The Nini Hachi restaurant group, led by Yoav Vlin and Udi Romanovsky, is expanding again and will open its fourth venue, Nini Sato, in Ra'anana at the end of the summer. The new restaurant will be the group’s first foothold in the Sharon region, after openings in Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva and Eilat.
Nini Sato will be located in a high-tech complex where Augustine, the successful branch of the Cafe Noir group, already operates. The name means “village” or “community” in Japanese, reflecting the group’s goal of making the restaurant a place for shared food and experiences. The menu will stay close to the Nini brand, with sushi, hot dishes, wok plates and soups, but it will also add a tempura station and a Japanese grill, including yakitori and Thai-inspired grilled fish.
Among the dishes planned are the Hinoki roll, which is already drawing attention, the sushi cake, and a new tempura dish created specifically for the Ra'anana branch. Lunch service will also include the “set the table” experience recently launched at Nini Hachi. Chef Maya Lavi will run the kitchen, alongside the group’s network chef, Thai chef Aron Tsamsrikai, who has led its kitchens for 12 years.
The restaurant will cover about 400 square meters and include indoor and outdoor seating, a private hospitality room and a Japanese zen garden. Designer Shir Geva, whose work includes Asa Izakaya, is handling the interior. The group began in 2014 with Nini Hachi in Tel Aviv, expanded delivery from the former Adora space, opened Nini Chu in Petah Tikva in 2021, and launched Nini Kai in Eilat in 2024. Vlin said the goal is to create a place people will want to return to for business lunches, family meals or evening outings, adding that Ra'anana’s culinary growth made it the right time for the expansion.