Banu

"For nearly 20 years, this Iranian restaurant has been a humble darling of Queen Street West. Co-owned by executive chef Amir Mohyeddin and his sisters, Salome and Samira, Banu — a term of endearment for their mother, loosely translated to “lady” or “dame” — offers a considerate take on the home cooking of Tehran. The food speaks volumes about the power of slow cookery. Roasted eggplant emerges creamy, a touch pungent, and nutty thanks to several stages of peeling, frying, and low-and-slow cooking to extract every ounce of flavor. Koobideh skewers (ground beef blended with pureed onions, salt, and pepper) retain their shape while cooking (without relying upon binding agents like breadcrumbs) but immediately submit on the tongue like a pat of soft butter. Don’t miss the grilled Ontario lamb rack, a juicy Persian treasure topped with bitter crushed walnuts, roasted garlic, and pomegranate molasses." - Tiffany Leigh

"For nearly 20 years, this Iranian restaurant has been a humble darling of Queen Street West. Co-owned by executive chef Amir Mohyeddin and his sisters, Salome and Samira, Banu — a term of endearment for their mother, loosely translated to “lady” or “dame” — offers a considerate take on the home cooking of Tehran. The food speaks volumes about the power of slow cookery. Roasted eggplant emerges creamy, a touch pungent, and nutty thanks to several stages of peeling, frying, and low-and-slow cooking to extract every ounce of flavor. Koobideh skewers (ground beef blended with pureed onions, salt, and pepper) retain their shape while cooking (without relying upon binding agents like breadcrumbs) but immediately submit on the tongue like a pat of soft butter. Don’t miss the grilled Ontario lamb rack, a juicy Persian treasure topped with bitter crushed walnuts, roasted garlic, and pomegranate molasses." - Tiffany Leigh

"In 2005, the Mohyeddins' restaurant Banu was born, an anomaly for Queen Street on the immediate west side of the city. At that time most of the Middle Eastern restaurants in Toronto were located north of the downtown core. "Most of them were in the Iranian part of the city and all the food and decor was the same; rugs hanging on the wall and it's 600 A.D. again." By contrast, Banu was surrounded by strip joints and karaoke bars, with only one other restaurant in sight. But Mohyeddin loved the neighborhood, which she'd lived in since the late 90's. They made it work. Salome, the eldest, runs the front of house at Banu. Amir, the baby, runs the kitchen. Mohyeddin, true to her position in the middle, swings between both. They all step into the dish pit as needed. Faraj passed away five years ago, and Zarrin doesn't work at the restaurant in any official capacity, but she is still the unseen force behind it. "If you had Iranian parents, you would know that anything you do, they always have a role," explains Salome. "I've always been the chef, but at the beginning my mom helped me a lot," says Amir. "Everything we do here, we do it the way we've been taught by her," adds Salome. "When we have a question we don't refer to a cookbook, we call her." - Ivy Knight