Ben Siman-Tov — or as he is better known, Bengingi — is a Jewish food influencer with 1.2 million TikTok followers and 552,000 Instagram followers. On Sept. 11, the Israeli chef will travel to Congregation Beth El in Voorhees , New Jersey, before venturing to Temple University Hillel in North Philadelphia on Sept. 15 to show off the colorful and flavorful plates made to share that are featured in his new book, “Eat Small Plates.”
While Siman-Tov and his wife, Zoryana Zaryckyj, are known for dishes bursting with all sorts of wonderful tastes and textures, Siman-Tov hasn’t always been this creative with his meals. In fact, he used to be the opposite.
“I grew up as a picky eater, to the point that my mom used to only make Israeli couscous and pasta with tomato sauce, and if she wouldn’t blend the tomato sauce and there were pieces of onion and tomato, I wouldn’t eat it,” he said.
After his mandatory military service, the Israeli Siman-Tov went on the worldwide trip typical for ex-IDF soldiers. It was then that he discovered that lots of other foods aren’t half bad.
“That was how I have been most of my life. After military service, I went on a trip around the world, mostly in Asia and in upstate New York on a dairy farm, and as I was traveling, I would try to be exposed to different flavors and different cuisines. Part of the trip was just being a little bit more open-minded, and I just started to develop my palette slowly,” Siman-Tov said.
Today, Siman-Tov is the opposite of a picky eater. He is best known for his online presence, but he is also a successful restaurateur, having opened Buba Bureka, New York City’s first shop that specializes in burekas, the flaky treat from the Middle East and the Balkans. He said that the book he will present in September to Philly-area crowds is one that is meant to highlight an important part of eating: building community.
“Small plates, for us, are not necessarily about the size. It’s about the concept of sharing with others and creating on a table, dishes that are meant to be eaten all together, and the joy of people combining different flavors and textures and building their own bites,” Siman-Tov said. “It’s kind of something that makes it a fun experience, but also something interactive and something to talk about around the table.”
Siman-Tov’s event will touch on this idea, as well as include input from well-known Philadelphia-based restaurateur and chef Michael Solomonov. Tickets cost either $35 or $75. The former gets you a signed cookbook and dessert, while the latter gets you that and admittance to a pre-program cocktail reception with “light bites.”
All of the food served at the events will be recipes featured in “Eat Small Plates.”
Siman-Tov said that he is particularly excited to touch down in the City of Brotherly Love because it will mean a reunion with Solomonov, who is responsible for restaurants like Zahav and Laser Wolf, and who will be joining him on Sept. 15.
“I am excited to be there with my friend Michael [Solomonov] and have the opportunity to see him as a leader of the community, opening the door for us,” Siman-Tov said. “Michael has been established in this industry for a long time now, and he’s obviously still very relevant and one of my favorite chefs in the country. I think that having his blessing and introduction to his community and his kingdom in Philadelphia is something that makes us feel very special and honored.”
Siman-Tov and Zaryckyj have been to Philadelphia a handful of times, and Zaryckyj has some friends from her childhood who live in the city. Siman-Tov said that, in one sense, he is not sure what to expect from the event because every Jewish community brings its own unique qualities to the table. But he knows what Philly will bring to the table, literally and figuratively, in a general sense.
“It’s always something that makes me feel good, and in some ways it’s surprising how well we spread but still keep our unity and pride of being together. To be able to give a little bit of strength and hope and motivation and being proud of who we are, it’s a blessing for us, and I hope that we will bring something that is relatively unique to the community, too.”
This journey started for Siman-Tov during COVID, when he left the cooking institute he was studying at in Italy and returned home. From there, he did what most of us did: made the best use of his time that he could while stuck inside. What came out of that was a litany of creative dishes that found their way online and onto people’s social media feeds. Soon, he had a sizable presence. He credits his growth to his ability to relate to people and make them smile. There were a lot of people baking and cooking on Instagram at the time, but not many doing so like Siman-Tov.
Soon, those smiles and recipes will come to Philadelphia.
Tickets can be purchased online at the Temple University Hillel website or by contacting Congregation Beth El in Voorhees.