Overview
Tonight, Melbourne will become the latest city to welcome Miznon, the world-famous Israeli street food eatery run by celebrity Israeli chef Eyal Shani. Founded in Tel Aviv, the restaurant also has branches in Vienna and Paris, and will land in New York before 2017 is out.
Miznon is taking over a three-floor space at 59 Hardware Lane. Although all incarnations of Miznon bear the same name, each is unique, in terms of interior and culinary offerings.
"Each of our restaurants is a different one," says Shani. "Because we see the pita as a translator of a mood, a culture, a people. We try to fit into the atmosphere, the will, the passion of the city ... Otherwise, I have no reason to open because I don't have the will to copy myself." There's a bar, a lounge and plenty of space on the top floor, which Shani describes as "like the machine of a big boat".
While about 40 percent of the menu is shared across branches, 60 percent is new. Melburnians will be treated to a new way of making felafel, like a hamburger, which Shani describes as "unbelievable". Meanwhile, Miznon's classic beans, which are steamed, then sizzled with olive oil, lemon and garlic, will find a fresh life, in the many varieties available in Australia.
"It's like each bean is carrying an atmosphere, so it's like you're eating the atmosphere of the country. They're so fresh and so crunchy," says Shani. Also on the menu is a Wagyu kebab, a slow-cooked terrine and a spicy, tomato-based dish made with local fish.
To Shani, pita is quintessential way to serve food. "Why?" he says. "Because you can sell it in the street. You can take the energy of the street. You can sell it cheap ... If I were to put the ingredients on a plate, it'd be like a two or three-star restaurant."
Shani first visited Melbourne two months ago, to "smell the city, to understand it". What struck him was a feeling of empowerment in the city. "The capitalistic system is not pressing the people ... the city doesn't belong to huge companies, but to people, to individuals, who have wishes and dreams, and are doing things on their own. I mean the skies are completely open."
Find Miznon at 59 Hardware Lane. Open 11am-11pm, seven days a week.