Category: General

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Kanú – The flashback bites

Kanú – The flashback bites

Facebook-f Twitter Envelope
Share
Share
Facebook-f Twitter Envelope
Kanú
The flashback bites
By Samantha Konstat

-Every bite is another exciting, different experience-

 Kanú is a boat that takes us on a tender trip not only to southeast asia, but to simpler times of nurturing and joy.

 Inspired by the time he spent in Vietnam, Tzaji, the crafter behind Kanú, gives us his unique version of an ancient asian cuisine that got influenced by the nuances of french techniques.

“The food is gentler, filled with fresh leaves, a unique mix between cooked and raw ingredients” – said Tzaji while giving a passionate explanation on the subtleties among all the different herbs and leaves he uses in his dishes. 

 When we think of asian food we often go straight to spices, condiments, fries and stews with intense seasoning, but the philosophy of Tzaji’s vietnamese food is entirely the opposite, with refreshing and lighter ingredients, but nevertheless complex and full of flavor.

It all started when he traveled to Vietnam and decided that his not trip was not going to end there, he wanted to bring the food he fell in love with back to Tel Aviv and he set on the mission of self learning the ways around the kitchen until he perfected what he calls his master dish – the spring rolls.

These hand rolled tasty meal takes you on a journey of contrast and balance. On one hand you can have soft rice noodles with rich sweet potato and avocado chunks and on the other hand crunchy salty textures of carrots, cucumber and peanuts. Next to this, spicy flavors from chilli flakes, and Tzaji’s special touch, sweet coconut flakes.

And if this is not enough, you can then choose to dip it in your choice of 3 different sauces, miso, peanut and spicy mayo, which makes every bite another exciting, different experience.

“Eat your food with your hands, it’s part of the game”, to Tzaji it’s not only about a meal, but about bringing a smile into people’s faces. That has been his main purpose since he started on a tiny narrow elongated local, therefore the name Kanú (canoe).

And even though he has been growing a lot for the past 7 years, he still treats his place like his own little baby. You can find him there in his Florentin restaurant, serving, cooking and talking to his customers, making sure they’re having a nice time.

Kanú is very personal for him, and when he designs his recipes he believes he should follow his gut, and just make something that he enjoys, opposed to a marketed pleasing point of view other businesses may have, and it seems like after all that’s what makes the place so special, there is no way of talking about Kanú without Tzaji’s personal journey intertwined. 

 

So if you are craving nostalgia for your asia trips, go to Herzl street and enjoy some Pho, Buns, Salads, Cold Teas and other tasty vietnamese dishes, knowing that they’re made with tender care and filled with personal history.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Who’s the artist that changes Paris?

Who’s the artist that changes Paris?

Facebook-f Twitter Envelope
Share
Share
Facebook-f Twitter Envelope

Who are you L’amour court les rues ?? That bombard Paris, change its culture and influence it in a visual, quiet but rebellious way?

And what is the story behind the art?

Love Paris? So are we (: but when you were walking in Montmartre, in the 10th or Thirteenth Quarter, did you look left and right to the walls saturated with street art?

When it comes to criticism and protest, the French have a lot of courage and urge to say and express their opinions. It’s not because the streets of the city are full of graffiti and subconscious messages that affect the day-to-day, and it’s not enough just to paint our eyes with beautiful sights.

One of the artists of recent years works quietly but promotes a big and important message, few people will recognize him on the street, but he has become a real celeb in the quarter where he lives.

In November 2015, a series of planned attacks took place across Paris with the main focus being the Bataclan Club in the 11th district of Paris. That night a rock performance took place there, which was riddled with gunfire noise, causing much panic and shock. The whole town was mourned for days in memory of 130 murderers from this west. The French company experienced a deep rupture and a social-security shock that prevented daily life from returning to their homes.

The artist W had not been painting on the streets until then, and his little house saw a graffiti near their home on the wall that disturbed them, and the father simply drew a heart next to it. Thus he began to walk around with a black marker, writing an encouraging address – love throughout the entire city. The more the municipality wiped it out and the fade faded, the more it continued to spread its gospel. To this day, four years later, the guy who has already become an oyster is writing his slogan around town.

So W continues to fight for his message and gets more and more recognition, while pleasing people and encouraging them to a better world. Everywhere in the world he lands, immediately pulls out the marker and writes, he even visited us in Tel Aviv and wrote his slogan (:

Want to hear more? Want to know what’s the slogan and more about the artist? Invited and invited to discover the graffiti artists who are changing Paris, or the culinary people of Paris, in our new City of Light tours!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Eat Paris: What to Know When You’re Hungry

Eat Paris: What to Know When You’re Hungry

Facebook-f Twitter Envelope
Share
Share
Facebook-f Twitter Envelope

How will you know that you have chosen a good restaurant to dine in the City of Lights?

