Food Sparks: First foray into Middle Eastern cuisine

Well, it's not the first time we've tried Middle Eastern food but the first time we have ventured into a restaurant serving it in Toronto. We've visited Morocco and have served hummus forever at home but to taste it at an actual Middle Eastern restaurant is a first for us. Our Summerlicious experience at Tabule was tasty and fun - from the water jug to the hanging lamp and quaint teapot, it was all a new experience.

The appetizer - a combination platter of humus, babaganuj, tabule and falafel served with chewy flatbread (I love it!) - was a meal in itself. The falafel was delicious - I could have gone home then and not need anything more for the night. But I had my eye on the dessert, the Knaffa Ashta, angel hair filo topped with custard and topped off with rosewater syrup. So I stuck around for the skewered ground beef and lamb (nice sauce but the meat was a little overcooked). It was served with tasty spiced rice and grilled veggies. But truly, the highlight was the Knaffa Ashta, served warm - it was a heavenly dessert!

This is just a foretaste of what we might expect on our upcoming trip to Istanbul - a variation on similar themes, no doubt - substitute an "a" for an "e" and it's the same dish, almost...