Chef Yuval Fakler has recently taken over the leadership of the restaurant after working there for a year and a half. He moved to Israel from the United States at the age of 16, and during his high school studies and military service, he worked as a cook in catering. After his military service, he decided to pursue cooking. His parents supported his decision, on the condition that he earn a degree. Accordingly, he flew to the United States and studied culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America.

He worked in a restaurant adorned with two Michelin stars in a village in northeastern Italy, then at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze, and when he returned to Israel, he landed at “Herbert Samuel.”

Fakler’s personal cooking style bears the hallmarks of his nomadic life journey – the homes he has collected: his American roots, his love for the way ingredients are treated in the Italian kitchen, the London cooking style, and the influences of the Israeli Mediterranean cuisine. Fakler notes that until he came to Israel, he had not tasted spicy foods and was accustomed, for example, to seasoning with only salt and pepper, while in Israel he was exposed to seasoning with coriander seeds and additional ingredients, which, in his eyes, give character to the dishes. From this starting point, Fakler will serve us charred broccoli on coals, with Caesar dressing, croutons, and Parmesan – his version of the “king of salads,” which was invented by an Italian chef who lived in the United States and cooked in Mexico. Additionally, he will prepare fresh pasta, which he will serve with artichokes, charred onions, and Gouda, combining Italian and Israeli cuisines and various cooking techniques.