to eat and drink is becoming more and more important and it’s embedding with the culture in a creative and artistic way instead of being a simple social activity. This is what we think Amsterdam needs the most to live up to its cosmopolitan reputation.
The Ingredients are always fresh at Omelegg!
What is your vision of what you are trying to accomplish with Omelegg? What is the over riding experience you are giving your customer?
Our ambition is to create an atmosphere that takes you back into times where nature was an important part of our lives and food was honest by definition and not labeled to be something that it’s not.
They have to feel at home! We cannot emphasize more on this fact, and our team at Omelegg all know how much we value this. And the funny thing is that it’s so easy to achieve this, because we do not see the people entering Omelegg as customers, we see them as our guests, and we treat them accordingly as if they are guests in our house. Unfortunately in our experience this is lacking in so many places where we go, even a simple hello is hard to get in a lot of places these days. So, at the end it comes down to exceptional service.
What is your earliest food memory?
Nima: Rice-pudding 😀
Faraz: Yogurt with dried mint leaves and cucumber 😛
As people who are interested in food, who were your early role models?
Faraz: I have had never a role model to be honest, and especially not on a culinary level. However, I very much admire the works of Bill Granger and Jamie Oliver.
Nima: Frankly I love food by nature. Back in 2005 when I got my own place I started experimenting with whatever I had access to and what I could afford. Limitation unleashes creativity! Nevertheless I truly appreciate the BBC channel when it comes to cooking programs.
You have an omelet of the week. What do you use for inspiration to create the dish?
We basically try different omelets every week with ingredients we personally like. Also, we take into consideration seasonal influences and holidays. And sometimes we find some fresh ingredients on the market and experiment until we create a tasty Week Omelegg.
What is your favorite omelet? What is the most popular omelet ordered?
Faraz: Dates, some serious energy booster.
Nima: Spicy Mariachi (Jalapeños), the spicier the better.
Most popular: Farm Boy and the Popeye (spinach).
You sell a peanut butter and banana omelet. How did you come up with that dish and has it been popular?
We were familiar with the two ingredients being used together in sandwiches and even warm dishes, so we taught let’s try it, just for the fun of it. To our surprise it turn out to be a seriously tasty combination together with the egg.
What is next for Omelegg? 
Our dream with Omelegg is to expand in the near future. At this point, to be specific, we would like to create Omeleggs strictly in capital cities. However, you never know what the future will bring, but we are confident that we can push it in the direction we would like to ☺.
Omelegg! Definitely worth a visit!
Check out Omelegg’s customer reviews on Trip Advisor and YELP! Omelegg can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/omelegg.
Have you been to Omelegg to see Faraz and Nima? Do you have any questions for them? Do you have a favorite omelet? Lets us know all about it in the comments or in the contact form.
