Israeli chef Assaf Granit. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

i24News – Israeli chef Assaf Granit’s restaurant Shabour, located in Paris, was awarded its first Michelin star on Monday.

The Michelin Guide lauded Shabour for its “creative cuisine” and its “trademark features” of an “unbridled atmosphere, rough and ready decoration,” The Times of Israel cited.

“This isn’t normal. I can’t get over it. It’s great,” Granit told Ynet. “For me the biggest thing here is that four Israeli partners from Jerusalem decided to open a restaurant in Paris and did it with their money and their vision.”

Shabour (“broken” in Hebrew) is Granit’s second restaurant in Paris – his first, “Balagan” opened in 2017. He also owns restaurants in London and Israel.

Bravoooo ! 54 nouveaux étoilés dans la promotion 2021 ! Malgré la situation sanitaire compliquée, les chefs ont su montrer l’étendue de leur talent et de leur combativité. Ici Antonio Salvatore, Rampoldi, à Monaco et Assaf Granit chez Shabour, à Paris. 😋 pic.twitter.com/VKyWLbrjvt

— Le guide MICHELIN (@guideMichelinFR) January 18, 2021

Shabour opened in late 2019 and had already been ranked among the best restaurants in the French capital the same year, as part of a special culinary issue of Le Figaroscope newspaper.

“This year chefs have truly earned it,” the Michelin Guide’s International Director Gwendal Poullennec commented.

“It’s an occasion to shine a spotlight on all these talents, to encourage them, and to keep restaurant patrons motivated” while waiting for the crisis to pass, he added.

Michelin drew fire for bestowing its verdicts — which can make or break a chef after years of efforts — after a brutal year for the industry amid the coronavirus pandemic.