From Forest to Fire
From a fourteen-year-old dishwasher in Israel with a dream, to Executive Chef in Budapest.
Every kitchen, every mentor, every mistake, and every success shaped not only the chef
I became, but the person I am today.
Where It All Began
Before I ever stepped into a professional kitchen, food was already telling stories in my family.My grandmother was an exceptional cook whose kitchen was filled with the rich flavors of the Balkans. She taught me that food could bring people together and preserve traditions without saying a single word.My mother expanded that world even further. Although she comes from an Ashkenazi Jewish family, there was never just one cuisine on our table. Moroccan, Hungarian, French, Asian—she cooked with curiosity and confidence, showing me that great food has no borders.Many chefs discover the kitchen later in life, after searching for where they belong. My story was different.I knew from a very young age that I wanted to become a chef. It wasn't a backup plan or a profession I stumbled into—it was a dream I chose long before I understood how demanding this career would be. Every kitchen I've worked in, every country I've lived in, and every dish I've created has been part of that same decision I made as a child.
This journey didn't begin with my first job. It began with a dream.
My Journey
1995 - The Forest
Ashkelon
Curiosity.
One of the earliest influences on my life wasn't a restaurant—it was a forest. A teacher named Dudu Choresh introduced me to edible plants, herbs, insects, birds, and the curiosity that still shapes the way I cook today. Long before I became a chef, I learned that nature was the first kitchen.
2000 - The First Kitchen
Ashkelon
Passion.
At fourteen years old, I walked into a professional kitchen for the first time as a dishwasher. I didn't know it then, but that first shift would change my life forever. Watching the chefs move through service with speed, precision, and purpose, I knew exactly where I wanted to be.
2004 - 2005 - Culinary School
Ashkelon
Failure
Student
Culinary school was where the first real lessons began — not only about technique, but about discipline, mistakes, pressure, and consequences. I learned quickly that becoming a chef was not going to be a straight line. Some of the hardest moments from those years ended up shaping me more than the easy ones ever could.
2004 - The Blue Pill and the Jack pub
Ashkelon, Israel
Leadership.
Executive Chef - Age 22
Still in culinary school, I was handed the keys to my first kitchen. Overnight, I went from cooking food to leading people.
“This was the kitchen where I stopped dreaming about becoming a chef—and became one.”
2006–2008 — Finding My Place
Tel Aviv, Israel
Experience.
After my first executive-chef role, I spent a period moving between different kitchens, learning from each one and figuring out what kind of chef I wanted to become. The most significant stop was Gordo Bistro on Gordon Beach in Tel Aviv, where I worked in a busy beachfront environment and continued building speed, discipline, and confidence before moving on to my next major chapter.
2009 - 2011 - Ggibrish
Jaffa Flea Market
A shorter chapter that shows you kept learning and refining your craft. At the same time: Completed 2 years of advanced culinary studies, expanding my technical foundation while leading my first restaurant.
2011 - 2012 - Italian Restaurant
Jaffa Flea Market
At the same time: Studied Restaurant Concept Development & Management at Shenkar College, where I learned to think beyond the plate—about identity, operations, and the complete guest experience.
2013 - 2016 - Claro
Tel Aviv
Fish section. Endless double shifts. The place that prepared you for everything that came after.
2016 - Ibiza Hotel
Les Deux Alpes, France
Courage.
Head Chef
A phone call changed everything.
I was working at Claro in Tel Aviv, exhausted from endless double shifts, when I received a call that would change my life. A hotel in the French Alps was looking for a Head Chef. Within weeks, I had packed my life into a suitcase and moved to the mountains, where I led my first international kitchen and discovered what hospitality looked like on a global stage.
"The mountains taught me discipline."
2017 - 2018 Zilte ★★ Michelin
Antwerp, Belgium
Perfection.
Perfection wasn't an idea anymore—it became the daily standard. Every plate, every movement, every service had to be flawless.
"Perfection became routine."
2018 - 2020 - Vicky Barcelona
Budapest
Creativity.
