HaSalon A “Heart-Opening” Approach to Fine Dining

According to HaSalon founder Chef Eyal Shani, he is in “the heart-opening business,” a Hebrew expression akin to trusting your intuition and building a system driven by purpose. Since its inception in 2008, the trending Middle Eastern-inspired hot spot featuring an innovative and varied menu has always tread an unconventional path when it comes to its business operation and growth. Shani and Shahar Segal, a noted film director and actor, had originally met on the set of a popular food show and decided to move the original HaSalon restaurant to a warehouse district in Tel Aviv where people could feast on the latest flavors of Shani’s latest culinary innovations while dancing to Segal’s DJ sets. What started as a fun, biweekly experiment, began growing deliciously quickly. It’s not uncommon for mere mortals wanting to savor their mouth-watering plates to have to wait up to six months for a table.

A Manhattan outpost of the avant-garde brainchild of two creative minds, the downtown HaSalon NYC location certainly lives up to its pedigree. With a dimly- lit space, intimately set tables, an open kitchen framed by a ten-meter-long counter space stacked with a medley of colorful produce and a tongue-in-cheek “DISPLAY ONLY” sign scribbled across the top in a sensual shade of wine red, the set up evokes Darren Bader’s installation “Fruits, Vegetables: Fruit and Vegetable Salad” instead of a restaurant. What the New York conceptualist and Shani do share is their philosophy when it comes to food; while the former produces sculptures exhibited on the 8^th floor of the Whitney Museum by topping pedestals with carrots, pumpkins and kumquats, the latter takes tomatoes (the best of which should come “naked” according to the menu) and pairs them with tender rib chops as well as chewy octopus tentacles, resulting in uniquely satisfying dishes. With both, the line between food and art is blurred. Chef Eyal Shani’s open kitchen commands guests’ attention with its vivid colors and artful arrangement, transforming into a flavorful tableau through meticulous yet outside-the-box cooking.

In the kitchen, Shani frequently instructs his chefs, “You’re working from intuition, from starving, under a big risk, you’re not trying to be safe, you’re on a journey,” and that’s exactly what the friendly servers might say to preface what’s in store for diners once they peruse the menu. Between the Dinosaur, a fire-roasted, tender chunk of beef on the bone, the Ocean Treasure, filled with uni, Japanese yellowtail, Osetra caviar and seaweed and Night Roasted Lamb made for “2-5 humans”, the guests are rarely prepared for the rollercoaster ride designed as much for their adventurous tastebuds as for their inquisitive mind.

As the night unfolds, this experimental odyssey of gastronomy segues into a high-spirited party, during which time guests are expected to indulge in more flavorful fare – and fun. During the 9 pm seating, you can let loose and have a dance-off on tabletops to catchy Israeli pop tunes in celebration of all of life’s joys and of course, tastes! While HaSalon currently offers two seatings on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, you can stop by bar LEFT, the bar/lounge located just outside of the dining room doors, for small plates and drinks.

Long gone are the days when a restaurant can leave its mark on the competitive New York City fine dining scene simply with delectable food alone. The name of the game in 2022 requires relentless creativity, authenticity, and genuine connection; or better yet, in the words written on a private dinner invitation from none other than Chef Eyal Shani himself: a restaurant should be a place where you can “imagine that all my life I dreamed about you, giving you my heart’s most intimate food secrets.”