Follow our five signs and know where to sit and enjoy an authentic and delicious experience.

Paris Paris, the culinary city is full of restaurants, every corner smells and other flavors and everything always wants to taste. But the time is short and the work is full, and we don’t want to fall for a disappointing restaurant with mediocre food. If so, how will you know how to choose the right place? With our five tips for identifying the right restaurant!

1. Recommendations Recommendations Recommendations. There is nothing like the opinion of friends, family, or even an internet opinion, nothing like learning from others’ mistakes and following their recommendations. So the first and most important thing is to ask and check on the designated place. If you have not heard from friends or acquaintances about a restaurant where they had a pleasant and delicious experience, we recommend checking online to learn in advance. In addition to an initial Google search, which will give you relevant information and photos, you will also see visitor reviews. In addition, a great restaurant and attraction review site is TripAdvisor, which has users from all over the world leaving their response, with a score and review of the experience.

2. Stay away from the hustle and bustle. If, for that matter, we ended up starving for a hungry hour and didn’t have the chance to look online and check in advance, the first tip for finding a proper restaurant that is not too touristy and with the city’s grace – go to the small, hidden streets. Stay away from the busy, main streets lined with large restaurants or “touristy” bistros. Even if you get lost in the hidden streets, believe us, you will only have a surprising experience.

3. Bistro! Focus on one-of-a-kind restaurant, or if we better explain ourselves, look for a “bistro.” The French specialize in separating authorities – every restaurant and its title! In most cafes you will not find lunches and they will be closed in the evening, so the Bistro is a good place to have a meal. In addition, the restaurants with their title and entrance address many definitions (such as cafe, bistro, restaurant, bar) will probably be aimed at tourists and less local. The source of the word ‘bistro’, incidentally, from Russian, when the Russian soldiers who fought Napoleon were very hungry, would storm into inns and shout “Bistro!” (In Russian: fast) for food to be served at peak speed. Thus, the name adheres to places that serve food relatively quickly and are not intended for a six-course dinner (for example).

4.Sounds trivial but important – pay attention to who the people are sitting there (if any!). Open your eyes and ears, are there happy people sitting there enjoying their culinary experience there? Is the place bustling or at least a full quarter? Is the language heard in the place essentially French? Do the owners and employees look like people who are heartbroken? If you answered yes to most questions, we definitely recommend this place!

5. Have a look at the menu. Why? – Many places take pride in their years of work and endure, signifying credibility and love from customers. If the menu is not very wide in terms of supply, but focuses on classic French dishes (such as onion soup, meats, light salads) you are in the right place! There are nothing like recipes that go through the family, and nothing like food made with love and attention. Therefore, a limited and accurate menu is an effective indicator of quality food and cuisine that does not spread to all over the world but boasts its local flavors.

A few more very important tips!

– Please note that in the afternoon many places will be closed for siesta and rest, and will be back in the evening.

– Please note that in many authentic locations, you will not find an English menu or an English speaking waiter. Our recommendation: Have a Google dictionary and a lot of ambition (: the food will be worth it).

Want to taste Paris? Experience an authentic and surprising culinary tour? Discover new places and the people who changed the city? Invited and invited to discover the graffiti artists who are changing Paris and the culinary people of Paris, in our new tours of the City of Lights!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

What happens to street artists when they become FAMOUS?

What happens to street artists when they become FAMOUS?

Facebook-f Twitter Envelope
Share
Share
Facebook-f Twitter Envelope

What happens when a street artist starts exhibiting in galleries and distributing his art in a “conventional” way?

There are works by artists that have been completely outraged by friends of the artist. Why? To convey to him the message that he was ‘no longer ours’, that he was trading and forgetting his origins, which were the street and the street culture.

Over the years, artists who started out on the streets of the city and usually at a young age, found their way into the art world and began to develop into all kinds of niches and directions such as plastic art, tattoo art, photography, writing and more.

The graffiti world, despite being so open and open, is also a closed bubble that has competition, collaborations, great thought, and interactions. Sometimes artists join together to create collaborative works, and sometimes they ‘don’t get along’ and cover and cover each other’s works.

There is a very interesting work in the Thirteenth quarter in Paris that really describes the reaction and thought of one of the artists! The work was done by a French artist named Bom.K who made a thank-you and appreciation to his friends the graffiti artists, in which he expresses his appreciation to his friends who taught him everything he knows about street art and the use of the library, even though today he presents in galleries! He created a large-scale painting that included the artist’s life story and filled with petty details and interesting hints, so that he actually conveyed the message that without them he would never get where he is today, and that he will never forget them. It’s Paragon!

What signs and clues did you spot? Notice the little contexts in Paris and childhood experiences!

 
 

Another artist and one of the Israeli street artists we love the most is Dede. He calls himself “Dada Bandida” and he began to paint large, small, special, curling, long curves and all sorts of variations on the streets of South Tel Aviv.

