The Short Version: Food truck selling Thai cuisine located…read morein the parking lot of The Apple Saddlery. Pad Thai was good but had too strong a fish sauce smell for my liking. The Long Version: I think this food truck is relatively new (as of 2026). They sell Thai food and don't shy away from the use of pungent fish sauce, lol. This likely means the food is more authentic and the place doesn't tone down it's flavours and aromas to suit local palates, which I always commend, even if the authenticity is sometimes too much for me, lol. My dad loves Pad Thai (actually all noodles, but especially Pad Thai, and also Japchae, but that's another story), so while he was fixing my car, I took his car (with his permission) and went out to Thai Lotus to pick up some Pad Thai for him. The food truck is very modest-looking. They have a branded sticker but the menu is hand-written and taped onto the truck. It's definitely not like those fancy food trucks with colourful and eye-catching designs all over the truck. I got a chicken Pad Thai ($15) and also 2 pieces of Taro Coconut dessert for my mom ($2 per piece) since she loves taro and it sounded interesting. Even though it was a Friday and the menu said they only have this dessert on Wednesdays and Thursdays, I asked about it's availability anyway and luckily for me, they had some! It appeared to be a one-woman show, and the Pad Thai was made to order, so it was a bit of a wait. The dessert was assembled to order so that also took time, but it was all worth it! My parents absolutely loved the food. And of course they shared it with me so I had a taste so I could write a review, haha. The Pad Thai had good flavour and wasn't overly greasy. The smell was too pungent for my preferences but the taste was not fishy. The portion was a good amount, but there wasn't too much meat in it. The tofu pieces were too hard and chewy for my liking. However, my dad loved it so I was happy. The Taro Coconut dessert was a scoop of boiled and mashed taro inside a small cup made of banana leaf with coconut milk poured on top. I rarely see this dessert on any Thai restaurant menu. My mom loved it. I had a tiny taste and it was great. The taro was coarsely mashed so it still had nice chunks of taro in it. The dessert was not too sweet, which I appreciated. It was my first time having this dessert but I would say it's very similar to the Vietnamese dessert called Chè Khoai Môn except without the sweet glutinous rice or sago. They only accept cash or debit. No credit cards. They are parked in the Apple Saddlery parking lot along with a few other food trucks. Lots of free parking for customers. I'm thrilled the food was a huge hit with my parents. I will definitely return to treat my parents to some more of their menu items. Review #100 (2026)

The food is usually good, but they must have changed their supplier. The General Tao was so tough…read morealmost had to get the chain saw to cut it. very disappointed. I can't even figure out what kind of meat it is. usally it's made with chicken. I hope they change their supplier or make it fresh and use real chicken!

Check your bill closely, there is an employee that has tried to rip me off three times in five…read moreyears. He tears the bill off the bag and pretends to ring it in; when you call him out on it he says (every time), "Sorry, sorry I don't have my glasses". I guess I am the idiot for going back; it's actually a bit of a joke for me to see if he will try it again...and he does! The food is okay if you like Canadianized chi-foo.

We got the one for all special. Came with chicken, gyro, salad, lots of rice and 3 (saj) bread, 5…read moredifferent dip... they had a 49.99 deal but if you are a group of four I would recommend you get individual platers. We were short on chicken but, There was a generous portion of Gyro. They didn't have the platters box anymore. I Think it affected the quantity, for veggies and meat we got a few slice of tomatoes (we where only two) so each of us got 3 slices (that are already cut in half) The chicken was shredded into really small pieces and dry. For the sauce I think one was yogurt, two different lvl of hot sauce, tahini sauce and one sweet sauce. We have lots of rice left and lots of salad I was the only one who had some. I think overall it is still a good value but if you have a small appetite.

TLDR: Tasty chicken shawarma bowl in suburban plaza. Excellent $8 daily specials…read more So I finally made it out to Tahini's! They are a chain from London, ON. This is their first location in Ottawa (it's technically in Kanata, lol). I was going to try their famous blueberry chicken shawarma but was seduced by their $8 daily specials, haha. On Sundays, their regular-sized Habibi bowls are only $8 (usually $12.99) and y'all know I can't resist a deal, so that's what I got. I figured since I was saving $5, I might as well add 2 beef samosas (for $2.99) for kicks and still be ahead, lol. The Habibi Bowl is rice, chicken shawarma, fried onions, tzatziki, spicy garlic sauce, parsley and pita chips. I like that they fry up the chicken on the grill after they slice it off the spit. The chicken was moist and flavourful. The rice was a bit clumpy, but still tasty. They were super generous with the fried onions and pita chips. Lots of crunchy texture for sure in this bowl! They were also generous with the sauces. The beef samosas were mostly wrapper, not too much beef and onion filling, but they were crispy and piping hot from the fryer. They are more similar to African-style samosas/sambusas as opposed to Indian-style samosas. They're also pretty small. Service was courteous and efficient. I like that the takeout containers are cardboard and not styrofoam. It's a fast food joint. Some tables are available to eat in. Atmosphere is very casual. Lots of free parking in the plaza parking lot. (41)

