Metro morningSuresh Doss, Food Guide from , joins the program each week to talk about one of the many great GTA restaurants he’s discovered.
This week he’s taking us to Rose Kebab in North York.
Below is a lightly edited transcript of Doss’ conversation with Metro morning Host Ismaila Alfa.
Ismaila: So are we going to eat kebabs today?
Secure: I’m taking you to Don Mills Road today. We are heading for a small food court that is often overlooked.
It is considered a hidden gem by many who live in the area and certainly by all office workers nearby.
The Diamond at Don Mills Plaza is home to a number of non-food shops and a few restaurants, but the real gem is this food court, located at the far west end of the plaza. There are about half a dozen food stalls in there. In typical Toronto fashion, there’s a Korean eatery, a North Indian counter, and a Thai eatery. And in the corner is Rose’s Kebab.
Ismaila: who is rose
Secure: Rose is someone who has worked in many different Iranian coffee shops and restaurants over the past 25 years.
She identifies as Persian. She was one of the original pastry chefs at Café Venus, which still exists today.
And she was one of the original chefs at Super Khorak, a legendary Iranian supermarket on Yonge Street. If you talk to her long enough, she will tell you a story about how she fed George Harrison some of her Persian home cooking during that time.
So in 2017 she moves to this food court to open this booth-sized diner. And the menu is that dance between some of their favorite Persian dishes and some lunch-friendly dishes like a menu of burgers to cater to the nearby work community. And then there are a few weekend specials that you should know about. This food court is a place where students and workers fill the space at lunch and during dinner; There are many families.
Ismaila: Walk me through some of the dishes you’ll love at Rose’s Kebab.
Secure: The kebabs to start. In Persian cuisine, you’ll find staples like the koobideh kebab: ground beef marinated with a simple mixture of onions, salt, and pepper and grilled over an open flame. I would suggest you get the waziri platter which is the koobideh kebab and a chicken breast skewer marinated in lemon juice and saffron overnight. It has this really interesting perfume and subtle but lingering saffron flavor.
Ismaila: I hear there is also a shawarma plate here that is really good.
Secure: It’s a plate of two meats, a handful of freshly fried falafel. And at the center of this place is a pile of hummus and copious squirts of two homemade sauces she makes. So it hits all your senses, from the charred meat to the creamy hummus and the vibrancy of the sauces.
Ismaila: You mentioned a burger menu here?
Secure: Rose wanted to serve the students here but showcase some Persian flavors. I really like their Persian burger. This is a beef burger with a good portion of lamb in the patty. And it’s seasoned with an assortment of spices and coated in sauces and yoghurt. It’s a really juicy burger, I highly recommend it.
Ismaila: OK, what about the weekend specials?
Clear: Over the weekend, Rose presents some of Persian cuisine’s deeper family favorites.
Dishes such as baghali palo, a rice dish cooked with beans and stuffing and served with a slow-cooked leg of lamb.
But I think the star for me is the Ghormeh Sabzi. It is one of the most popular Iranian stews, made with beef, kidney beans and an assortment of herbs and spices. But especially fenugreek leaves and dried limes.
The beef is so tender it falls apart easily, and you get the signature tartness of the dried limes. With some deep flavors from the cooked greens. It’s an incredibly hearty dish.
If you see it on the menu, you should get it.
