Ben K.
Yelp
After reading the eater.com listing of new openings, I was definitely curious to check out this new restaurant, nestled beside a stalwart of St-Laurent, Lawrence.
I came with my girlfriend, and order a combination of three mezzes, the muhamarra, eggplant salad, and hummus, as well as the Incik leg of lamb. All of the dishes really shined; the hummus was smooth and light, easy on the lemon juice and tahini. Muhamarra featured a nice amount of heat, as well as an interesting twist with a substantial portion of tomato paste, a departure from the recipe I use. The eggplant salad featured a nice amount of smokiness, topped with pomegranate. All three and very much recommended. The leg of lamb came with a side of bulgar. The meat was expertly braised, the sauce of yogurt and butter surprisingly delicate.
All this being said, there are shortcomings and things that still need to be worked out. The pita was very stale, in spite of them reserving a front corner of their dining room to a "bread station". One would expect that in doing so, they would be boasting of its freshness: it was sadly not the case. They merely used it to warm the bread (barely), and it paled in comparison with the bread on offer at Antep Kebab. The patio was overwhelmed with the smell of charcoal coming from their own kitchen, which makes it completely unusable, as well as a not very comfortable decor. We elected to sit at a bench in an inside corner, which strangely enough was quite a bit deeper than the other benches which was not very comfortable. The menu is short of descriptions, and vegetables.
All this being said, I would definitely return to try their grilled meats. I really hope they can iron out these details, because their offerings are generally very interesting and inspired, and it would be sad to see them go the way of so many defunct establishments on St-Laurent.