Tahini's (North Vancouver)

At first, I wasn't sure what I was getting into when we were invited to try out the North Vancouver location of Tahini's.  It focuses on Shawarma bowls and wraps that have an international twist to them.  I've been to many similar quick service spots and they haven't been memorable.  However, we found some clues that Tahini's could be quite different.  First of all, everything is freshly made, including the saj bread (which are made to order).  Secondly, they have flavours not normally seen at a Shawarma place, such as Korean BBQ and Tandoori.  I guess we were in for a treat as many of the things on the menu seemed quite appealing.

To get a baseline of the food, we had to get one of their most popular items in the Habibi Bowl.  We chose a rice base that came with chicken shawarma on top.  Nicely charred with crispy smoky bits, the chicken itself was rather tender and almost juicy.  It was topped with sauces that made things a bit spicy and creamy.  Some pita chips added some crunch.  Solid bowl that had plenty of chicken and flavourful rice that had a nice chew.

We had another top-rated bowl in the Butter Chicken Bowl also on a rice base.  This was also made with chicken shawarma that was crisped up on the flat top while mixed with butter chicken sauce.  We asked for mild and indeed it was, but also had some background spice.  Chicken was moist and the sauce had an earthy tanginess.  A dollop of sour cream added more tart creaminess.  Sumac coated onions provided crunch and another layer of tanginess.

We had something different as well as being vegetarian in the Falafel Salad.  These falafels were legit as they were made-to-order by hand.  Hence, they were not overly dense, yet still held together.  Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.  Nicely spiced with mild herbaceousness.  It was served with hummus, pickled turnips and tomatoes.

So what if you didn't want rice or salad?  How about some Messy Fries, which is their ode to poutine.  What we had here was a bed of crispy starch-coated fries topped with a considerable amount of chicken shawarma, and a few sauces (that were tangy, creamy and spicy), feta cheese and parsley.  Completely messy, but super-tasty since the chicken itself was already plenty seasoned while the sauces provided hits of heat, tang and saltiness.

We had one more bowl in the 50/50 Bowl consisting of half salad and half rice.  It was topped with beef gyro and halloumi.  Tender in spongy way (which is typical of the processed beef), the beef was tasty on its own with an intensely savoury flavour.  As for the fried halloumi, there was a slight crispiness giving way to the classic rubbery texture.  Some sumac onions, tomatoes and some sour cream rounded out the bowl.

Onto the wraps, we went for some of the other fusion flavours such as Korean BBQ Chicken Wrap.  As expected, this was on the sweeter side with only a bit of spice.  Nice compliment from the sumac onions with some tang and sharpness.  This added a crunch as well.  But the best part was the saj bread itself since it was made-to-order with fresh dough that was pressed and then cooked on a saj domed maker.  So fresh, soft and full of elasticity, the bread had a great chewiness and was beautifully seared.

One of the most flavourful wraps was the Jerk Chicken Wrap.  We asked for this to be made spicy and it was indeed that.  Lots of tingling on my lips and lingering sting on my tongue.  This was exactly how I like it and the fermented and earthy flavours of the jerk spices added plenty of umami.  Once again, the chicken was juicy with crispy bits and the saj bread was texturally on point.

We had one last wrap in the Tandoori Chicken Wrap.  Employing the chicken shawarma with the tandoori spices was such a natural pairing.  We had smokiness from the char itself where it complimented the earthiness of the spices.  Nice tang as well from the yogurt and the crunch from the cucumbers and pickles helped brighten things up.

We had a few smaller items as well in the Beef Samosas and the Chicken Tenders.  These mini-samosas were crispy without the heaviness of the dough-heavy larger versions.  Inside, the beef was tender and moist with some spice.  As for the chicken tenders, sure, they didn't look any different than any other tender, but they did have a good crunch and some spice as well.  Chicken came out moist and tender.  Overall, we were thoroughly impressed with the food at Tahini's.  They pride themselves on "unbland food" and I would say it is accurate.  Furthermore, things are indeed fresh where the saj bread is the star.  I could eat that just by itself with just a bit of their creamy hummus.  Highly recommended and also cost-friendly too.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- That made-to-order saj bread!

