10 April 3-9, 2025 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | music | cafe | culture | Night+Day | News | letters | coNteNts | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | ▼ NORTH MIAMI MUTRA REDEFINES KOSHER ISRAELI CUISINE Miami has long been a stronghold for kosher and Israeli dining, from no-frills falafel counters to sleek, modern takes on Middle Eastern cuisine. The scene has only grown in recent years, with chefs riffing on tradition, folding in global influences, and reinterpreting the flavors of home. But Mutra, a 60-seat restaurant tucked away in North Miami, brings something different to the table — it’s a tribute to its founder’s family and beloved homeland. Mutra is the latest restaurant from Israeli- born chef Raz Shabtai, whose career has spanned New York, Tel Aviv, and now South Florida. It isn’t just a restaurant—it’s a tribute. Named after Shabtai’s late grandmother, it’s a deeply personal reflection of family, memory, and a style of Israeli cooking that’s intimate, soulful, and full of heart. “For Mutra, we’re taking the traditional dishes that we grew up on, food that my grandmother made and we ate as kids, and making something new from it,” Shabtai says. “What we will do at Mutra is honor the past but cook forward.” Shabtai describes his food as a modern interpretation of traditional Le- vantine, Galilean, and Baladi influences, culi- nary traditions that trace their roots to the cultural melting pot of his hometown, Jerusa- lem. “Food is holy,” he says, explaining his mission to bridge the past and present through inventive techniques and hyper-local ingredients. At Mutra, the chef is rewriting the rules of kosher cuisine, eschewing out- dated conventions in favor of a vibrant, glob- ally inspired approach. Mutra’s menu defies easy categorization, much like Shabtai himself. He has taken childhood staples — dishes once lovingly pre- pared by his grandmother — and recon- structed them for the modern palate. Take, for example, his version of falafel. At Mutra, the “1 Perfect Falafel” is distilled to its es- sence: just one falafel croquette, plated with tahi-amba, tomato gel, Israeli salad, and pick- led red onion. Or the “Hamotze” (ha-mo-tze), a daily selection of house-baked bread, served with fresh, craft dips. Even chicken liver pâté gets a poetic upgrade, appearing on the menu as “Chicken Liver Dreaming to Become Foie Gras,” a dish balanced with silan date honey and pistachio crumble. The “1000 Layers Steak” is a play on con- trast, with tender beef stacked high and served with tahi-amba, a “burned salad,” and Anaheim hot pepper. “A Fisherman and a Farmer Walk Into the Kitchen” changes daily, built around silky hamachi sashimi and the freshest local farm ingredients Shabtai selects that day. Meanwhile, the “Uzbeki Seniya” re- interprets a traditional lamb kebab with har bracha tahini, sweet harissa, roasted red on- ion, and a vibrant tomato foam, balanced by an Uzbeki apricot salad. The restaurant’s desserts, crafted by pas- try chef Stav Stephanie Hayun, evoke the fla- vors of the Middle East with dishes like Frishman Malabi, a delicate coconut custard laced with rose water and pistachio, and Ka- tayef, a nod to traditional Yemeni pancakes, paired with lemon gelato and sumac. At the center of the dining room is a prom- inently displayed photograph of Mutra her- self from her wedding day. “By putting my grandmother’s name on this restaurant, I am ensuring that there is no compromise, and I must perform at my best to deliver the most incredible experience I can — to live up to her memory and her cooking.” It’s all part of Mutra’s immersive approach, where dishes tell stories, ingredients are sourced with care, and even the music, hand-selected by Shabtai, is designed to complement the experience. Every plate begins long before it reaches the table, starting at the farms that supply the restaurant with the freshest, most vibrant ingredients. Shabtai works closely with a network of trusted local growers to ensure that every bite reflects the season and the land. With a scratch kitchen that turns out meticulously plated yet deeply comforting | TASTE TEST | ▼ Café Photo by N.A. Photography Mutra serves kosher dishes once lovingly prepared by the founder’s grandmother in Israel — reconstructed for the modern palate.
