"My goal was to create a fusion of overseas culinary influences and Western Galilee fare. I drew my inspiration from the cuisines of Greece, Turkey, Italy and even Scandinavia to create dishes with an integral connection to Israeli cuisine."

Shavei Zion is a pastoral moshav that boasts one of Israel's most beautiful landscapes, situated near the Mediterranean coast between Nahariya and Akko. At the entrance to the moshav one comes upon a Mediterranean bistro under the ownership of chef Moris Zrihen. His is a bustling urban restaurant situated in the heart of this peaceful and tranquil region. Entering the bistro, one is immediately impressed by the special menu of dishes chosen meticulously by chef Moris Zrihen himself, with dishes that cannot be found anywhere else.

"My goal was to create a fusion of overseas culinary influences and Western Galilee fare. I drew my inspiration from the cuisines of Greece, Turkey, Italy and even Scandinavia to create dishes with an integral connection to Israeli cuisine."

~ Moris Zrihen

Surprisingly, Moris began his adult life as a student in the field of construction engineering. In those days he worked part-time as a cook in a small restaurant near his college. Totally unexpectedly, he found himself rapidly drawn to the culinary world. Upon concluding his studies, he opened up a café on Nahariya's central HaGa'aton Blvd. Two years later he opened an additional restaurant specializing in meat and seafood.

Success bred success, and Moris one day received a tempting proposal. He was asked to serve as chef in Shavei Tzion's boutique hotel Pinchas and Gaston. Moris recounts how the six years he spent at the hotel were the most important in his entire career and opened up new abilities that he expresses to this very day.

During his time at Pinhas and Gaston, the hotel hosted distinguished guests from Israel and around the world including prime ministers, government ministers, foreign politicians and well-known cultural figures. When you're feeding VIPs, says Moris, you can't make a mistake. You need to achieve perfection.

The opening of the Breakfast Club restaurant was a long and exacting project. Each dish in Moris's restaurant was carefully and patiently created and inspired by Maurice's accumulated knowledge from his travels overseas and from his work at the hotel. Among the fascinating dishes offered are Fish Falafel—balls of fish falafel with Greek style Tzaziki made of sheep's yogurt—a dish that combines traditional Israeli falafel with Greek cuisine. Another dish is the Viking Fish Burger—scorched bass with maple and sweet potato chips served in a muffin-like wrapping, a dish inspired by Scandinavia and served to customers with plenty of napkins.>  An especially impressive dish is 'Say Cheese"— a baked sandwich of polenta bread with different cheeses, olives and basil—which won a Best Dish award in a national food competition.

This month, from May 7–15, the Dallas community celebrates Israel Week. Moris and two other Israeli chefs from Western Galilee, all part of the Western Galilee Now Association, will arrive in order to bring the taste of Israel to the plates of the Jewish community of Dallas, our partner community in the Jewish Agency's Partnership2Gether project. This culinary mission is inspired by the idea that the best way to connect between people is through food.

Moris is a seasoned warhorse in terms of delegations from Israel, with a résumé of three Jewish Agency overseas missions.>  This is the fourth such mission for this chef who has already captured the hearts and palates of residents of Budapest, Indianapolis, and the U.S. Midwest.

"My goal for this mission is to leave a lasting culinary memory in Dallas, and my main focus this time will be children. I'd like to impart a sweet aftertaste and an indelible memory of Israel and Western Galilee. With the help of fascinating food creations, our real mission is to strengthen their connection to our country of Israel, and particularly this special region of Western Galilee."