Kosher restaurant wins a Michelin star!
As golden confetti rained down around him, Israeli chef Raz Shabtai broke down in tears and was embraced by his cheering staff.
Moments earlier, a livestreamed Michelin ceremony had announced that his Miami restaurant, Mutra, had become the first kosher restaurant ever awarded a Michelin star, long regarded as the highest honor in the restaurant industry.
“It’s a moment of joy, it’s a moment of pride, it’s a moment of relief, it’s a moment of confirmation,” Shabtai said. “It’s not just about Mutra getting that star, but it’s about the entire Jewish community getting that, and I felt a lot of responsibility.” The chef, who has worked in kitchens across New York and Israel, opened Mutra in February 2025, naming it after his Jerusalem-born grandmother whose cooking he said heavily inspires its menu.
“I really like to call the restaurant Jerusalem cuisine versus Mediterranean and Middle Eastern or Israeli or stuff like that, because the flavors that I’m trying to bring to the table, it’s flavors that came from memories and visiting in the market with my grandma,” Shabtai said. “I have to be very loyal to what my grandma fed me.”
A description of Mutra on the Michelin website praised the restaurant’s “show-stopping plate of beets in a pool of ajo blanco and topped with beetroot sorbet” and “signature lamb kebab with smoked aubergine cream and tomato oil.”
The award places Mutra among the world’s most celebrated restaurants and marks a breakthrough for kosher cuisine. For Shabtai, who has kept kosher for more than a decade, the award proved that culinary excellence can thrive under those constraints. “Kosher is a beautiful spiritual way for me to bond with God, and the limitation that he gave me, but yet to do amazing good food that everybody can eat,” he said.
Looking ahead, Shabtai said he hoped the achievement would inspire other kosher chefs. “Be proud of where you’re coming from, get connected to those roots that you have,” he said. “Sometimes it’s not going to be a smooth sail. It’s okay, learn how to fix it, but believe in yourself. Don’t ever compromise, and don’t let other people compromise you.”
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
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