Eli Shamsian grew up in a Persian household where food was the language of love. As a child, he trailed his mother through Tel Aviv’s Carmel Market, learning to pick the freshest vegetables and the best cuts of meat from the vendors she trusted. On Shabbat and holidays, the extended family would gather — sometimes 40 people — spreading a cloth on the carpet and sharing a spread of Persian dishes together.
That communal table is the thread that connects his Persian upbringing to the cuisine he has devoted his career to: Thai food. “The Persian kitchen, like the Thai kitchen, is built around many dishes shared together at the center of the table,” he says. “That togetherness is an important spice.”
From Carmel Market to Bangkok Street Stalls#
Shamsian started working in professional kitchens at 15. His first trip to Thailand changed everything. He fell in love with the food culture — the flavors, the street vendors, the communal spirit — and kept returning, spending days cooking alongside local vendors and learning techniques that never make it into cookbooks. Back in Israel, he worked at some of the country’s leading Thai restaurants before launching his own venture: ShamSiam, a name that fuses his family name with Siam, the old name for Thailand.
What ShamSiam Offers#
ShamSiam operates out of Shamsian’s kitchen in Rehovot and also travels to clients’ homes. The core offerings include:
- Classic Thai Cooking Workshop — Curry, stir-fry, sticky rice, salads, and relishes. Participants learn about traditional ingredients like kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and palm sugar, and work with mortar and pestle to make curry pastes from scratch.
- Thai Grill Workshop — Fish stuffed with herbs, marinated beef, skewers with sticky rice and spicy relishes.
- Vegan Thai Workshop — Plant-based Thai dishes using local and traditional vegetables.
- Asian Dumpling Workshop — A cross-cultural session spanning Chinese, Japanese, and Thai dumpling traditions, with different fillings, dough types, sauces, and dips.
- Thai Street Soup Workshop — A winter special focused on hearty Thai bowl meals.
- Private Chef Dinners — Shamsian comes to your home with fresh Thai ingredients and traditional cookware, transforming your dining room into a Thai dinner experience.
- Pop-ups and Events — Corporate team-building, birthday celebrations, and occasional pop-up dinners at venues like the wine bar at Mona Restaurant in Jerusalem.
Workshops typically run about four hours and accommodate up to 12 participants. Everyone receives a recipe booklet to take home.
Practical Details#
Schedule: Tuesday evenings (17:30-21:30), Tuesday and Friday mornings (9:30-13:30)
Location: Shamsian’s kitchen in Rehovot, or at your location
Booking: Via Instagram DM or phone. A minimum number of participants is required for workshops to run.
Phone: 054-6734521
Website: shamsiam.co.il
Instagram: @sham__siam
WhatsApp: Message on WhatsApp
