Renowned Toronto chef, Anthony Rose, discussed in a new short documentary how after 10 years, the closure of his beloved restaurant, Fet Zun, feels more like a breakup than a typical closure.
Rose, the chef and co-owner of Fet Zun, also owns two other popular restaurants in the city, Fat Pasha and Schmaltz Appetizing. With previous ownership of eight restaurants, Rose says he’s content with what he has now.
“I used to have eight restaurants, and now I got two and I’m very happy about that. I loved every single one of my restaurants and they were all a labour of love and a labour of me and they were a lot of work and they take so much out of you – in a good way, all the things that it’s taking – but then I think when it comes down to it, you know, it’s kind of nice to have less,” he said.
With over 25 years of knowledge and experience in the finest restaurants across the United States and Canada, Rose’s approach to his cuisine is simple and rustic-driven food with a great affinity for country flavours. In a recent short documentary, made by Toronto filmmaker Andrew Tso, the chef described his experience owning restaurants across the city and how making a dish picture perfect is far from his end goal.
“I never strive for perfection, I just strive for kind of like awesome good times and delicious food. I’m not perfect, I don’t expect my relationship to be perfect or relationships, right? It’s boring,” said Rose, “I love the mistakes and I love the etchings and the drawings and what it took to get there rather than aiming towards ‘this has to be perfect’, because it never is.”
Born out of a hunger to make more dishes and tastes in the style of Fat Pasha, Fet Zun opened in 2014 and offered hungry customers unique dishes and authentic Middle Eastern flavours that cured homesick stomachs and fuelled new tastebuds for people across the city.
Its closure is a promise to place more time and energy into the treasured cuisine of Fat Pasha and Schmaltz Appetizing.
Rose often jokes that customers came to his restaurant just for Chef Mona Sleiman. When he’s asked about the best memories of the restaurant, Rose points to her, emphasizing her genuine cooking from her heart and through her family heritage that ultimately made Fet Zun the cuisine highlight Toronto fell in love with.
“The biggest thing was meeting Mona and growing with Mona,” he said.
Many chef’s across the city resonate with the bittersweet feeling of saying goodbye to their restaurant. According to Rose, he views the closure like the end of a relationship, highlighting the amazing staff, customers and memories that were made in this cozy and relaxed neighbourhood spot.
“It’s like a breakup. It’s something that you love and something that you pour your energy into. It’s the lead up that's always the hardest part, you kind of think about it, you put it in the back of your mind and then it kind of like keeps creeping through and finally it just gets overwhelming,” he said.
With a flood of Toronto’s beloved restaurants announcing closures across the city, Fet Zun is another spot locals are sad to see leave the Dupont area.
Fet Zun was one of Toronto's most vibrant hotspots and in a deserved send off, Rose and Sleiman host a farewell party where regulars enjoy the last bites of their favourite meal and staff appreciate the special bonds created over the restaurant's decade-long run.
And while Rose’s meals can be found a stone’s throw away from Fet Zun, saying goodbye to a local staple is never easy.
“The hardest part of any breakup is that you miss the person, the place, the thing. So it’s hard to move on but sometimes it's the only way to do it.”
