Iraqi Food

The year 2020 is almost done. A year where due to the Pandemic most of us were limited at the time to decide which new places to visit. There were some short moments where restaurants were able to serve food for dine in. I did use this short time to know different foods.

I was always curious about the culture in Iraq and whether the food there is like the food in other Arabic countries or is it different. which particularities are there.

A friend of mine recommended to visit restaurant Royal Mezgouf, an Iraqi restaurant located in the west end of Toronto. This restaurant serves real Iraqi food. You can read their web site. 

During my first visit I tried a dish called Kebab bel-Badhanjan (كباب بالباذنجان), fried slices of eggplant rolled and stuffed with kufta (Meatballs of ground meat with the shape of a cigar) and served with rice and a special tomato sauce. The taste was excellent. The presentation ot the rice, although a different rice, reminded me the Persian dishes I usually taste in different places of the city.

During my following visit, I tried the Royal Iraqi Kebab, a dish with 3 skewers of kebab made of ground beef and lamb. Visually this dish reminds me the Kebab Kubideh I have in Persian food. But the tastes are different. They are both served with rice, but the basmati rice used in Persian food is different than the rice used in Iraqi food. Iraqis use pickles as a side while Iranians prefer fresh vegetables. In both cultures they add sumac to the rice for seasoning.

The name of the restaurant, Mezgouf (المسكوف), is also the name of a typical Iraqi dish. It is fish based. Its carp grilled and slow cooked in firewood. I could see that it was served to someone else. This time I didn’t have the opportunity to taste it. I think next time if I go there with a friend I will request this dish to be prepared. If you are interested in this dish, please allow some time to cook it as it takes more than an hour to prepare it.

Back in February, before the lockdowns started, I had the opportunity to visit another Iraqi restaurant. It was the Sumaq Iraqi Charcoal Grill, located in Lawrence East. This is a small restaurant specialized in kebabs Iraqi style. You can read their website here 

During the only visit I could pay to this place, I had the Iraqi Kebab, which comes with 2 skewers of Ground lamb meat. It is served over rice and has a side of pickles and hummus. Like their name say, they use sumac for seasoning. This place is a good alternative for fast food. Unfortunately it is far away from my home and the current situation does not allow me to go there, but for sure this will be one of the places I will visit once life in Toronto goes back to normal.