Shaffa brings the sights, sounds, smells and spirit of Tel Aviv’s vibrant, bustling markets to Sydney’s Surry Hills, courtesy of owner Erez Nahum who spent his childhood there exploring aromatic alleys and sampling street food.
The menu is a product of a collaboration between Owner Erez Nahum and Executive chef Ido Zarmi, a unique partnership and friendship that brought the best of their memories and inspiration to life.
Here, a heady mix of fragrances escape the kitchen, with a menu of beautifully-plated share-style dishes using vibrant fresh produce and unique ingredients. Delicious food is complemented by a collection of cocktails infused with flavours of the Middle East and a list of interesting, easy-drinking wines from around Australia and New Zealand with a few from Italy, France, Greece and Austria thrown in for good measure.
All delivered with warm hospitality in a beautiful and unique setting, tucked in between two heritage-listed sandstone buildings – the circa 1855 Appletree Inn and the circa 1884 former Catholic church.
At the Culinary Institute of America, Ido graduated on the Dean’s List. Upon completing his studies, he worked at Oceana Restaurant in NYC, progressing through all stations of Oceana’s brigade system under Chef Cornelius Gallagher and becoming Chef de Partie.
Chef Ido’s next stop was as a junior sous chef at The Sea Grill restaurant under Chef Ed Brown. He then became the sous chef at Restaurants Associates’ U.S. Open, which opened the corporate culinary world to him and completed a well-balanced career development path, preparing Ido for his next role.
Azafran Restaurant in New York was Zarmi’s first lead duty as the Executive Chef, during which time the restaurant was awarded one star by the New York Times.
While in New York, Ido advanced his professional skills by attending stages in many leading restaurants, including Babbo, Daniel, Jean-Georges, Spice Market, Le Bernardin, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Per Se, Alain Ducasse, and more. After these experiences, Ido worked as a sous chef at Rama’s Kitchen and then as the Executive Chef at Tapeo, a leading Spanish Restaurant in Tel Aviv. In 2011, Ido was the Executive Chef at Yonatan Roshfeld’s restaurant, Yavne Montefiore, and one year later partnered as Executive Chef and Head of the Food and Beverage department in establishing Uri-Buri restaurant’s Effendi Hotel in Ancient Acre.
Ido recently led the culinary brigade at Aniba, a Middle Eastern restaurant in Singapore owned by world-renowned Chef Meir Adoni. Now, as Shaffa’s Executive Chef, Chef Zarmi has elevated our offering with unparalleled skill and dedication.