The amazing thing is that he never revealed his real name or face, which adds a dimension of mystery and secrecy to his artistic personality (:

Many of his works can be found in Florentine, Neve Tzedek, along Ayalon Path, South Tel Aviv. And today in New York, Mexico, Miami, Poland and he is really an international artist! There is a chance that if you drive on Ayalon you will notice a number of plasters peeking out of the buildings (:

In addition to the plasters which are his hallmark, Dede also draws figures of barking animals, and also very specific works such as the Yellow Submarine near Ayalon Road. The new item added are plasters stockings!

One of our favorite works done with Nitzan Mintz is on the south of Herzl Street in Tel Aviv, on a whole wall, welcome to go looking! You can see more on his site.

Another artist worth noting is Dan Grover: an Israeli-French artist who was born and raised in Paris, the City of Lights, where he also began graffiti, tagging and street art.

He started over 30 years ago in the Caribbean and now lives and works in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and he has a studio-gallery in the Florentine neighborhood worth a visit !!

He is a champion of free hand methods, tagging (spraying artist’s street name artistically) and teaches us graffiti courses in the studio! Some of his works have an artistic and unique connection to Judaism, whether it is the use of stylish Hebrew letters (such as the old synagogue on Abarbanel Street in Tel Aviv!) And to paint figures and symbols in religious contexts.

And leave you with a cool task:

His signature is also in a lot of corners in the city, can you identify it in the picture ??

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Bonjour to the coolest neighborhood of Paris- Montmartre!

Bonjour to the coolest neighborhood of Paris- Montmartre!

Facebook-f Twitter Envelope
Share
Share
Facebook-f Twitter Envelope

Imagine Florentine, with its cafes, bars, young people, everyone’s atmosphere know everyone, and the street art of course! And now – add a little more class, beautiful buildings and croissants on the side, we are excited to introduce you to the most special neighborhood in Paris – the Montmartre!

Montmartre in French This is the connection between the two words Mont = Mount and Martre = Martyrs. The name of the mountain was given to him after his summit was executed in Christian saints in 272 AD, since the hill passed many incarnations, planted vines on it and built windmills on it. This area was considered for many years outside the city of Paris, and did not really want to live or stay in it.

At the beginning of the last century the white and beautiful Sacra cold basilica basilica was built on the top of the hill, which became the symbol of the neighborhood and the city, and in the neighborhood began to live young and poor artists (Modilani, Picasso, Matisse, Van Gogh ..)

 

Today the neighborhood is considered part of the 18th district of Paris, becoming a hipster, and a particularly tourist destination! The bustling cafes, street artists, fashion, history and lots of stairs 🙂

So what should you do in Montmartre?

If you are planning for half a day or a day in the neighborhood, you should know in advance- the area is relatively well-traveled and you have to find the hidden gems with the stunning scenery, for that- go up the mountain, up the stairs, and much 🙂

– Our recommendation, get lost! Walk around freely and enjoy the special streets, which have the feel of a small neighborhood and less Paris and the greater Paris.

– Open your eyes and look for street art, which is different from the rest of the city’s colorful areas (Belleville and District 13) as the neighborhood’s artists live and create just below their home! Like our little Florentine. You can find special glued pieces, or sprayed with a stencil, you will even find pencil inscriptions referring to French culture (like the caption “I miss Ginsburg” referring to the late French singer Serge Ginsburg).

– Find a small, hidden cafe that has nothing like a relaxed, authentic coffee, hint: There is one near ABBESSES Square, right next to the Red Church, on the right ();

– Surrounding the Sacre couer (almost) is an impressive experience, as the ascent on it is also particularly challenging. Certainly the view from the stairs to all of Paris is particularly breathtaking when the weather is beautiful (: small recommendation – walk away towards the left side of the church (if your face towards it) and you will discover a different and impressive angle of this special building, right near the start of the center of Monmertre In Tertre Square there are many artists and specialty shops (be careful not to fall into tourist shops!)

– Take note of the changing architecture of this neighborhood, especially on Rue de l’Abreuvoir where there is a lovely mix of eras and styles, this is a colorful and green street that will take you back to Picasso’s Paris and even Napoleon (one of the houses was the Napoleonic historian!)

– The statue of Dalida. Who knows and who doesn’t, Dalida was an Italian-Egyptian singer who very much loves France, and lives right here in the neighborhood. Her life was full of drama, love and art and she was considered a great diva. Today, after her death, her statue is placed in a tiny square in the quieter area of ​​the Monmouth. A golden statue that as you approach it, notice that it is cleaner and brighter in the chest area! Why? Rumor has it that if you touch the statue right there, it brings good luck ..!

We recommend that you take a few hours a day with nice weather and walk around the neighborhood, if you follow the recommendations we would love to hear what you thought and how of course you were!