Israeli celebrity chef Eyal Shani is bringing his whole roasted cauliflower, sumptuous pita and other world-famous delicacies to a new corner of the Middle East: Dubai.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Shani announced the upcoming launch of his restaurant, North Miznon, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Jumeirah Beach before the end of the year.
A famous Israeli chef opening a quintessentially Israeli restaurant in Dubai would have been unthinkable only a few short years ago, but Shani is joining a long line of Israelis discovering the opportunities to be found in the United Arab Emirates since the signing of the Abraham Accords in September 2020.
“There’s no better bridge than food, because food is making a promise,” Shani told Bloomberg. “What is the promise? It’s very simple. You will sit with me and eat with me, and we shall understand each other.”
“I know one thing: that when there is food between people, there is no war and fighting between them. So for me, it’s my own act of making peace between me and my neighbors around me,” he added.
The Emirati Miznon will be inspired by regional flavors and produce, and will join Shani’s dozens of restaurants – almost 50, overall – scattered around the globe in locations such as Tel Aviv, London, New York, Vienna and Melbourne.
Last winter, it was reported that Shani and his business partners are planning to open some 150 restaurants in multiple locations in Europe in the next five years.
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