- Fresh food

- Flavourful

The Bad:

- Parking in the area is a bit hard to come by sometimes

Tayybeh

In Vancouver, we are blessed with so many different types of food, I truly think we are spoiled.  However, one cuisine that is not represented is Syrian.  To the best of my knowledge, there are no dedicated Syrian restaurants, until now.  Tayybeh, that was born from a catering business, has now opened up their first ever B&M restaurant.  The owners initially set out to help other Syrian immigrants transition into Canada by offering employment and also an opportunity to learn the language.  Well, they have become much more than that now with Tayybeh on 4th Ave where Linh Cafe used to be.

Loved what they did to the place, adding so much colour!  Well onto the food, we started with some dips including the Hummus, Mhammara and Mutabbal.  Loved all 3 of them where the hummus was smooth and almost creamy with some nuttiness and tang.  The mutabbal was also smooth with tender little nuggets of eggplant.  There was some noted background smoke and it was so flavourful.   Exhibiting a deep red colour, the Mhammara was thick and sweet.  Loved picking this up with the absolutely awesome house-made pita chips.  So much crunch and nutty aroma.

Next up, we had the Tabbouleh Salad and the Crispy Cauliflower.  Served in a fairly large portion, the salad was bright and a bit peppery.  With the ample amount of diced tomatoes, the salad was somewhat "juicy" but not wet.  Salad was mildly seasoned where I could get the usual tanginess and pepperiness.  Absolutely loved the fried cauliflower as each large floret was cooked through, but still firm in texture.  There was a touch of crispiness and some smokiness.  We really didn't mind that there was more of the hummus on the side!

Continuing on with the smaller plates, we also had the Musakhan and Kibbeh.  Consisting of shredded chicken and sumac, the musakhan was essentially a spring roll.  It was crunchy and exhibited all of the great flavours of sumac including tanginess and a bit of background floral.  Chicken was a bit dry though.  As for the kibbeh, it was a deep fried beef and bulgar shell that was lightly crispy with a slightly dense texture.  Inside the ground beef was moist and tender.  It was mixed with nuts and had the classic fall flavours of Middle Eastern spice.

Onto some larger dishes, they all came with a side of hummus, olives, rice and salad.  I tried the Chicken Shawarma first.  Similarly like the Musakhan, the chicken was a touch on the drier side.  However, it was decently moist inside and nicely seasoned.  Also, the rice itself was delicious despite looking like plain white rice.  Good texture on it too.  My favourite large dish was the Kofta Kebabs in tomato sauce.  These meatballs were large and meaty in texture.  Moist inside and naturally sweet from the onions.  The tomato sauce was mildly tangy and went well with the rice.

So the last 2 main dishes were the Sujuk Wrap and the Falafel.  The wrap was filled with Syrian-style grilled beef sausage.  I thought the wrap was intensely savoury and meaty.  I guess the fat really helped add both flavour and moisture.  As for the falafels, they were crunchy on the outside and medium-dense on the inside.  Thought they were nicely spiced being earthy.  Again, the accompaniments such as the hummus and rice were delicious on their own.

Onto the sweets, we had an assortment including Baklava, Lady's Bracelet, Date & Walnut Cake and Barazek.  As expected, the baklava was pretty sweet, but honestly, it was not as much as some other versions.  Loved the crunch from the phyllo.  The lady's bracelet was essentially a baklava round filled with pistachios.  With the phyllo tightly wound, the crunch was more intense while the sweetness seemed more muted.  I enjoyed the date & walnut cake.  The pastry was light and flaky while the filling was sticky and sweet.  Kind of like a lighter fig newton.  Lastly, the pistachio cookies were crunchy and nutty.  Could eat a tonne of those like chips.  Overall, the food at Tayybeh was good.  Sure, it has influences and elements of other Middle Eastern Cuisine, so it isn't exactly something we've never seen before.  But a restaurant dedicated to Syrian cuisine is a rarity in Vancouver, so if you want something different, this is the place to find it.

*All Food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Something different
- Love those pita chips and dips!
- Kofta kebabs and cauliflower were delicious

The Bad:
- I found the chicken just a touch dry

Delara

Been wanting to try Delara for quite some time, especially after it achieved Michelin-Recommended status for the first time.  Yes, it has been that long!  However, just like always, other restaurants got into the queue first and I never went.  Leave it up to Costanza to suggest we double-date and try the place out.  We were excited to share a variety of modern Persian plates that boast unique and herbaceous flavours.