I arrived in Budapest to join the team as a line cook. Just a few weeks later, the restaurant's owner asked me to take over as Head Chef. It was an opportunity that changed the course of my career. Together with an incredible team, we rebuilt the menu, refined the kitchen, and created dishes that would become part of my identity—including the story of the Flying Tuile.
"One of my first menus in the Eu as an Executive Chef."
2018 — Israeli Television Appearance
HaOlam HaBoker • Channel 13
While living and working in Budapest, I was invited back to Israel to cook on morning television. It was one of the first moments when my journey abroad came back home with me — this time in front of the cameras.
“Some chapters change your career. Others change the reason you are building one.”
2019 Klara
A New Chapter
Budapest had already changed my career, but then it changed my life as well. Meeting Klara brought a completely different kind of direction — one that had nothing to do with kitchens, titles, or restaurants. It was the beginning of building a life outside the profession, and from that point on, the journey was no longer only mine.
“Some chapters change your career. Others change the reason you are building one.”
2020 Consulting
Budapest
After years of running kitchens, consulting challenged me in a completely different way. Every restaurant had its own identity, its own team, and its own problems to solve. It taught me to step back, understand the bigger picture, and create solutions that worked not just on the plate, but throughout the entire operation.
2020 Champoint for Monkeys
Budapest
Failure.
Shampoo for Monkeys was a short but important period. I joined the project with energy, ideas, and the intention to build something strong, but COVID changed everything. The restaurant closed, and with it came one of those moments where plans disappear overnight and you have to rethink the next move.It was frustrating, but it also became part of the journey — a reminder that sometimes the biggest changes in a career come from things completely outside your control.
"Sometimes the greatest challenge isn't the kitchen—it's learning how to begin again."
2021 Volunteering
Budapest
During a period when the hospitality industry had almost come to a standstill, I volunteered in the kitchen of the Jewish Community of Buda. It was a chance to keep cooking, keep learning, and use my skills where they were needed most. Sometimes the most meaningful meals are not served in fine dining restaurants, but to people who simply need a warm plate of food.
"When the world slowed down, I discovered that my purpose never did."
2021 Hummus Bar
Budapest
Resilience.
Following the challenges of the pandemic, I joined Hummus Bar as Executive Chef, helping to strengthen and develop the culinary direction of the growing restaurant group. What began as a new professional opportunity soon became something much bigger. Within 2 years, I chose to invest in the business and became the owner of one of the franchise locations—taking on a new role that combined culinary leadership with entrepreneurship.
2024 Akeah
Budapest
Akeah was a chapter of growth, structure, and responsibility. As Executive Chef, I focused on building a strong team, creating systems that could support consistency, and developing menus that balanced creativity with the realities of daily hotel operations. It was a period that pushed me to think beyond individual dishes and lead the kitchen as a complete operation — people, processes, standards, and food all working together.
“A great kitchen is not built on one chef. It is built on a system that allows the whole team to succeed.”
2024 Heidi
Then came the biggest title I had ever been given — Dad.The arrival of Heidi changed the way I looked at time, ambition, responsibility, and the future. Kitchens had taught me discipline and leadership, but becoming a father gave all of it a different meaning. From that moment, the journey was no longer only about where I wanted to go, but about what I wanted to build for the family growing beside me.
“The smallest person in my life gave the biggest meaning to everything I was building.”
2025 Thomas Franks
Budapest .
Thomas Franks was a different kind of chapter. I joined the opening of their first Budapest operation and worked through the early stages of building the kitchen, systems, standards, and team from the ground up. It was fast, demanding, and full of change.In the end, the collaboration did not continue — but it still became part of my journey. Not every professional chapter needs a perfect ending to leave something valuable behind. Sometimes the lesson is in understanding what works, what doesn’t, and when it is time to move forward.
“Not every kitchen becomes home. Some are there to teach you what to carry into the next one.”
2026 Today - Trilla Bistro
Budapest
Vision.
As Executive Chef of Trilla Bistro in Budapest, I continue to explore the meeting point between memory, seasonality, and modern technique. Every menu begins with a story, every ingredient has a purpose, and every dish is created to leave a lasting memory. Cooking, to me, is not only about feeding people—it is about creating moments they will remember long after they leave the table.
“A menu can change with the season. The identity behind it should not.”