During my exile in Ottawa, the strip malls on the Bedford Highway across from local institution The Esquire (charmingly named Esquire Plaza 1 & 2) evolved into a hub of cuisines from around the world, and I'm here for it!
I've checked a few of these places off my "To Eat At" list, and when looking for some easy takeout after a long day, I took the opportunity to strike another name through.
Tanoor is an interesting mix of Syrian and Yemeni cuisine, reminding me of the many East Asian restaurants that put multiple countries' food on their menu to expand their business' appeal.
Shawarma features prominently, with both chicken and beef, as well as different regional variations including the Canadian-ized version with more vegetables, and the more traditional version of just meat, garlic sauce and pickles.
On the Yemeni side of the menu, one of the country's most famous dishes is the star - mandi. Traditionally, this would be prepared by cooking the meat above a pot of rice in a tandoor/tannur/tanoor, and since it forms the basis of Tanoor's name, I'm going to assume that's how they do it here as well.
For our order, I went with a whole chicken mandi, which includes rice and zahawig hot sauce, and I tacked on an order of tabbouli to add some green to the meal. It was ready for pickup in quick order, just 15 minutes later.
The mandi was an impressive sight as takeout, although I'm sure it's even better when plated for dine-in. A red-hued, spatchcocked chicken lay atop a huge mound of warmly-coloured rice, which had seen some saffron and other seasonings itself. The container is one of those large rectangular aluminum trays you see at pot lucks and the like, so this was a LOT of rice.
After serving up the plates, we eagerly dug in. The chicken skin lost its crispness while wrapped for takeout, but it and the meat had a warm, earthy flavour profile not dissimilar from Indian tandoori chicken that we're more familiar with. The ultra-tender (and admittedly a bit overcooked) meat fell off the bones.
The rice had its own complementary flavours from the saffron and the cardamom seeds that dotted the dish, while the tangy zahawig brought contrast and a hint of spiciness to our meal.
I found Tanoor's tabbouli to be more lemon-forward than most that I've had, with a layer of sweetness to balance out the acidity of the lemon juice. Not a wild departure from a well-known dish, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
I may not be out in the Bedford area very often, but Tanoor and many of its neighbours have added a lot to the area's food scene that would have been hard to imagine not that long ago. read more