Shani’s culinary passion was first instilled in him by his Grandfather, an agronomist and a dedicated vegan. As a child, he would accompany his Grandfather to local markets, fields and vineyards.As a young man, Eyal studied cinema at “Beit Zvi School of Performing Arts”.
In 1989 he went on to open his first restaurant “Ocianus” in his home town of Jerusalem. There he developed a unique culinary language based on regional Mediterranean products: olive oil, fish, tahini, fresh seasonal vegetables and of course, the tomato.
In 2008, together with his partner Shahar Segal, Shani opened the “HaSalon” in Tel Aviv. Since then, he is the leading chef of highly successful restaurants under the group named “The Better Guys”. The company powered by Eyal Shani and Shahar Segal owns restaurants worldwide.
Shani is considered to be one of the leading figures in the Israeli culinary scene, appearing on the panel of judges during the past 11 seasons of Israeli “Master Chef”.
Born in April 1964, graduate of the Film Department at the Beit Zvi School of Acting. Segal is a film and theater director and one of the most prominent and successful commercials directors in Israel.
Since 1991, Segal is the owner and manager of ‘POV Shahar Segal Productions’, one of the leading and most successful production companies in Israel. He has directed hundreds of commercial films for leading companies in Israel and abroad, many of whom have won prestigious prizes in Israel and around the world.
Segal starred in the TV series “Food for Thought” alongside Chef Eyal Shani, which was broadcast in Israel and later became a cult. Later on, Segal and Shani opened the ‘HaSalon’ restaurant in 2008 and since then have spreaded globally, owning 40 restaurants worldwide
Four years ago in 2016 Segal revived and opened the Israeli legendary clothing brand “ATA” which was closed more than 30 years ago. The brand became a big success and now holds three stores in Tel Aviv.