As of December 2022, Azhar, the stunning Ossington kitchen and bar, has launched an incredible weekend brunch menu. Don't expect to find $27 avocado smeared on sourdough or another sickly sweet challah French toast exhausting Toronto brunch menus for the past half-decade; we're talking a gorgeous group of mezzes to start, entrees like Lamb Borek, Eggplant Fatteh, M'Chancha, and more to finish. It's a splendidly refreshing brunch experience.
Azhar, another notch on Janet Zuccarini's Gusto 54 Group belt, delivers the high-quality service and ingredients, stunning interiors, and beautifully developed menus we've come to expect from her restaurants (as a reminder, other belt notches include Gusto 101, 501, Chubby's Jamaican, Felix, Kiin, etc.). Chef Julian Iliopoulosis currently leading the kitchen at Azhar, and given Azhar has a stunning open kitchen with a wood-fired grill at the heart, you'll probably see Chef Julian moseying about.
From their meze selection they are particularly excited about the muhammara (which is a smokey dip made from wood-fired peppers, walnuts, and garlic) and their marinated beets (made with tahini, pomegranate and dill). I am a big fan of the super simple spiced feta with honey; the high-quality feta is incredible.
For Azhar, their shakshuka is the star. They poach eggs and serve them over top of a mildly spicy tomato sauce with pickled banana peppers, goat feta and garlic yogurt. Their other brunch options include items like a granola bowl with in-house yogurt, pistachios, and fresh fruit, eggplant fatteh which combines tahini-yogurt, pine nuts, and chickpeas, etc. They also have a cool dish called m'chancha which is a flavour fusion of sour cherry, almond, pistachio, and whipped yogurt.
Azhar wants to offer Ossington a different perspective to explore the potential of what brunch can be. A lot of the dishes served at Azhar complement each other, so guests can experience a wide variety of flavours without having to make many decisions. They're excited to have their brunches become a Toronto institution!
Along with their brunch launch, Azhar is also hosting a Holiday Feast on December 20; Chef Julian will be cooking unique dishes for guests that will include mezzes, a main course, and a dessert for $75. The Whole Roasted Lamb dinner will start with a series of meze, including dips, salads, cheeses, preserves, and tartare. The star of the evening will be a whole roasted lamb, from Beverly Creek, gently cooked in their wood oven until smokey, unctuous, and tender. They will be offering a curated selection of low-intervention wine, beer, and signature cocktails. You can get tickets for the holiday feast here.
The new brunch fixture at Azhar is available from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, walk-ins are welcome but you can also book a table on Resy here.
