Torontonians are no strangers to Middle Eastern-style brunch food, but if you've never experienced the joy that is fluffy hummus, crispy falafel and spiced flatbread for your morning meal, you're going to want to get on it now.
Fattoush is Toronto's latest Levantine brunch destination, named after the spice-flecked salad with chunks of toasted flatbread that is a signature dish of the region. The takeout spot finds its home at The Depanneur, the former College Street corner store that has transformed over the past ten years into a culinary venue showcasing our city's most diverse and unique culinary talent. Fattoush is currently offering weekend-only breakfast feasts out of the Dufferin Grove space, where you can order through their website for pickup or delivery from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Dreamed up by Mohammad Mashal, the menu features signature dishes from the Eastern Mediterranean that utilize classic cooking techniques and local ingredients. Mashal grew up in Switzerland and Jordan before settling in Canada, which provides him with a unique approach that blends the flavours of his roots with more Western-style elements. Fattoush serves up traditional dips like silky hummus, mint labneh and foule moudamas, a blend of lightly crushed fave beans with extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of bright pomegranate seeds on top. Salads, sandwiches and wraps can also be ordered a la carte, plus leavened manakeesh flatbreads infused with yogurt and topped with za'atar spice, halal beef or cheese.
If you're bringing the goods home to eat with a group, they offer "feast" options which include a few different combinations of flatbreads, meats and falafels with hummus, labneh, foule, fattoush salad, mixed pickles and tahini pancakes. Their newest menu item is the hummus breakfast bowl, which includes fresh veggies, mixed pickles, cumin-spiced chickpeas, fava dip, falafels and a soft boiled egg piled on a bed of their creamy hummus and drizzled with tahini sauce and sumac spice. Regardless of what you order, the pancakes are not to be missed -- two tender cakes are served with tahini whipped cream, cardamon rose syrup and ghee (a delicious clarified butter).
If you're looking for a flavourful and satisfying take on brunch that features the delectable flavours of the Middle East (and is halal certified), make sure to place your order from Fattoush for Saturday or Sunday pickup so you can bring the feast home with you!
