From Alexandria via Scarborough, Aragoz Egyptian Kitchen is the rare online restaurant that delivers Egyptian culinary classics throughout the GTA.
With plummeting temperatures and escalating Covid cases, January in Toronto is all about takeout. Those already weary of the ubiquitous burritos bowls and butter chicken, now have the option of ordering in some mombar, mahshi and moussaka.
Aragoz Egyptian Kitchen serves up a surprisingly diverse array of Egyptian specialties ranging from street food snacks, appetizers and Egyptian barbeque to banquet-worthy stews and casseroles, many of them vegetarian, with room leftover for rich, nutty sweets such as basboosa and kunafa. The diversity on offer is all the more surprising because the Egyptian kitchen in question is a compact ghost kitchen tucked away on a Kingston Road strip mall.
The idea for an online Egyptian restaurant is the result of a classic pandemic pivot executed by owner/chef Adam Soliman. A pioneering force in Toronto’s nascent Egyptian food scene, Solimon was born and raised in Alexandria, where he began cooking with his grandmother. At the age of 25, he opened his first restaurant, Prince of Egypt, on the Danforth, where he earned the nickname “King of Falafel, Stews and Soups.” Later, as a chef at the Fairmount Royal York, he caught the attention of two other royals, Elizabeth and Philip, who gifted him with a gold plate after he catered a private event they attended.
"As I said to my Grade 10 teacher, when she asked me to describe [Egyptian food] in one word: 'sophisticated,'" confessed Solimon in a recent YouTube interview. "Most of our ingredients, techniques and cooking style is actually coming from the French side. It is very labour-intensive." To wit, several of the more elaborate dishes on Aragoz's multiple menus require a prep time of up to 72 hours.
While Solimon is committed to using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, his classical French training serves him well, whether preparing hmamm Aragoz, the roast squab filled with cinnamon rice, considered one of his "Signature" dishes, or the classic dishes on the “Egyptian House” menu, which includes a slow-roasted shoulder of Ontario lamb marinated in yogurt and spices that feeds 10.
The French connection also makes a cameo in one of Aragoz' most popular offerings: kebka Eskandarani, or Alexandrian liver. "As you would see hot dog carts in Toronto, you see liver carts in Alexandria – and that's what you smell in the streets all day besides fish," explains Solimon.
A Mediterranean riff on a submarine sandwich, Solimon's version of his hometown specialty consists of seared beef liver spiked with garlic, cumin and green chilies. Piled generously into a hand-rolled fino loaf -- a dead ringer for a baguette, made in-house with all-natural ingredients -- it's then doused with lime juice -- perfect comfort food for a cold winter's night.
Open daily, Aragoz’s kitchen is located at 3456 Kingston Road, Scarborough, for pick-up. Orders are accepted online or by phone, (416) 835-0011. Delivery is available throughout the GTA (with charges according to distance). Note that some dishes require 12 (or even 72 hours) of preparation time.
