Middle East To Go

On Tuesday, after an early evening yoga class, I was looking for a quick bite in the Queen and Bathurst area. Like most streets in Toronto, there were plenty of cheap shawarma places. But a trendier looking place called Soufi caught my eye. Claiming to be the first Syrian restaurant in Toronto, it had the typical hipster aesthetic: blonde wood, mismatched furniture, decorated with personal knick-knacks. The family that owns Soufi didn't come with the recent influx of Syrian refugees, though they are also relatively new to Canada. They've decided to aim a little higher and so is willing to pay Queen St. W rent prices. The menu was kept short and simple so I ordered a version of manaesh called sujuk ($6.50).

This was essentially a version of the Turkish Lahmacun (or ground-beef flatbread) but using the thicker Iranian zataar bread. It was a good couple of bites but next time I'll paid extra for a few add-ons like tomatoes and so on.