Itongadol.- A traveler at heart, Shabtay has worked at restaurants in Amsterdam (Vakzuid), Mumbai (Zenzi), New York (Odeon), Belgrade (Ginger, Camelon and Diva) and Prague (SaSaZu), Mexico, Spain and Myanmar. And he and partners operated pop-up restaurants in Cambodia and Greece.
“Anyone can open a restaurant in Paris or New York,” Shabtay told Haaretz. “I love to open up in places that other chefs don’t reach.”
The award-winning chef says having Israeli chutzpah has helped him succeed along the way.“The kibbutz and the army teach us to dare,” he told Jewish Business News. “Israelis have unmistakable markings that anyone abroad learns to immediately identify – a body language, a style of talking, dressing. It’s a warmth in the eyes; but it can also be aggravating. I’ve found out that you either love the Israelis or hate them.”