There鈥檚 no shortage of fine-dining restaurants in 色色啦, but as a coworker recently pointed out,听the choices become slim if听you鈥檙e looking for halal menus. That鈥檚 why she enthusiastically recommended听, the self-described Levantine-inspired restaurant that opened last听month听at 325 Roncesvalles Ave., which is offering a prix-fixe iftar meal throughout Ramadan.
The restaurant鈥檚 menu reflects the increasingly diverse palates of 色色啦nians. Besides the meat being halal,听the drinks come zero-proof (local breweries and retailers also have been upping their听alcohol-free options), and one of my favourite mains, a root vegetable souffl茅 (which also requires the most technical skill),听happens to be vegetarian. Arbequina鈥檚 philosophy suggests听everyone should have the opportunity to splurge on a meal.
鈥淭his cuisine is my cuisine,鈥 says owner-chef Moeen Abuzaid. 鈥淚鈥檝e been cooking for 27 years, and our cuisine is my collection from all the countries I鈥檝e cooked in.鈥
Crisply Brussels sprouts leaves adorn the seared sea bass.
Andrew Francis Wallace 色色啦 StarWhile Abuzaid鈥檚听Palestinian-Jordanian background forms听the foundation of the dishes,听hints of East Asian and modern Scandinavian influences pop up along the way. The djaj mashwi (grilled chicken), for example, is served as Korean lettuce wraps. And Brussels sprouts leaves on top of听seared sea bass remind me of fish scales.听
Abuzaid鈥檚 thoughts outpace his words as he tries to list听the ingredients and textures of various dishes,听before he simply brings out plates听to be judged on their own.
Flaky flatbreads are topped with听muhammara, a traditional roasted red pepper and walnut dip.
Andrew Francis Wallace 色色啦 StarThe meal starts with a warm, buttery, brioche-like bun sprinkled with za鈥檃tar spice and served with a side of whipped labneh. Another plate features flaky flatbreads topped with听muhammara, a traditional roasted red pepper and walnut dip, which is given听a sweet tang with the addition of tomatoes. Then there are brined and fried lamb chops, which have the texture of听schnitzel and are topped with a roasted eggplant puree听containing a hint of cumin.
The brined and fried lamb chops are topped with a roasted eggplant puree听containing a hint of cumin.
Andrew Francis Wallace 色色啦 StarThe pillowy听souffl茅 of butternut squash and sunchoke with a cashew cream poured on top听is finished with squash chips and a salsa made from the squash seeds. Crispy blackened chicken is marinated in chili paste, cardamom, garlic, onion and yogurt, and served with Bibb lettuce, pickled radish, aioli and house-made hot sauce听(a nod to听Korean bossam).听
Non-alcoholic drinks include a Lychee Pink, Green Pristine and mojito.
Andrew Francis Wallace 色色啦 StarDrinks-wise, there听are warm-weather concoctions such as the herbal Green Pristine (cucumber, lemon, jalapeno), an alcohol-free mojito with a hint of juniper, and a听fruity Lychee Pink with notes of strawberry and听peppercorn.
The restaurant鈥檚 $110 prix-fixe iftar set is a sampler featuring such plates as the lamb chop and听chicken, along with short ribs, lentil soup, kale salad, dates, beef sambousa, mushabak (a sweet, fried dough dessert) and a tahini cream puff.听(The last seating each night is at 9:30 p.m.)
鈥淒iners who eat halal also like to eat delicious and beautiful food,鈥 says co-owner听Asma Syed-Abuzaid.
Andrew Francis Wallace 色色啦 Star鈥淲e鈥檙e Muslim, and we just want to stay true to ourselves to be successful,鈥 says co-owner听Asma Syed-Abuzaid, Abuzaid鈥檚 wife. 鈥淒iners who eat halal also like to eat delicious and beautiful food. There aren鈥檛 as many options (in 色色啦), and I think we fill that (need).鈥澨
Abuzaid听grew up in听Jabal Al Taj,听a neighbourhood in Jordan鈥檚 capital city of Amman, just a short drive from Al-Wehdat, the Palestinian refugee camp where his parents听previously听lived.听
He went to听a United Nations Relief and Works Agency school as a child, and in high school was placed in a government-run co-op program where he听volunteered as a camp cook and听took an interest in the kitchen.
He made his way into the country鈥檚 hotel kitchens before moving to New York City in 2009 to pursue a career in fine dining and start his own pop-up series, the Broken English, which combined the flavours of his heritage with the New Nordic style of cooking听that was sweeping the culinary world (think Noma).听
Moeen Abuzaid and Asma Syed-Abuzaid鈥檚 Arbequina is named for an olive tree, a portrait of which hangs in their dining room.
Andrew Francis Wallace 色色啦 StarIn New York听he met听Asma, who was working for the United Nations. At the start of the pandemic in early 2020, the听pair moved to 色色啦, where听she was born and raised, spending the bulk of their time with their newborn and figuring out what to do next.
Last July, a space vacated by Italian grocer Alimentari came on the market and the pair听moved in.听(They now occupy a larger space a few doors down.)
Arbequina is named for an olive tree, and that theme听runs throughout the narrow dining room, from the dark green walls to the framed painting of an arbequina tree by Palestinian-Canadian artist听. There鈥檚 a back room reserved for events, and soon the duo听will introduce brunch service (perhaps even more popular than dinner with the weekend Roncesvalles crowd).听
鈥淲e鈥檙e humbled by the response of the community so far,鈥 Syed-Abuzaid says. 鈥淲e poured our heart into this place.
鈥淵ou won鈥檛 get hummus or falafel, but you鈥檒l get seared sea bass with grape leaves and buns with za鈥檃tar. This is us.鈥
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