Maha's Brunch
Egyptian restaurant · South Riverdale ·
Egyptian brunch with Cairo flavors, falafel, and cardamom lattes
Egyptian brunch with Cairo flavors, falafel, and cardamom lattes
"Open for: Breakfast and lunchPrice range: $$Chef Maha Barsoom opened this Egyptian brunch spot in 2014 with her daughter, chef Monika Wahba, and son, barista Mark Wahba. The east end spot in Leslieville produces a spirited cacophony that’s straight out of the streets of Cairo. There’s usually a line, but patience is rewarded with the tactile pleasures of Maha’s Cairo Classic breakfast platter: intensely aromatic charred baladi bread, piquant ful (stewed, seasoned fava beans mixed with tomatoes and onions) to smear on top, and refreshing tomato-feta salad. The Mind Blowing Chicken sandwich is also bursting with explosive energy: The meat is combined with parsley, onions, and tomatoes, piled onto two squishy buns, and finished with tomeya (garlic sauce), house mayonnaise, and tahini.Know before you go: There could be a massive snowstorm in Toronto and still be an hours-long line-up for a table here. Unless you want to campout at 6 a.m. (before they open doors at 8), consider takeout." - Tiffany Leigh
"Set in a quiet residential neighborhood as the area’s only restaurant, this homestyle, family-run brunch spot brings Egyptian flavors to Toronto, inviting guests to “dine like pharaohs.” Opened in 2014 by Chef Maha Barsoom and run with her children Monika and Mark Wahba, the menu spans tradition and modern riffs: the Cairo Classic—beans, falafel, a boiled egg, cheese, and tomatoes tossed with mint and extra-virgin olive oil—sits alongside a date grilled cheese with “three different types of cheeses stuffed with dates and egg bread,” plus sides like Egyptian salad, lentil soup, or cumin fries. Egyptian falafel is a delicate specialty, wrapping a soft-cooked egg in falafel paste, sesame-coated and fried. Mark oversees drinks including Egyptian Karkadeh hibiscus tea, carrot juice with nutmeg, and his cardamom-infused coffee. The room feels like a welcoming home, decorated with family art and photography, knickknacks, and plants that catch the morning sun, while Egyptian classics like Umm Kulthum’s ‘Alf Leila We Leila’ play. With MICHELIN recognition, the aim here is to show how Egyptians dine today and to create a place where people connect over flavors shaped by the Red Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Nile, with lots of vegetables and legumes." - Michael He
"An essential for Egyptian brunch, this cozy spot invites you to dine like a pharaoh with the Cairo Classic featuring Egyptian falafel." - Michael He
"While Maha’s is always pretty busy at brunch, it’s worth waiting out the crowds for their Egyptian breakfast plates loaded with foole, falafel, sliced hardboiled eggs, charred balady, and salata balady. Get it all with a cardamom latte and enjoy the family knick-knacks and giant windows that look out onto the street." - julia eskins
"A colorful and family-run eatery in Leslieville, serving authentic Egyptian breakfasts and brunches."