What were your favorite foods growing up?
Anything salty & fishy. Herring and onions on bread & butter was my favorite.

When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?
I would always cook for friends and family having learned from my grandmother who was a chef at a kibbutz and a restaurant in Poland serving 1000 people a day. When I came to America, I worked at a bagel store owned by my uncle, then started working at a few restaurants in the front of the house. I catered my own wedding and after that I decided to go to culinary school.

Where and when did your career in food begin?
I worked at the River Cafe with David Burke in 1990 when I graduated culinary school. I worked there until 1994/95 then went to Iridum as a sous chef and then Tatou Supper Club. At River Café, I worked with 3 talented chefs, David Burke, John Logeran & Rick Laakkonen working my way up from pastry chef to sous chef.

If you didn't become a chef, what would you be?
Wow, never thought about that! Probably a businessman, but something to do with fashion or food as I was always into that.

Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
My wife has introduced me to a lot of Asian influence. I've always liked having a diverse table. But then there's the influence from home (Israel), the smells of chicken soup, smoked whitefish and brined mackerel.

How would you describe your cuisine?
Contemporary American with a lot of Asian influence. Chinese, Vietnamese & Japanese even though, I was trained with French techniques. I've also introduced a lot of Italian and Mediterranean ideas, but not so much the Middle-Eastern influence despite being from there.

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
I love the new Vita-Mix Blender— it allows me to keep the nutrients in food by pureeing everything down to a creamy texture as opposed to straining after a regular blender, which loses a lot of the nutrients.

What is your favorite secret ingredient?
Lyle's Golden Syrup. I love this natural, neutral sweetener because it enhances the sweetness of foods like carrots. I find using maple or even honey can't do what Lyle's does without overpowering the taste with either honey or maple.

What is the one rule or value you try to instill in all of your staff?
Organization and cleanliness. Organization helps in preventing accidents and avoids rushing for things. Cleanliness so that you can see everything and avoid mistakes.

What qualities to you look for when hiring cooks for your restaurant?
A big heart. Anyone can grow and learn. The guys who come in and think they know it all make a lot of mistakes and don't learn from them. And someone who doesn't have a big heart has lost the love of what they're doing and it shows (and tastes) in the food they cook.

What was the most challenging meal you had to make? Why?
A vegan wedding. And it's because I'm not vegan. Plus both the bride and groom where allergic to garlic and onion. But we made it work. We made some delicious dishes and the couple was happy.

What was your worst restaurant disaster?
At the River Café, as a saucier I made clarified butter, which I wasn't watching as well as I should have. It over-boiled, caught on fire and we couldn't put the fire out with a regular extinguisher. That was pretty scary.

What is your least favorite food?
Ethiopian.

What is your beverage of choice?
Glenfidich.

What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?
The organic movement, sustainable foods, locavore eating— we try to instill some of that in the menu at Bryant Park. We use Old Chatham for our cheese and some of the local farmers for our vegetables.

What was the most spectacular meal you have ever had?
I don't go out that much, but Gramercy Tavern, which was incredible. But my biggest complaint there is that the portions are too small. An ounce and a half piece of fish isn't satisfying.

What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast? Think simple and be organized with your menu. Think about it the day before so you don't rush it or over-cook it.

What do you eat when you are home?
I like to eat anything that someone else prepares. But that doesn't really happen too much. I wind up cooking the meal.