Egyptian Food at Papyrus

Last Friday, Anna and I decided to try some new dishes. Checking some old notes, I noticed that some friends recommended me to try Egyptian food, and Toronto has some places where they serve food from this part of the world. We decided to visit the restaurant Papyrus, located in Danforth, in the famous Greek town. You can read more here. 

One of the things I noticed during my brief visit to the interior was a decoration on one of the walls with a list of words in 3 languages: English, Arabic and Egyptian (in Hieroglyphic script). They explain that this decoration was inspired in the famous Rosetta stone, a commemorative scripture found in Egypt, that contains the same text written in Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics, Egyptian Demotic script and Ancient Greek. (By chance, this restaurant ended up in the well-known Greek town in Toronto, an interesting coincidence).

We tried different dishes. One of them was Koshari ( كشري ), considered as Egypt’s national dish. This dish was originated during the 19^th century, probably under European influence. It has a mix of macaroni, rice and lentils, topped with caramelized onions and tomato sauce and garnished with chickpeas. This is a popular street food and a great choice for those who want to eat vegan food.

We tried T’ameya ( طعمية ), the Egyptian version of Falafel, and here is a patty-shaped deep fried meal made of fava beans and fresh herbs. Is one of the oldest meals of the Middle East. We ate the T’ameya Sandwich. The name of this dish is derived from the Arabic word T’am ( طعام ) which means “Food”. The form of this word suggest a small piece of food. It’s another good choice of Vegan food.

Our non-vegan choice of the night was Hawawshi, ( حواوشي ) Seasoned ground beef and served in Baladi bread with some vegetables. This is also a popular street food. We decided to have a taste of the lentil Hummus prepared by this restaurant.

For dessert, we chose Bassbousa and Konafa. Bassbousa ( بسبوسة ) is a classic Egyptian semolina moist cake. It originated in the Ottoman empire and spread throughout the Middle East with different names and styles. For those who like Lebanese food, the closest version is called Namura ( نمورة ). Konafa ( كنافة ), is a sweet made with vermicelli soaked in sugar-based syrup and filled with pistachios. This restaurant prepares a particular style that they call Canadiana, where this dish takes the shape of a canoe and is filled with blueberries, and a touch of Maple syrup. The waiter told us that the Bassbousa will be sweeter if we decide to share both dishes. Anyway, both sweets tasted delicious.

About the restaurant, we can add that most of the dishes they serve are vegetarian, with some exceptions, so it is a place where you have options to choose from. The plates are disposable and made from recyclable material. Of course we have to add a few words about the great service provided by the waiters who during all our visit were very attentive and with details they kindly answered all our questions. Indeed, this place is a must for visitors who want to try something new and different in the classic Greek town of Toronto.