Tomato-crazed Israeli celebrity chef Eyal Shani recently prepared a special birthday dinner for lifestyle guru Martha Stewart, impressing some of the world's top culinary figures. The intimate celebration, held last week in New York, was attended by 20 guests, including acclaimed chef Daniel Boulud, who took to Instagram to praise Shani's cooking. 1 View gallery Eyal Shani ( Photo: Ariel Efron ) "Thank you [Eyal Shani] for the most delicious dinner in early celebration of [Martha Stewart's] birthday," wrote Boulud, 69, who owns six restaurants worldwide, including a three-Michelin-starred establishment in New York.
"My wife and I loved your soulful and tasty cuisine." Boulud, whose restaurant Daniel has topped the list of the world's 50 best restaurants, recalled a meal he had at Shani's Ocean restaurant in Jerusalem 30 years ago, where he dined with renowned chefs Nobu Matsuhisa and Thomas Keller, both of whom also hold three Michelin stars. Ocean, Shani's first restaurant, opened in the late 1980s and was one of Israel's premier dining spots before closing after a decade due to the intifada and attacks in Jerusalem.
"You were amazing then, and now, with more than 40 restaurants, you cook with the same passion. Bravo," Boulud added in his post. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Daniel Boulud (@danielboulud) Reflecting on the recent dinner, Shani told Ynet that Boulud had recognized him from their earlier encounter.
"At that meal, I invented tomato sashimi, the fir.