Variety: Mediterranean
Address: 3045 Robie Street
Date Visited: Friday, June 5, 2015
Orders: Half & Half (Beef and Chicken Shawarma), Chicken Souvlaki
Taste: 8 + 7 = 15/20
Portion Size: 10 + 7 = 17/20
Presentation: 8 + 7 = 15/20
Value: 9 + 8 = 17/20
Service: 8 + 8 = 16/20
Bonus: 3
Minus: -
Final Grade: 83% (Good)
(Scoring: 100% to 140% = Exceptional, 85% to 99% = Excellent, 67% to 84% = Good, 60% to 66% = Satisfactory, 50% to 59% = Marginal, 0% to 49% = Poor, -40% to -1% = Abysmal)
Notes: Situated in a little strip mall on Robie Street near Young Street, we'd driven by Tarek's many times but had never actually gone in. We'd stopped into the neighbouring Subway a couple of times, but...yeah, we just never really thought about going until their fluorescent roadside sign said "Why not give Tarek's a try?". We had plans to have dinner with C&C, who live in the area, so...why not? As it turned out, they were big fans and were glad to join us.
Walking in, we were a little taken aback by the ambiance. First, there was an old cabinet packed to the brim with a bunch of dry and canned goods available for purchase - pasta, and the like. Next, lining almost the entire length of the room was a huge lunch counter with a bunch of guys working fast and furious - one of whom looked up and flashed a quick smile and bid us welcome before returning to his task. Then, there were a handful of quaint tables with beautiful floral paintings directly on the tabletops. In truth, it didn't feel as though the decor was particularly calculated, it was more of a lunch counter - which was part of the charm.
When we went up to the counter to order, the smile guy dropped everything to take our order. We were a little overwhelmed by the massive menu on the board above the counter so we asked for his suggestions, noting T's onion allergy. For J, he suggested their most popular item, "The Half and Half," which was a plate featuring both chicken and beef shwarma. Sold. He had to think a little harder about a suggestion for T, as he wanted to ensure she could have something without onion. He ended up suggesting a modified chicken souvlaki - modified in that he would prepare it personally and omit a couple of things to ensure it was onion-free. Few places go to such lengths to ensure her allergy concerns are addressed, so we immediately made a mental note to give them a bonus point.
When contemplating beverages, smile guy nodded to a cooler with his head and said "Just take what you want, we trust you." Although our table was well within eyeshot of the lunch counter, that friendly attitude counts for something. Bonus point #2.
When J's plate arrived, it was a MASSIVE mount of meat, rice, tzatziki sauce, hummus, salad and pita bread (see below). The salad was kinda buried under the mountain of food and he literally had to dig for it. The rice was ok but could have used a bit more spice. The beef shawarma was a highlight - thinly sliced and well-seasoned - while chicken was good but nothing special, ditto with the salad. The tzatziki sauce was really good, particularly when applied to the meats. The hummus was good, but there wasn't really enough pita to scoop it up.
In truth, T felt a little awkward reviewing her chicken souvlaki because they took such care to take her allergy seriously. In a word, it was good, but it was really just a wrap and it didn't come with anything, so she left a little hungry. Still, she enjoyed the experience - particularly the sweet painted table tops (bonus point #3), and looks forward to a return visit. We both do.
Final Verdict: Go hungry and with an open mind and you will probably leave happy!
No comments:
Post a Comment