Inside Souk Tabule, Toronto's new Middle Eastern marketplace
Souk Tabule is the first restaurant to open in Toronto’s newly inhabited (and hungry) Canary District. It’s the third outlet from the burgeoning Toronto chain of Middle Eastern eateries but here, the menu and style of service is totally unique.
Unlike its predecessors in Midtown and in Riverside, the concept is fast-casual and inspired by Middle Eastern marketplaces. The walls are lined with imported goods for sale; jars of walnuts in honey, loose leaf teas and olive oils.
Ordering takes place at the counter and payment occurs upfront, but the setting, an all white room soaked in sunlight, is undeniably among the most lovely fast food restaurants I’ve ever stepped inside.
The menu here is all new too. All-day brunch and an expansive cafe menu is at the core of the concept, while the bar slings espressos (try the honey cardamom latte) in addition to cocktails (Lebanese mimosas feature pomegranate juice spiked with Cava and sweetened with date syrup).
All-day eating here entails eggy dishes like the basturma scramble ($12) and shakshuka ($11) along with a selection of mezze (from $6), sandwiches (from $7), salads (from $6.50) and hearty entrees like kefta meatballs ($12), shish tawuk ($12) and pulled chicken ($12) over rice.
The chef’s sampler ($16) is an excellent way to get acquainted with the starters and features a spread of babaganoush, labneh, beet mutable, muhammara and slaw.
An order of hummus topped with shawarma (+$4.50), a freshly-baked saj pita folded over fresh veggies and labneh ($7.50) and an extra side of falafels ($6) proves almost too much food shared at a table of four.
Souk Tabule
Address: 494 Front Street East, Toronto
Twitter: @TabuleToronto