Despite his huge success, Shani (now in his 60s) never planned a culinary career. His dream was to work in cinema in Hollywood. However, after learning cinematography in Tel Aviv, he couldn’t find work and fell into becoming a chef, thanks, he says, to a vision he had.
He was living alone in the Carmel mountains in his 20s, surviving on charcoal-cooked pita bread and meat. One night, he says, he woke with the vision that he had to cook.
Inspiration also came from maternal grandfather Yosef Cohaner, a ninth-generation Sabra and agronomist who introduced avocado and passion fruit to Israel. Shani often accompanied him when he visited markets, fields and vineyards around Israel.
Shani’s first job was in the kitchen of The Sharon Hotel in Herzliya. He had no formal training, so every time the French chef told him to make something he popped out to his car to consult his precious copy of American author Julia Child’s cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Four months later he was promoted to sous chef.
By the age of 30 he had opened his first fish restaurant Oceanus in his home city of Jerusalem, which became renowned for delicious bouillabaisse (fish soup). A well-known food critic hailed the restaurant as the best in Israel.
A trip to Italy changed his culinary life and ultimately the face of Israeli cuisine, when he tasted fish cured with orange juice and olive oil in a Rome restaurant.
Back in Israel, he experimented, replacing the orange with lemon juice, and introduced fish carpaccio to the Israeli food scene.
Simple cooking of vegetables is what he has been most famed for. “The revolution was when I began to make naked food, not coated with butter or cream, but food that works with firewood and is coated in olive oil, sea salt and wild herbs.” He describes his latest addition, Dvora as “the wild sister” of his first kosher TelAviv restaurant Malka. There will be no traditional first course, main or dessert but instead the place will have a bar vibe, offering “the most beautiful sandwiches in Israel”.
The sandwich concept is inspired by the success of his international Miznon chain of restaurants which redefined food in a pita and Israeli street food.
Cooking kosher food at this meaty restaurant presents few obstacles for the self-taught chef, as his staple ingredient is olive oil. Desserts can be more of a challenge, but he says, thanks to the improvements in vegan milk and butter, the results are sometimes even better than the dairy versions.
Eyal Shani at his restaurant Malka in Tel Aviv ( Ariel Ephron photography)
The menu showcases some of Shani’s signature dishes such as ‘bag of garlicky green beans’ and HaSalon’s focaccia. New dishes include roast beef carpaccio; nude chocolate cake, strawberries and sage crumble and glazed sweet potato covered with white coconut fur and holly bread.
As at Malka the design is cool and funky — steering away from old-school, staid kosher. His dream is to see Orthodox and secular people mixing at midnight. With Malka, attracting many secular Israelis, this should not be a problem.
Eyal Shani at his restaurant Malka in Tel Aviv ( Ariel Ephron photography)
He finds time in his hectic schedule to be a judge on Israeli TV’s version of MasterChef, where he says he is looking not for polished presentation, but rather the rawest of talent.
“Sometimes because people aren’t professional, they don’t know the rules — they are virgins. I’m looking for that virginity, because it’s the crystal of the power of the creativity.”
The pioneering cook and businessman has more than 3,000 staff working within his food empire, but says it’s passion not profit that motivates him. “Making restaurants isn’t the way to make money. We are doing it because we want to touch people around the world and let them feel the magic.”
Next are two London openings: Miznon in June and then HaSalon in September.
HaSalon — already in Tel-Aviv, New-York, Ibiza and Miami — is a collaboration with David and Daniel Goldstein. The Knightsbridge venue will offer high-end food and dancing from around 10pm.
Each HaSalon menu is a bit different and London will also have its own unique dishes, which Shani will design when he feels that he understands what the city is about.
Exciting times for the self-taught super chef — and for foodies in London and Tel Aviv as well.
