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| - Spectacular service, value, and Summerlicious menu!
I'm a huge fan of plant-based (vegan/vegetarian) Middle Eastern food, but so far have found the Tabule series (this one and Souk Tabule in the Canary District) to be my favorite in Toronto. I was so happy with my Summerlicious lunch today. We made a reservation for two at noon a week ago and glad we booked in advance because the place seems to be a community favorite as the space does fill up! After having had a few tragic -licious experiences, i.e. tiny portions and compromised quality, I was kind of expecting to leave hungry. But noooo, the portion sizes here are fantastically large for every course; my tiny gf couldn't finish her main and dessert after the huge combination platter appetizer. We both thought the appetizer alone would've been sufficient as a meal.
There are lots of wonderful vegan options! Don't assume that Middle Eastern food is only about the kebabs :P We ordered the combination platter (vegan) to start and it's basically a mezze plate with generous amounts of hummus, baba ganoush, 3 fried falafels (which were oh-so-aromatic and flavorful), and a tabbouleh salad. The platter came with 4 half slices of thick pita, 2 of which are whole wheat. Very filling. For mains we both ordered the vegan eggplant dinner, which comes with roasted eggplant, peppers, onions, and caramelized onions (so tender and sweet!) on dirty rice (rice and lentils) with tahini drizzle. The rice-lentil base was so yummy I was tempted to order a second helping of just that, but decided to leave room for dessert. The vegan rice pudding was not overly sweet like the grocery store variety - instead the flavors come from the Middle Eastern spices and raisins. Even though it was a large portion and supposed to be dense due to the ingredients, it felt so light going down.
The servers were so attentive and all smiles and our waters were constantly refilled. 5/5 would return again and again - only wish that there was a location in Downtown Core!
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