This restaurant was very strange. We tried this out as a group celebrating a birthday last week,…read morevery excited to try it. The decor is fairly upscale, and they had live music, which was nice but made it hard to talk or hear the waitress. I really, really wanted to give this 5 stars, because it has the potential to be so damn good. The prices were very reasonable. The portions were mid-sized, reasonable for the price. Every bit of seafood was cooked to perfection - I had calamari and the seafood paella, and each bite of meat was succulent and tender. But the first thing that was lacking, and weirdly so, was appropriate seasoning. Like I said, the calamari meat was cooked to perfection - but in a heavy, bready, North American style coating with sauce that was very much like ranch. More appropriate for mozzarella or zucchini sticks. The seafood in the paella was succulent, and the rice was amazing - but the overwhelming flavour was *salt*. So much so that the taste of the seafood was overpowered. In addition, the service was much less than stellar. The place was almost empty, yet it took us almost an hour to get water. The one waitress greeted a friend who came in with a hug and loud banter, but ignored us for a long time and even was annoyed to have to serve us. Some people got their mains while others hadn't even gotten their starters yet, so some people were still eating far after others had finished and even had to leave. Every star was for the seafood. This restaurant has potential but doesn't live up to what it could be.

The food tastes very good but the menu is a bit inconsistent. The general tao chicken is not as…read moregood as the other stuff. Combo platter are great but the rice is a bit inconsistent. Sometimes dry, sometimes freshly made. The meat is always good.

Absolutely amazing experience at Zaky Grill and Broast! The food is always fresh, delicious, and…read morefull of flavour. The chicken is perfectly cooked, the portions are generous, and the customer service is outstanding. The staff are friendly, welcoming, and make you feel right at home. Definitely one of the best places to eat! Highly recommended, and I'll definitely be coming back!

Got the 4 piece meal from Zaky's Broast & Grill and it was really good. The chicken was crispy on…read morethe outside, juicy inside, and seasoned well without being too salty. Portions were solid and everything tasted fresh. Definitely worth trying if you want broast chicken in Ottawa.

TL;DR/The Short Version: Delicious Piri Piri Chicken at this…read morePortuguese restaurant in Blackburn Hamlet. The Long Version: My family and I were celebrating Lunar New Year a bit late and we made up for it by having an epic feast. Our theme was East meets West. My brother got a dinner for 6 at The Mandarin and I got the Combo 6 at Portugalos. The Combo 6 ($69.50) consisted of 1 1/2 chickens, a rack of ribs, a box of fries, a box of rice, 2 boxes of salad, 8 buns and 3 small containers of Piri Piri sauce. I loved that the chicken was already cut into pieces. The meat was tender and fall off the bone. The seasoning was delicious and had a bit of a spicy kick. I also loved that the ribs were also pre-cut. The ribs were also fall off the bone and had good flavour. The fries were shoestring fries and were good. My little neices loved them. The rice was soft and fluffy. It had a tomato flavour with herbs. I liked that the salad came with the dressing on the side. It was romaine lettuce, baby spinach, kale and shredded carrots. The dressing was a creamy green dressing. It was good. The buns were soft and fresh. The sauce was a bit on the oily side, but it had a fiery kick to it. The food was a big hit at the get-together. We got takeout, but they have a spacious dining room. I called in my order the day before and I was able to pick it up right at opening. Service was pleasant. There free parking in the plaza parking lot. Portugalos is where Olito's Cafe used to be. Portugalos has a location in Gatineau as well (which was their original location, this one in Blackburn Hamlet is their second location). Review #53 (2025)

I have tried Portugalos few times at the Gatineau location, and noticed we have one in Blackburn…read moreHamlet now, so my wife and I went last night to try it out. The service is good, the server is friendly. The restaurant decor is nice with the pictures of the various places in Portugal The food is not as good as I have tried before at the Gatineau location. Not sure they are the same owner. Cataplana is very small and the sea food is not at the best in terms of freshness, I know it is difficult to have fresh seafood in Ottawa especially in the winter time, nevertheless, it certainly can be better for what we had. The steak is ok but it is not a steak house quality, this is something they should look into, perhaps go for some fine quality filet mignon and raise the price so people will appreciate for the quality of the food and would not mind of paying extra for the quality. The owner is a young couple and I think people in Blackburn Hamlet should go there give it a try to support the local business. Good Luck Portugalos hope to see you again later on in the year.