Chef Raz Shabtai would love to bask in the glory of winning a Michelin star.
But each day, he gets pulled back into more mundane concerns. On a recent Wednesday, the air conditioning in his restaurant, Mutra, was on the fritz.
Mutra is the first kosher restaurant in the world to earn a Michelin star, announced in May. Having worked at prestigious restaurants in New York and Israel, he became inspired to win this honor, and to do it for the kosher community, to show that kosher cuisine is not restrictive but a source of creativity and deliciousness.
These days, Shabtai said he alternates between the joy of being recognized and the daily grind of running his North Miami eatery.
He didn’t know the reviewers had visited until he got a February email, which sought photos and further information about the restaurant, but didn’t reveal any other details.
“It was like the Mossad or the KGB or the CIA coming through, and you don’t know they’re there and they’re observing you,” Shabtai said. “They blend with the crowd.”
Mutra was one of two South Florida restaurants to get a star this year: The other is Emelina in West Palm Beach, a 16-seat chef’s counter that serves Cuban cuisine.
The reviewers clearly enjoyed their meals at Mutra and showed what they ordered and where they sat (“this is a place where snagging a seat at the chef’s counter is a must,” according to the review).
“The menu is hyperlocal and rotates often, so don’t be surprised when something runs out. Fear not, however, as the excellent staff will help you discover your new favorite,” the review continued. “Some notable dishes include a show-stopping plate of beets in a pool of ajo blanco and topped with beetroot sorbet. The signature lamb kebab with smoked aubergine cream and tomato oil is pure comfort, as is chicken a la Tunis, juicy and flavorful with harissa-studded chickpea tomato stew. Muhallebi, a creamy Middle Eastern milk pudding, is a sweet and satisfying finale.”
Chef Raz Shabtai inside Mutra restaurant in North Miami on Thursday, July 9, 2026. Shabtai, 42, a newly married resident of Miami Beach, grew up in Jerusalem. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Note to the reviewer: The muhallebi did not actually contain milk, as that would violate kosher laws that say meat and dairy products cannot be eaten in the same meal or cooked together.
Kosher restaurants adhere to strict Jewish dietary regulations, not only separating meat and milk but forbidding animals such as pork and shellfish and closing on Jewish holidays and the Jewish Sabbath. Mutra has a stamp of approval from Kosher Miami, a certifying agency that supervises more than 150 sites in South Florida and “adheres to only the strictest (kosher) standards,” according to its website.
Shabtai said muhallebi is not on the menu now but he used alternative ingredients to create its signature creaminess.
He said that pudding, with its roots in ancient Persia, and his other dishes show how Mutra’s cuisine spans the Middle East and stretches into Tunisia, Romania, Uzbekistan and the United States (the menu includes a Nebraska-raised black angus steak).
Shabtai, 42, a newly married resident of Miami Beach, grew up in Jerusalem and described himself as a lonely kid with few friends. He spent a lot of time with his family, including his grandmother, Mutra, whom he watched cook. Mutra means “rain of blessings” in Hebrew.
“I was not the most popular kid. I wasn’t the prettiest, I didn’t have many friends or a social life,” he said. “My family would make barbecues in parks, and I would put everything I loved on that plate. It gave me comfort, it gave me joy, it gave me security.”
As he got older, he worked many restaurant jobs, including as dishwasher, busboy, server, bartender and chef, in Israel and New York.
He grew up in a kosher home but sampled non-kosher foods as he traveled around the world as a young man. He decided about 10 years ago to recommit to being kosher. He was a chef in New York at a non-kosher restaurant, but “I felt like something was missing,” Shabtai said. “I was losing my identity.”
A job as a private chef prompted a 2021 move to Miami, where he became energized by the creative international food scene. He opened Mutra in February 2025.
The menu’s dish names reflect Shabtai’s love of Israel and international cuisine, as well as his sense of humor. His beloved Childhood Memories dish ($47), consisting of chicken satay, grilled lettuce, spicy tomato salad, caramelized shallots, grilled asparagus, and “tahini with attitude,” reminds him of his family’s barbecues. And his Chicken Liver Dreaming To Become Foie Gras ($32), made with chicken liver pate, silan, shallot, pistachio crumble, cornichon and sourdough bread, also evokes the first part of his life, in Jerusalem.
“Liver is not the most sexy piece of meat, it’s very humble. In Israel, you can get it for free,” Shabtai said. “The message is you can do so much with almost nothing. Don’t underestimate yourself.”
Other inventive titles:
• A Tunisian and an Italian Grandma Walk into a Kitchen ($62) — a chicken breast with Tunisian gnocchi, Turkish spinach ragu and potato foam
• It’s Gonna Freekeh You Out ($89) — chateaubriand basted in sumac with freekeh risotto, parsley coulis and vegetables
• What Rolls Royce Would Taste Like ($85) — beef cheek, vermicelli bulgur, Moroccan chickpea stew, roasted nuts and warm Yemenite flatbread served, according to the menu, with “the kind of dips every Jerusalem table deserves”
Diners posting in “Let’s Eat, South Florida,” the Sun Sentinel’s foodie Facebook group, raved about Mutra after the Michelin Guide announcement.
“I live walking distance to it, ” commenter David Lopez wrote. “Food is insanely good and like nothing we have in the area, already wanna go back to try more dishes. Highly recommend!!”
Or, as Brenda Popritkin put it: “It’s incredible. I went for the first time a month ago and returned immediately after. That’s a big deal for me. I don’t get to repeat restaurants as often as I’d like. The depth of flavors Chef Raz has developed is mind-blowing. Plus, the execution is on point. I can’t get enough.”
Post-Michelin star announcement, it’s become even harder to get a reservation at Mutra.
“While Mutra’s dining room was already full most nights of the week, it was still easy to book a last-minute reservation before the award,” spokeswoman Lyssa Goldberg said. “Reservations are now booked through September … We still encourage guests to check for last-minute openings, and there are often some outdoor tables available for walk-ups.”
Shabtai said he is uncomfortable resting on such laurels. He changes the menu every three to four months and is constantly brainstorming new combinations.
His mantra for Mutra: “Food is holy.”
“Food gives you life and it gives you comfort and it brings people together,” he said. “Screw all the bad things in the world. Just come to a restaurant to eat and enjoy and agree with the table next to you that it’s all good.”
Mutra is at 2188 NE 123rd St., North Miami. Visit mutramiami.com.