What Miznon means for being an Israeli in Australia right now

Back in June 2017, I got a phone call from Ron Lazarovits, the owner of the Miznon restaurant group. He invited me to interview Eyal Shani, the Israeli master chef, ahead of Miznon’s opening in Melbourne. At the time, I was the editor of Eton – Australia's Israeli newspaper – and I was thrilled.

Our conversation was everything you'd expect from two passionate Israelis — full of energy, ideas, and a shared love of food. I remember Eyal raving about long beans he’d just discovered at the Queen Victoria Market. He was absolutely fascinated by them. (Next time you’re at Miznon, grab the bag of greens.)

For us Israelis, food is never just about filling your stomach. It’s about connection. It brings comfort, evokes memories, ties generations together. We can spend entire evenings just debating hummus recipes — and love every minute of it.