Renowned for its iconic stone mill and the freshly crafted tahini it yields, top Middle Eastern restaurant Parallel has expanded with sister location Parallel Basta. Situated in Kensington Market, the spacious 7,000-square-foot venue introduces new menu items prepared in a visible open kitchen, with the mill rightfully reclaiming the spotlight.
Anticipating it would evolve into the Middle Eastern dining destination it is today. Their initial goal was simple – to have a space where they could transform sesame seeds into tahini using their very own in-house mill.
“The Geary location was chosen for its suitability in an industrial area,” explains Alon Ozery, one of the partners. “Initially, the restaurant was intended to educate and complement our tahini production. However, over time, the restaurant flourished, and Geary has transformed into the popular destination it is today, far exceeding its popularity from six years ago.”
Alon and his brothers, Aharon, Shira, Hadas, and Guy, along with business partner and chef George Grabsky, recognized the growing demand for Parallel’s products in various restaurants and cafes across the city. Understanding the need to expand the kitchen, the team, given the spatial constraints of the Geary location, actively sought out a new building to accommodate the necessary growth.
“We love Geary because of its industrial, artsy feeling. It’s a hub for art and music, and we really liked that, and I’d say the other area in the city that matched that vibe and feel of non-conformity is Kensington,” says Alon, adding that he visits Kensington almost every week. “It has this association of artisanal manufacturers where it has always surrounded food, and while it’s changing, our concept fits the market as we make our own food and then we have this restaurant that supports it.”
Late last year, Parallel Basta made its debut just off the bustling Kensington strip on Augusta Avenue, nearer to Dundas. Within the multi-storey building, half is dedicated to the production facility, where the meticulous crafting of tahini, halva, and spreads takes place using the massive stone mill. The emphasis on freshness is evident, with all spreads carefully prepared in small batches.
“It’s very important for us to have fresh tahini,” says Alon. “Most nut butters and seed butters are made in large batches, but then the oil separation happens when a product sits on the shelf for too long—that’s natural but we don’t want that. If you have a fresh tahini, you get this beautiful, silky texture.”
The restaurant’s pitas and bread, including the beloved house bread, are all handmade in the new kitchen. The popular house bread, crafted from a 72-hour fermented dough, is freshly baked in the fire oven. The spacious new kitchen not only caters to the needs of both restaurants but also accommodates wholesale and catering demands, with ample room for future expansion.
A sizable window offers a glimpse into the kitchen, dividing it from the remaining half of the new space. This section comprises a 55-seat restaurant and a retail area featuring Parallel’s complete range of wholesale items, such as spreads, granola, spice blends and crackers. The restaurant is versatile, transforming into a convenient grab-and-go lunch spot (complete with a handy take-out window on the side of the building!) for salads and sandwiches during the day and transitioning into a more refined dining area in the evening.
Parallel, known for its signature falafel, Parallel salad and chicken shawarmas, has Chef George Grabsky introducing fresh and exciting items at Parallel Basta infused with a Mediterranean touch.
The recently unveiled menu features enticing additions, including a belated lettuce chicken wrap with a hint of pomegranate molasses, a flavourful deep-dish dolma, a fresh sabich hummus crafted with fried eggplant, and an innovative arais taco—a half pita brimming with savoury beef.
“It’s a homage to the market,” says Alon. “There’s a huge Latin influence and there are a lot of tacos, so we said, ‘let’s combine the Middle East with tacos.”
With Chef Michael Semidotski leading the new location, while Chef Elias Hashem remains at the original restaurant, even the most popular items are sure to have something different.
“We allow artistic freedom there and really encourage the influence of both chefs,” says Alon.
Parallel Basta is now open at 152 Augusta Ave.