NORTH MIAMI, Fla. — For the first time ever, a kosher restaurant has received a Michelin Star, and it’s located right here in South Florida.

“Food has the ability to bring us to places that nothing else can,” said Mutra owner and chef Raz Shabtai. “I feel extremely honored and blessed that God gave me the ability to do something that I can combine cultures together.”

Within seconds of stepping into Mutra, you can see the unique culinary passion Shabtai has for crafting meals.

“It’s like to win an Oscar,” he said of being awarded a Michelin Star. “It’s like to win an Emmy. It’s like to get a Grammy.”

Shabtai said his passion for cooking started in Jerusalem with his grandmother, who he named the restaurant after.

“She taught me how to cook, she taught me how to be a person, how to be a human,” he said.

Shabtai carefully created meals, providing more than just nourishment to those he served.

“When I used to eat the food, I felt something that says more than I just love you,” he said. “I felt something hugging me in a way that nobody physically could give.”

It’s that love that he carried when introducing South Floridians to his take on Middle Eastern cuisine.

“First of all, I feel extremely honored and blessed that God gave me the ability to do something that I can combine cultures together,” said Shabtai. “It doesn’t matter your political views or your religion or something. Food is holy.”

Shabtai says his success is also thanks to his dedicated team, with his secret ingredient coming from woman he says is looking down on him.

“Bragging and saying that’s my grandchild,” he said.

The menu at Mutra is rotated every three months, and after receiving the Michelin Star they’re already working on a new menu that is coming out on Monday.

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