The meal started strong with Grilled Sourdough Flatbread with seasonal dips.  The first one was a lentil dip with seeds, mint and date syrup.  This was fairly rich and thick with earthy tones and sweetness.  The second dip was beet & yogurt with date syrup, dill and bee pollen.  I really enjoyed this one as it was super smooth and creamy with sweetness.  About that seedy flatbread...  it was a textural delight with a soft and fluffy texture while nicely browned on the outside.

As if the flatbread and dips weren't good enough, the Roasted Cauliflower & Yogurt was so delicious!  It was served atop served on a bed of spicy yogurt and topped with hazelnut, sumac, sesame seeds and mint.  Loved the firm, yet cooked-through roasted cauliflower that was completely flavoured with the creamy spice of the yogurt and tanginess of the sumac.  Of course we found some nuttiness from the hazelnuts and sesame seeds.

Going for something with meat, we had the Koofteh consisting of 3 beef meatballs with rice, split peas, herbs, walnuts and plums, served with seedy sourdough flatbread.  These were quite pleasant with a meaty, yet not overly dense texture with natural meat flavours accented by the sweetness of the plums and nuttiness of the walnuts.  Loved soaking up the sauce with the flatbread.

Moving onto the mains, we went for the Fesenjoon with Duck.  This featured a slow-cooked duck leg atop a stew of walnut and pomegranate molasses, served with with a side of tahdeeg.  Oh wow, this was a flavour bomb of sweet and tangy (as the menu stated) with caramelization.  The duck leg was tender and fall-off-the-bone with a crispy exterior.  The side of tahdeeg was nutty and crunchy.

Going with another fowl dish, we had the Chicken and Barberries sporting turmeric marinated grilled  chicken breast with roasted vegetables and herbs and a barberry and orange sauce.  Also loved this dish as the chicken was tender and moist while smokey.  The sweet and tangy sauce complimented the chicken well while the roasted brussels sprouts added crunch and brightness.

One of the most surprising dishes was the Saffron & Mushroom Stew consisting of sesame & sunflower seeds, caramelized onions, saffron and preserved lemons.  This was topped with roasted wild mushrooms, pickled grapes and sumac whey sauce.  Although this lacked meat, it didn't lack flavour and impact.  It hit so many different notes such as aromatics from the saffron and mushrooms, nuttiness from the seeds, sweetness from the onions and tanginess from the preserved lemons.  This was all in balance and created a harmonious stew.

Lastly, we had the pistachio & chive crusted Steelhead Trout with Turmeric & Dill. This was served with seasonal vegetables on a bed of preserved lemon, turmeric and dill sauce.  The trout was expertly-prepared being buttery and being barely cooked through.  Yes, that sauce underneath had it all including tang, earthiness, herbaecousness and silkiness.  That pistachio crust on top provided a salty nuttiness.  Also, the side of bulgur and barberries was almost fluffy while still retaining its usual chewiness.  At this point, we were excited to order dessert, but unfortunately, we were told we could not since our time was up and the next reservation was waiting.  Okay, we understood this, but we were never informed of the time limit before we started our meal nor were we informed during our meal.  It did not help that the food came out slowly and that our server (despite being super friendly) did not ask if we wanted our next course.  So that was a sour way to end the meal when we actually wanted to try their highly-recommended sweets.  Overall, the food and service were excellent, yet the communication was lacking.

The Good:

- Excellent food

- Equally good service

- Lovely flavours

The Bad:

- Lack of communication about the dining time and pacing of the meal

- This lead to us not being able to order dessert

Zula PDX

After a restless night of trying to sleep on a foreign bed in our hotel room, I was somewhat ready to eat some more.  We made our way to the Nob Hill neighbourhood to check out Zula.  As stated on their website, Zula's cuisine is inspired by the Mediterranean city of Tel-Aviv.  As for the venue, the dining space is open with high ceilings and plenty of natural light.  We find an open kitchen at the back and a beautiful bar on one side.

We were presented with a Mezze of 3 Spreads consisting of hummus, muhammara and labneh.  This was served with grilled pita.  Beyond the visual attractiveness of the dips, they were equally delicious.  I found the hummus to be smooth with a bit of texture.  The olive oil really came through while the za'atar added nutty and earthiness.  Although looking spicy, the muhammara was not as it was more sweet and nutty than anything else.  Finally, the labneh was thick and creamy with some tang and nuttiness.

