TENTEN: Lovely, lively world of Leli
Emanuel Gjokaj, or Leli, prepares great sandwiches in his little Prishtina shop. But he's also a great illustrator, both funny and deep. And he's a biker. And a tattooist. Perfect for our TenTen!
Many years ago, ‘everyone’ in Prishtina knew Leli’s dad Pren Gjokaj, the famous English language professor in one of the top schools. And everyone knew Leli’s cousins Gjoni and Loni who owned Prishtina’s iconic speakeasy “Jonny’s”. But Leli, or Emanuel Gjokaj as is his real name, was a guy who was living in New York, working creatively in the fashion industry, experienced in visuals and merchandising for storefronts from Sony to J.Crew. He was living the big life in the Big Apple, with a distinctive dapper look.
But then Leli returned to Prishtina and he’s one of those quiet figures in the city that is an essential ingredient to what makes a city, city. Leli worked as creative advisor in Kosovo’s diplomatic efforts to increase cultural diplomacy footprint and then decided to go solo, opening a cute, little, tasty shop named Le Sandwich (now in two locations and on Wolt), bringing that juicy, NYC-style burger to Prishtina. But his creative soul is restless so you’ll see him drawing, he’s still working as a fashion director for a big clothes group in Kosova. He’s also a biker and with his big beard, doesn't look out of place when riding old, classical moto bikes in curvy streets of Prishtina. Except he does that in a three piece suit and a tie. Leli is now also apprenticing for tattooing, is a married dad of a son and altogether and all-round Prishtina mensch who had a chutzpah to provide the city with proper nosh, to use some proper newyorkish expressions. Soooo, here’s TenTen with Leli!
1) Hello Leli, New York vs. Kosovo – If your burger joint had to represent both places in one dish, what would be in it?
Hi Suzzie, NYXXK burger? Well it’ll have a juicy, classic, New York-style beef patty, topped with a rich layer of Ajvar. Bun would be soft but sturdy brioche bun, which is classic American style, but lightly brushed with olive oil for that Mediterranean touch, just to echo Kosova’s hearty and rustic cuisine. Add some young onions or scallions, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, fresh cucumber. And my secret sauce? Hmmm… I could tell you but than i would have to kill you LOL… and a side of hand cut fries obviously
2) How did New York shape your artistic side, and how is Kosovo shaping it now?
It’s a big question which requires biggly answer. NYC? Where do I even start.. creativity, diversity, innovation, energy. Then, it’s that constant exposure to groundbreaking art across various mediums—from visual art to performance, to just whatever you experience walking in the street. This all has deeply inspired me.
On the other hand, Kosova hits different for me. Being in a post-conflict society, Kosova has a unique blend of history, resilience, identity, heritage The impact of political history and the sort of cultural rebirth after war, always inspire me to reflect on themes like identity, freedom. New York is more broad, eclectic, Kosova is more intimate, in constant development.
3) If you had to make a tattoo that represents Kosovo’s energy, what would it look like?
Can I answer with a drawing of mine? This:
4) Moto biking through Kosovo and biking through USA—what’s the biggest difference (besides the potholes)?
LOL! A biker question. Well… beyond the potholes, one of the biggest differences between moto biking through Kosovë and the USA is the landscape and how the journey feels. In Kosovë, the roads wind through the mountains and offer a much more rugged, intimate experience of nature. You know roads are tight, often with dramatic changes in elevation, and the scenery feels raw. There’s a certain sense of freedom and adventure as you ride through small villages, with the environment feeling more personal and less industrialized. In contrast, biking across the USA is completely different. The infrastructure is more developed, so you’re often riding on very long, predictable roads, and the experience can feel more organized, not as exciting.
5) What’s the one secret ingredient in your sandwiches that no one expects?
Honestly, there just isn’t any secret ingredient anymore. In the very beginning, when we opened the shop, we used to have red, pickled cherry peppers, but due to not being able to have them consistently, we kinda had to remove them as I hate inconsistency of what you offer to costumers. But I do miss the red, little devils…
6) If you could tattoo one historical figure, who would it be and what design would you give them?
Tricky one… haven’t thought about this but if I could, it would probably be Scanderbeg. But do him in a non traditional way, away from usual designs out there. I’ll have to start thinking now more on this….
7) If you would make a comic book with your illustrations, what would the theme be and who would be key characters?
Huh. I would wanna draw a comics with Prishtina’s silly lack of any rules and regulations that we confront on daily bases. You know, traffic issues, electricity, potholes, sidewalks etc. But I would put Marvel characters tackling these issues and having to deal with government bureaucracy and daily problems, rather than fighting villains. Here’s an example:
8) You also use to work in public diplomacy, now you own a super sandwich place, you are a great illustrator and a tattoo enthusiast? What brings you chill and what makes you stressful in all these diverse parts of your life?
Uff, you captured big, diverse chunks of my life. For me, the things that bring me chill are all the creative parts of any ‘job’—whether it’s illustrating or connecting with people through the food I serve at the sandwich place, or discussing about arts with visitors in a diplomatic conference. Being able to express myself visually or through creating something delicious and sharing it with others is pretty relaxing and fulfilling. So, sharing and creativity is important for chill. On the flip side, the stressful part always came from working with government bureaucracy, either when doing public diplomacy or running a small family business. But there’s some good stress too and the variety can be a good thing—constantly switching between different modes of creativity and connection keeping things dynamic in life and work.
9) What is the latest TV show, film, music, art work or a book that left deep impression on you and why?
Right now? Ren’s music is really something… He has this ability to blend raw, personal lyrics with distinctive production, often mixing genres in a way that feels fresh and captivating. What draws me in is the way he creates such a raw, emotive experience. Listen to “Hi Ren” just to get a taste of that combo of self-reflection and confronting personal demons.
10) Back to food. We’re hungry. If you could pick three "Albanian" ingredients for your sandwich shop in New York, what would those be?
Ajvar for sure. Fli, but I still haven’t quite figured it out how to use it creatively. And lastly kajmak.
