Byblos

11 Duncan St,
Toronto, ON M5V 3M2
About the Restaurant

In continuing their steady takeover of Torontoโ€™s dining scene โ€” following the openings of the hugely successful Weslodge Saloon and Patria โ€” restaurateurs-du-jour Hanif Harji and Charles Khabouth had originally planned to open a seafood restaurant as their latest venture. Then, Harji took a business trip to the Middle East, where he experienced food that he knew he had to bring to Toronto.

โ€œI was blown away by all of the different flavours Iโ€™d never tasted before,โ€ Harji says.

Thus began nearly a year of preparation for a new concept, Byblos, which opened last month at Duncan Streetโ€™s Storys building. The food, described as โ€œeastern Mediterranean cuisine,โ€ was new territory for executive chef Stuart Cameron, but he says it wasnโ€™t that far of a leap from the Spanish food heโ€™s doing at Patria. Still, with Byblos, Weslodge and Patria under his belt, plus catering gigs, Cameron is feeling the pressure.

โ€œMy headโ€™s spinning a little bit,โ€ he says. โ€œI try to do the best I can.โ€

Cameron researched the menu extensively; he read books, traveled to Morocco and ate at Lebanese restaurants in Montreal. His menu, executed with the help of chef de cuisine Jennifer Nickle (formerly a sous chef at Patria), takes cues from countries such as Lebanon, Israel, Morocco and Greece. Couscous is hand-rolled on-site daily, and Barbari bread (a type of Persian flatbread) comes fresh from Patriaโ€™s wood-fired oven.

There are small sharing plates (like Maltese-spiced olives, $5, or the tomatoey shakshouka, $9) along with larger plates (like a dry-aged rib eye spiced with Middle Eastern herbs, $39, or grilled cod wrapped in grape leaves, $17). Basmati rice ($16-$19) is made in earthenware pots, and itโ€™s made to order, not unlike the paella at Patria. Meanwhile, bar manager Wes Galloway has put together an extensive cocktail list to pair with the food. His Gulab ($13) is made with rose-infused vodka and a house-made pomegranate reduction.

Dรฉcor is the product of Commute Design, featuring lots of wood, tile and intricate light fixtures, including a collection of porcelain lanterns above the bar. With around 120 seats over two levels, Byblos isnโ€™t small, but considering that Toronto is completely obsessed with Mediterranean fare these days, it may not be big enough.

Published on: Apr 10, 2014