Onto the Fried Cauliflower, we found it tossed in Berbere vinaigrette and accompanied by garlic yogurt, olive, pistachio and pomegranate molasses.  The cooked-through, yet still firm cauliflower was slightly spicy but equal parts tangy and earthy.  The yogurt underneath added both cooling and creamy elements while the molasses provided a balancing sweetness.

Seemingly one of the simplest dishes was also one of my favourites in the Spiced Potato Wedges.  These appeared to be fried multiple times, hence, they were crunchy with a golden brown appearance.  Tossed in aleppo, the wedges were a bit spicy while also tangy.  The side of dill aioli helped cool things down while also adding a creaminess to the fried texture of the wedges.

Although the next dish was only 2 slices of cheese, it was visually-striking and ultimately very tasty.  The Seared Halloumi sat atop confit squash, marinated cipollini, endive, hazelnut and persimmon.  With smoky caramelization, the cheese was at its squishy best when eaten.  The drizzle of date syrup really enhanced the flavor of the cheese.  Loved the sweet persimmon too.

Beautifully plated, the Wine Braised Beets featured pistachio, caramelized onion and pickled shallot on a bed of labneh and dressed with moscatel vinegar and olive oil.  Tender, yet with still a bite, the beets were earthy as usual.  However, the flavours were a bit acidic with some sweetness, in part due to the vinaigrette.  With complimentary flavors from the sweet onions and nuttiness from the pistachios, there was some balance to the predominantly tangy dish.

Another under-the-radar item was the Fire-Roasted Eggplant with tahini, garlic, rosemary and feta.  This was so soft and creamy while with the addition of the tahini and feta, this became even creamier and rich.  There was also a background smokiness to the dish that was nicely accented by the woodsiness of the rosemary.  Even though this wasn't a spicy dish, there were spice notes.

Onto some bigger items including the Skewer Plate featuring chicken and lamb with grilled pita, chermoula and salad.  This was a beautiful plate of food that featured proteins that were perfectly prepared.  The chicken was well-charred and marinated while also being moist.  The lamb kofta was juicy and well-spiced.  The bright chermoula was a nice compliment to the meats.

We also tried their Moroccan Salmon Skewer Plate with spiced tomato curry, labneh and grilled pita.  Also exhibiting a nice sear, the chunks of salmon were perfectly prepared.  Inside, the meat was medium-rare, which ensured that it was moist and delicate.  That tomato curry was so impactful, yet at the same time not acidic.  Hence it paired well with the salmon.  Of course the thick and creamy labneh was welcomed, along with the olive oil and confit garlic.

Our last skewer was the Mixed Mushroom (predominantly oyster mushroom) which was shockingly, my favourite!  Yes, there was no meat to be found, but the "meatiness" of the mushroom was further enhanced by the caramelization on the outside which created a more robust texture.  Moreover, the side of piri-piri sauce amped the flavours up even more so with spice and garlickiness.

For dessert, we had the Hawaij Ice Cream with Yemeni spices topped with sesame brittle and a drizzle of honey.  Oh this was so aromatic and delicious!  The earthiness of the spices really came through (even in texture) while the honey and brittle added extra sweetness and texture.  Okay, let's just say we were "wowed" by the food at Zula.  Everything (and I really mean it) was vibrant and delicious.  I would totally come back when I'm in Portland.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post*

The Good:

- Delicious and impactful flavors

- Eye-catching

- Beautiful space

 

The Bad:

- Parking is a bit hard to find in the area

- The bigger dishes are limited on the menu 

Dot Sugar PDX

You'd think after Khao Moo Dang and Oyatsupan Bakers, we'd had enough food right?  Well, you can't underestimate the quadruple foodie powers of myself, Jacqueline, Eileen and Roanna!  We quickly made our way across Beaverton to Dot Sugar PDX for some more sweets and dessert.  A quickly expanding chain, the first Dot Sugar opened in Jordan in 2018 and you can see some of the international influences on the menu.

In terms of influences, it is truly global as we tried their Churros with chocolate and pistachio dips.  Everything is made-to-order here, so it was a treat (sorry for the pun) to watch them extrude the churro batter into the hot oil.  These were fried up to a golden brown and dusted with cinnamon sugar.  I liked how fluffy they were inside (with a slight chew) while the outside was crispy and light.

