Chef Bar Tsanger Revitalizes Tel Aviv’s Mishaya with French-Arabic Culinary Fusion
Bar Tsanger, recently appointed head chef at Mishaya restaurant located at the entrance of the boutique Hotel on Mendeli Street in Tel Aviv, is bringing a fresh culinary vision that blends his refined French training with local Arab cuisine. At 30, Tsanger has already built an impressive resume, including winning the latest season of the Israeli cooking competition "MasterChef," leading the Giardino restaurant at The Jaffa Hotel, and training under renowned French chefs Alain Ducasse and Alain Passard.
Born in Kfar Saba, Tsanger began his culinary career at 14 washing dishes before quickly becoming a cook. He credits an early experience eating lobster at age nine at the popular Tel Aviv restaurant Mul Yam as influential in shaping his passion for fine food. After seven years at the acclaimed Dalal restaurant, where he rose to operational chef, Tsanger pursued extensive training in France, including a two-and-a-half-year program at Ducasse’s school and an internship at Passard’s L’Arpège, where he developed a deep appreciation for vegetable-focused haute cuisine.
In 2023, Tsanger left Dalal to lead Giardino but departed due to bureaucratic frustrations despite excellent reviews. Now at Mishaya, he serves innovative dishes such as raw koubbeh rolled in chard with thick tomato sauce and torto crab-filled shishbarak served in the crab shell with a lobster bisque, showcasing a sophisticated fusion of local ingredients and traditional Arab flavors with classic French techniques.
Tsanger challenges current culinary trends like fermentation, arguing that Israel’s abundance of fresh produce makes such preservation methods unnecessary. His menu also includes sea bass with green vegetables in a beurre blanc sauce infused with za’atar and chili, corn agnolotti with lime foam, and intias ceviche on tabbouleh salad. Despite the high culinary level, Mishaya remains relatively affordable, with business lunch options at 135 shekels.
Tsanger’s arrival marks a new chapter for Mishaya, a restaurant long regarded as one of Israel’s best, and he is poised to redefine its identity with his bold yet thoughtful approach. Diners are encouraged not to miss this unique blend of French culinary excellence and authentic local flavors in a historic Tel Aviv setting.
