A new collaboration between a Tel Aviv Japanese restaurant and the HandS studio of Bezalel graduates Shimri Yanai and Hagar Ofek has resulted in a unique ceramic tableware collection. The collection includes about 20 different types of items, including serving plates, bowls, tableware pieces, soy dishes, and specialized vessels for the restaurant’s signature dishes.
The designers, who worked from a workshop established near the restaurant in Neve Tzedek, combined traditional production techniques (such as imprinting textures into the material) with original methods they developed specifically for the project. They used raw materials and a natural color palette of grays, browns, greens, and gold tones reminiscent of miso and soy.
The collection was inspired by the cultural and culinary world of the restaurant’s chef, Yama San, and blends precise Japanese tradition with contemporary Tel Aviv energy. The result is a series of pieces with a rich material language and precise aesthetics, intended to deepen the hospitality and serving experience at the restaurant.
According to Roi Leon from TYO, “Through the new tableware collection we seek to deepen the culinary experience in the restaurant, strengthen its material language, and add another dimension to the ritual of serving and the hospitality experience. It is a meeting between food and vessel, between traditional and avant-garde, between Tokyo and Tel Aviv.”
Designers Yanai and Ofek also say that the work process included an in-depth acquaintance with the restaurant’s cuisine, ingredients, and cooking techniques. “We understood the deeper essence of the place - on one hand Japan and tradition, and on the other hand, a vibrant, living Tel Aviv. On one side a restaurant, and on the other a party,” they say.
Among the items in the collection: Soy pitchers (NIS 120), serving trays (NIS 110/200), topographic bowls (NIS 280), and additional unique serving pieces, with prices ranging from NIS 50 to NIS 340. All items are also available for purchase by the general public.