We also tried their Lokmas (which are influenced by the Greek Loukoumades) topped with Lotus and pistachio sauce.  Yes, this looked to be sickingly sweet but not so.  In fact, I found the pistachio to be rather mild and aromatic.  Sure, the Lotus (Biscoff) was sweeter with its usual nutty caramelized flavor, but it wasn't crazy sweet either.  As for the lokmas themselves, they were lightly crispy and appealingly chewy.

Continuing on the same flavor theme, we had the Lotus Waffle.  With the combination of caramel sauce and Lotus Biscoff crumbs, this had a rich sweetness that was rather aromatic.  Now, as mentioned before, it was just sweet enough.  As for the waffle itself, the outside was crispy while the inside was fairly light with a slight chew.  

I also had the pleasure in watching them make the Chocolate Blueberry Pancakes.  They were made with precision and efficiency with each pancake cooked barely through.  Hence, they were super fluffy and light.  Once again, do not be alarmed at the amount of sauce.  This was more fruity than sweet with the blueberry coming through.  The pancakes themselves were quite mild-tasting.

The most interesting dessert (for a multitude of reasons) was the Pistachio Molten.  It was housed in a clear cylinder at first and when released, it became a puddle of sauce (with cake underneath).  Sure, it didn't look the prettiest, but I assure you, it was good.  The cake itself was firm, but held up to the pistachio sauce.  Due to the delicious sauce, this ate quite well despite its appearance.  In general, the stuff at Dot Sugar will be on the sweeter side, due to being a dessert shop.  However, it wasn't as sweet as I feared, so I actually enjoyed the things we tried.  I especially liked the Lokmas and the pancakes.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this post*

The Good:

- Sweet, but not crazy sweet

- Textures were on point

- Sauces are delicious

The Bad:

- Well it is a dessert shop, so the predominant flavor is sweet

- The molten (after it is released) is not the most aesthetically-pleasing thing, but it tastes good 

Avishan Middle Eastern Grill

Usually, when we meet up with Nikita and Bluebeard, we head for Japanese or some other Asian cuisine (sometimes in Langley).  AI really don't mind going into Langley to meet them since I am of the opinion that good eats exist East of the Fraser River.  So this time around, I reached back into my memory of a place that Nikita had raved about - Avishan Middle Eastern Grill.  Ah yes, we've never eaten that type of cuisine together before (even though I love it personally), hence that is where we met up for eats.

I decided to order the Kashk Badmejan consisting of mashed grilled eggplant, whey sauce (kashk), sauteed onions, garlic  and mint served with Avishan’s bread.   This was pretty tasty with delicate eggplant that was flavoured by the tangy whey.  There was also the sweetness of the sauteed onions as well as the fried ones on top.  There was a background smokiness to the dip and nuttiness from the walnuts.  Loved the soft bread that came with the dip.

For myself, I went big with the Shishlik or grilled whole rack of lamb served with rice, grilled tomato and salad.  I gotta say this was prepared really well.  The lamb was medium rare being super moist and tender.  Furthermore, they were well-seasoned with enough salt, acidity and aromatics.  Even though the picture doesn't really show it, there was some char that added smokiness and depth of flavour. 

Continuing on the same theme, Bluebeard had the Lamb Shank baked slowly with garlic and onion.  As you can see in the picture, they weren't shy about keeping all of the fat from the braising juices.  Although that could be a turnoff for some people, this actually added lots of aroma and body.  The caramelized onions were the primary contributor in taste providing rich sweetness.  Fork-tender and moist, the lamb shank itself was properly prepared.

Viv decided on the boring Chicken Kebab with the same accompaniments.  Turns out that it was not the greatest decision as it was the least flavourful of the bunch.  It wasn't necessarily the seasoning either.  It is that chicken can just be somewhat of a blank slate.  But it was grilled nicely with a beautiful golden char.  The white meat was neither juicy nor dry.  So it was fine.

Nikita one-upped Viv and got the Bakhtiari sporting not only the chicken kebab, but also a lamb tenderloin kebab as well.  Due to the leanness of the lamb, it wasn't as moist as the other cuts of lamb we had.  She remarked that the shank or my rack of lamb would've been a better choice.  Despite this, the bulk of the food was prepared well and delicious.  The people there are also nice and inviting.  Definitely an option in that part of Langley.

The Good:
- Well-prepared proteins
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Have to be patient, family-restaurant, things will take time