Ben Neriah (Taizu), who was originally the chef at the Herbert Samuel restaurant, opened Taizu (with huge investment) five years ago. Taizu serves modern cuisine based on eight different Asian kitchens. The dishes of this ecclectic and diverse restaurant are complex, creative, and meticulously plated. Furthermore, their Sunday evening Indian menu has become a popular event and opportunity to taste Southeast Asian cuisine in an elite and modern way. Approximately two years ago, Ben Neriah opened his Miyazaki ramen bar in Shuk HaTsafon, and this year his Japanese casual restaurant, Ya Pan, opened its doors and drew in a flock of inquisitive customers whose curiosities were overturned as it lived up to its hype.
What is the restaurant’s star dish of 2017?
The curry Gyo, actually from Ya Pan. It is a curry cooked for 72 hours and served with rice and meat skewers with Koji - a Japanese mushroom.
Is there one raw material that you used more than any other this year?
Soy sauce.
Who/what inspires you?
My two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Danielle, is my greatest inspiration.
What dish have you eaten this year that deserves an honorable mention?
The stuffed calamari from Michael in Moshav Liman.
What have you discovered about the Israeli diner?
That they are extremely open to new tastes and ideas.
If given the chance, who would you choose to cook a joint meal with in the new year?
Seinfeld, he’s coming to Israel soon.
What does the foreseeable future hold for you?
I have plans, but I am not ready to share them with the world yet.
Do you have any intentions to go overseas?
Yes, but first I want to open something else local, and only then will I begin abroad.
Taizu, 23 Menachem Begin Rd, Tel Aviv (03-5225005)