After cooking for Netanyahu and Putin: the famous chef's new project
Having managed dozens of kitchens and trained in Michelin-starred restaurants, chef Shai Daini is embarking on a new culinary journey at a meat restaurant in Ma'ale Adumim.
After cooking for some of the world's most influential figures—from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin to the President of India and the late Shimon Peres—chef Shai Daini has set his next goal. Daini, a veteran of the Israeli culinary scene, has been appointed as the culinary consultant for the meat restaurant "ALADINO", located in the D-CITY complex in Ma'ale Adumim. The restaurant, which offers a chef-driven experience with Mehadrin kashrut, recently completed its trial period and unveiled a new menu at a grand launch event.
The event drew around 500 guests, including key public figures, media personnel, and celebrities. Among those in attendance were Ma'ale Adumim Mayor Guy Yifrach, former soccer player Ofir Kriaf with his wife Mor, as well as Naama Mariuma, Yanky Goldhaber, Oren Lahav, and Shai Laniado. Guests enjoyed an evening filled with music, fire shows, and a tasting of the new dishes overseen by Daini.
Daini's impressive resume includes managing 15 hotel kitchens simultaneously, alongside training and work in Michelin-starred restaurants in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, including time spent working alongside the legendary chef Michel Roux. He is now leveraging his international expertise to elevate the Mediterranean cuisine at "ALADINO," with a focus on fresh ingredients, advanced techniques, and uncompromising kashrut standards.
The updated menu offers a blend of elevated street food and classic chef plates. Diners can enjoy dishes such as pilaf, veal kubbeh, crispy asado cigars, fresh salmon ceviche, as well as main courses like sea bass fillet, chicken thigh skewers, and marbled entrecote steak. The meal is accompanied by hot, authentic farna bread from the tabun oven with dips, and concludes with exquisite desserts like mille-feuille with pastry cream and a rich chocolate "nemesis."
"My main goal in creating this menu was to prove that high-end culinary art and Mehadrin kashrut are not contradictory," said chef Daini.
He noted that for him, excellent food relies on professionalism, precision, and a hospitality experience that stays with the diner long after the meal is over, expressing his excitement to lead this new culinary buzz in the region.
