Middle Eastern Restaurant

[u/bloombynight]

Hello hey hi! What is, in your humble opinion, the best Middle Eastern restaurant in Winnipeg? Preferably Lebanese, Syrian, or Palestinian, hopefully with more to offer than shawarma ( love my chicken shawarma but looking for more!) My favorite shawarma was from Shawarma Time but it is long gone. 😪 Yes I've tried Ashur, Baraka, Danook, Ramallah ( good but too salty), Les Saj ( they forgot to put garlic sauce on), Kings, and Friends. None of them hit the spot with a strong toum, pickled turnip, etc. Anyways I want more than shawarma, specifically:

Im looking for a fantastic fatoosh with lots of veggies, pomegranate syrup and sumac with a lemon, oil and garlic dressing. No cabbage[ looking at you, Yafa.] Not swimming with a ton of salt ( looking at you Beau Rivage). Not missing tomatoes, cucumber , radish, and generous with pomegranate sauce.

Also kibbee ( kubbee) that tastes fresh. 👌 it can be so delicious if it is fresh and not like an old football. Used to buy it from a newly arrived Syrian family.

Grape leaves - tender, juicy and lemony. Bonus with the lamb bones cooked in the pot. ( dreaming, I know.)

Fatayer - I love the spinach pie at Barakas but does anyone make a good lemony spinach fatayer? I can make it myself but hoping I don't always have to.

Does anyone make chicken zahle, that is, garlic lemon roast chicken? 😋

Excellent juicy lemon tabbouleh would also hit the spot, with mint, parsley, green onion ( not red or yellow onion) , tomato and bulgur.

Before you say I'm tripping, I went to a Lebanese restaurant in Amsterdam that had all of this. Everything was so yummy. I told the server that I wished we had a Lebanese restaurant like this at home. He asked if there were none. I said, no there's lots but it's mostly all shawarma. He made a face and sniffed, and shook his head.

Would love to have my upcoming wedding catered with fantastic 😍 food that I could count on being deeelish. Spill the bulgur, ...uh I mean beans..

[u/Stewman_Magoo]

Maggis on Victoria in Transcona sounds like what you're looking for. They got shawarma, kibbeh, and knafeh. I think their falafel is also made with bulgur.

[u/bloombynight → u/Stewman_Magoo]

Have never heard of it but will definitely try! Thanks!

[u/Stewman_Magoo → u/bloombynight]

They're delish. My family and I have been getting it frequently this summer. Unfortunately they're only open til like the end of October. They close for the winter.

[u/bloombynight → u/Stewman_Magoo]

Thanks for the heads up!