cityscape
Maha’s: Beautiful brunch in the East End
Photo by Sarah Efron
There’s something special about a restaurant on an unremarkable stretch of Greenwood Ave. that attracts a lineup at 11:30 a.m. on a Thursday. If you’ve been to Maha’s Fine Egyptian Cuisine—and many of my blog readers have—you’ll know its popularity is well deserved. The brunch spot, which opened last fall at 226 Greenwood Ave., offers a rare combination of fresh food, home-like atmosphere and excellent service.
Photo by Sarah Efron
I started off the meal with a cardamom latte, which was smooth and soothing, similar to chai. Then I tried the date grilled cheese, a luxurious sandwich crammed with oozing havarti, gouda, and swiss and layered with buttery sautéed dates. The sweet-savoury combination may sound odd, but it’s absolutely irresistible. On the side I had the cumin-dusted home fries, which had a nice sour kick from the pickled red onions.
For a neighbourhood cafe, Maha’s takes an unusual amount of effort to create visually appealing dishes. The Cairo Classic is a carefully arranged platter of foole (ful), a chunky, rich stew made from fava beans. The foole is covered with thin slices of hardboiled egg and a crispy ball of falafel, which, as per Egyptian custom, is also made from fava beans, not chickpeas.
Photo by Sarah Efron
Read the rest at Spice City Toronto.
Spice City Toronto explores Toronto’s great hole-in-the-wall restaurants and strip-mall joints serving food from all corners of the world.