A culinary journey between Japan and Jaffa
私のストーリー
UMAI was born out of a long personal journey into the world of Japanese cuisine.
For nearly six years I lived and worked across Asia, primarily in Japan. During that time I studied Japanese cooking closely and immersed myself in the culture and philosophy that shape the food. What began as simple curiosity gradually became a professional journey that took me through kitchens, restaurants, and markets across the region.
Along the way I explored traditional techniques, seasonal ingredients, and the deep respect for balance and simplicity that defines Japanese cuisine. I spent years learning not only how to cook the food, but how to understand the thinking behind it.
UMAI was created as a way to share that experience — bringing a small piece of that journey to my own table.
השנים ביפן
The Years in Japan
My connection to Japanese cuisine did not come only from the flavors themselves, but from the unique philosophy behind the food — a deep respect for ingredients, attention to the smallest details, and the belief that every element on the plate should exist for a reason.
During those years, I trained at the traditional kaiseki restaurant HANA RAKYOU in Osaka, where I studied in depth the principles of seasonality and balance that define traditional Japanese cuisine.
Later, I also worked with wagyu beef at the yakiniku restaurant NIKU NO TOMII in Yokohama. There I specialized in meat butchery and in handling wagyu cuts — a Japanese cattle breed renowned worldwide for its exceptional quality and distinctive texture.
המסע הקולינארי באסיה
The Culinary Journey Across Asia
I was sent to Singapore by a Japanese restaurant company, where I took part in the opening of a yakiniku restaurant and a tapas-style restaurant specializing in wagyu.
After the restaurants were established, I returned to Japan and continued working on menu development and the creation of various restaurant concepts within Japanese cuisine — from izakayas and Japanese dining bars to teppanyaki and tonkatsu restaurants.
Alongside my work in professional kitchens, I was also involved in culinary trade and wagyu distribution across Asia. As part of this work, I traveled between several countries, including Thailand and Australia, conducting market research and exploring sources of high-quality ingredients.
החזרה הביתה
Coming Back Home
After years of working and learning across Asia, I returned to Israel with a desire to bring something of the Japanese culinary experience — as I encountered it there — back with me.
Rather than opening a traditional restaurant, I chose to create something different: an intimate and limited hospitality experience.
That is how UMAI was born.
אומאי UMAI
UMAI is an intimate culinary space where I host tasting evenings inspired by kaiseki — the traditional Japanese cuisine built around a sequence of seasonal dishes that relate to one another and together form a single story. Alongside the kaiseki evenings, I also host izakaya nights and niku kappo dinners focused entirely on meat.
The menus change with the seasons and combine traditional Japanese techniques with carefully selected local ingredients.
For me, UMAI is not only a place where food is served. It is a place where guests can slow down, notice the small details, and experience a meal that tells a story.
