This Persian kebab spot is a hidden gem in North York

Metro Morning's food guide Suresh Doss joins the program every week to discuss one of the many great GTA eateries he's discovered.

This week, he's bringing us to Rose Kebab in North York.

Below is a lightly edited transcript of Doss's conversation with Metro Morning host Ismaila Alfa.

Ismaila: So we're heading out for some kebabs today?

Suresh: I'm taking you up Don Mills Road today. We're heading into a small food court that is often overlooked.
It's considered to be a hidden gem by many who live in the area, and certainly all the office workers nearby.

The Diamond at Don Mills plaza is home to a number of non-food businesses and a couple of restaurants, but the real gem is this food court that is located at the far west end of the plaza. Inside it, there are about a half a dozen takeout spots. In typical Toronto fashion, there's a Korean spot, a northern Indian counter, a Thai spot. And in the corner, there's Rose's Kebab.

Ismaila: So who is Rose?

Suresh: Rose is someone that has worked in many different Iranian cafes and restaurants in the past 25 years.

She identifies as Persian. She was one of the original pastry chefs at Venus cafe, which is still around today.

And she was one of the original cooks at Super Khorak, which is a legendary Iranian supermarket on Yonge Street. Actually, if you talk to her long enough, she'll tell you a story about how she fed George Harrison some of her home-style Persian cooking during that time.

So in 2017, she moves to this food court to open this cubicle-sized takeout spot. And the menu is this dance between some of her favourite Persian dishes and some lunch-time friendly plates like a menu of burgers, to cater to the working community nearby. And then there are some weekend specials that you should know about. This food court is a place where students and workers fill the space for lunches and during dinner time; it's a lot of families.

Ismaila: Take me through some of the dishes that you like at Rose's Kebab.

Suresh: The kebabs to start off with. You will find staples in Persian cooking, like koobideh kebab: ground beef marinated a simple mix of onions, salt and pepper and grilled over an open flame. I would suggest you get the Waziri platter, which is the koobideh kebab and a skewer of chicken breast that is marinated in lemon juice and saffron overnight, it has this really interesting perfume to it and that subtle but lingering saffron flavour.

Ismaila: There's also a shawarma plate that is really good here, I hear.

Suresh: It's a loaded plate with two types of meat, a handful of freshly fried falafel. And at the centre of this place is a heaping dollop of hummus and plenty of drizzles of two house-made sauces that she makes. So, it hits you on all senses, from the charred meat to the creamy hummus and the vibrancy of the sauces.

Ismaila: You mentioned a menu of burgers here?

Suresh: Rose wanted to cater to the students here but present some Persian flavours. I really like her Persian burger. This is a beef burger with a good amount of lamb in the patty. And it's spiced with an assortment of spices and layered with sauces, yogurt. It is a really juicy burger, I highly recommend it.

Ismaila: OK, so what about the weekend specials? 

Suresh: The weekend is where Rose gets to present some of the deeper family favourites of Persian cooking.

Dishes like baghali palo, which is a rice dish that is cooked with beans and fill, and its presented with a slow-cooked lamb shank.

But I think the star for me is the ghormeh sabzi. It's one of the most popular Iranian stews, made with beef, kidney beans, an assortment of herbs and spices. But particularly fenugreek leaves and dried limes.

The beef is so tender it falls apart easily and you get the signature sourness from the dried limes. With some deep flavours from the cooked greens. It is an incredibly hearty dish. 

If you see it on the menu, you should get it.