About
Uri Buri Restaurant
The Restaurant
From an outsider's point of view, opening a restaurant can seem like an easy thing to do. Buy some fish in bulk, cook it, sell it for more. Simple stuff. I can say with confidence that the reality of it is quite different.
When I opened my restaurant in Nahariya, the beginning was difficult and frustrating. Very quickly, I discovered all the things that no one tells you about being in this business. What I had tried to do was to open something fresh and new, a restaurant with a different energy. I didn’t want to cook the expected fried-fish, I wanted to serve the special dishes I developed through the years, cooking for my friends. But, the clientele at the time was not quite open to my way of cooking. For example, the first unique dish we served was the stewed trout with cream, something completely unheard of in Israel at the time. Guests were not open to it, and kept requesting classics like fried tilapia. In the first 3 years we lost money from staying open, and in the 4th year, we broke even.
People would ask me, “what keeps you going?” - the graph, I’d answer. I saw that with every year we stayed open, we lost less and less money. And more importantly, that guests left content, and kept coming back for more.
When you do something well, and when you do good, there is a feeling of immense fulfillment. The money is secondary, and it is a byproduct of doing things right, believing in your vision, and keeping at it.
After 8 years, our rental contract ended at the Nahariya location, and I set out to find a new spot for the restaurant. I always loved Akko. It had a unique atmosphere and I felt deeply connected to it. When I found the location, I approved it immediately. A 400 year-old Ottoman-era building with high arched ceilings, right on the water, and close to the shuk and the boardwalk. People told me I was crazy for thinking it would work, but my intuition didn't fail me. Thanks to hard work, determination, and faith, it is undeniable that this decision was the right one.
The Basics
As a principle, I have no principles. But I do have a way.
My way is built upon a few basics:
- Every dish on the menu is a dish that I love to eat.
- Everything I serve on the plate is edible.
- No fluff and no extra stuff. Every ingredient is essential to balancing the flavors of each dish.
- Trying to use no more than 8 ingredients in each dish (save some very specific exceptions).
- Every dish is centered around a main ingredient. The rest are there to compliment it.
- We use only the finest ingredients.
The option to order half portions or small plates enables experiencing and enjoying our menu to the fullest.
- We have options for everyone, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and lactose-free dishes. We take note of any allergies or preferences.
- There are no bad fish, only bad cooks.
What I believe in.
I believe that at the heart of things, everyone wants to improve their daily lives and secure a more promising future for the generations to come. In order to achieve this, we must work to unite all parts of our world’s human mosaic, regardless of religion, race or gender. We must emphasize what unites us, and neutralize all extreme agendas, whose goal is to divide us and interrupt our day-to-day lives.
As an individualist, I have no interest in belonging to any political party or current. However, I do believe that independent, progressive thinkers should materialize their ideas and beliefs about the world in their daily lives, in the simplest terms.
Over the years, no matter what I was doing or where I was working, I deliberately chose to believe in this truth and act upon it. My understanding of the world is expressed in every facet of my business. The restaurant and the hotel employ Arabs, Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze, Bedouins, Russians, Ukranians, and the whole lot of our population, spontaneously and organically.
Most of our employees weren’t formally trained in the restaurant or service industries, they are generations of people from all walks of life, who learned and prospered during their work at Uri Buri. They each worked in different stations until they found their specialty, gaining the ability to fill in at any station whenever needed.
It all comes together and is displayed in the professional and calm environment, smoothly run operations, and a sense of belonging.
The essential tool that enables harmony in working together, is mutual respect. It is safe to say that at least within our space, this theory holds up in practice. Throughout the years, Uri Buri’s entire staff have proudly shared this lived truth.
Our staff is the heart of our operation, and I believe working together and in synchronicity is the foundation, and mutual respect brings optimal results. We are to achieve more with respect, than with guns and canons.
Our goal is to provide our guests with a unique experience that is expressed through personal connection, a devoted staff, and consideration for any kind of preferences, allergies, etc.
We would be delighted to host you.
Uri
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The Chef Uri Buri
The sea was my refuge. It interested me far more than school or my teachers ever did. At thirteen, for my Bar-Mitzvah, I received my first fishing rifle. I went diving every chance I had. To avoid bringing the mess home, my mother asked that I scale and clean the fish by the sea. This is how my introduction to the world of cooking and handling fish began. This world opened itself to me with loving arms, eventually guiding me to the opening of my restaurants.
The Efendi Hotel
In 2012, Uri opened the Efendi Hotel. Just a short walk from our restaurant, The Efendi is a boutique property with only 12 rooms, and is considered the most intricate restoration project ever undertaken by a private entrepreneur in the country.
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