Tag: Giragi

Quick Bites: Giragi, Barbershop Patisserie, Queen’s Pasta Cafe

Published on by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Lamb Wrap from Giragi
Lamb Wrap from Giragi

I previously tried the steak wrap from Giragi, and it was stellar.  I just tried the vochkhar (lamb), and it was just as good.  Clearly, the people in charge of this place know their stuff.  As per the menu, this particular wrap comes stuffed with “jajekh, xaviar, pickled turnip, pevaz.”  To translate, jajekh is a cucumber yogurt salad, xaviar is an eggplant spread, and pevaz is a mix of onion and parsley.  It’s a really, really tasty wrap.  It’s so much stuff, and it seems like it should be overstuffed (and technically, it probably is — it’s a mess), but all the flavours work so well together, and the perfectly spiced lamb patties are thoroughly delicious.  It’s so good.

Brownie from Barbershop Patisserie
Brownie from Barbershop Patisserie

Speaking of things that are obscenely delicious, the brownie from Barbershop is ridiculously good.  Like, one of the best brownies I’ve ever had.  It’s got an amazingly rich, chocolatey flavour, and the perfectly fudgy-but-light texture has a great chewiness that I can barely even describe.  It’s pretty special.

Meatball Sandwich from Queen's Pasta Cafe
Meatball Sandwich from Queen’s Pasta Cafe

As the name implies, Queen’s Pasta Cafe is mostly about pasta, though they do have a lunch menu with a few sandwiches.  I went with the meatball (“Meatballs with Arugula, Mozzarella Cheese and Tomato sauce”), and it was okay.  The meatballs were actually quite good, with a nice meaty flavour, a tender texture that isn’t too soft, and a rich sauce.  But the stale bun was a bit of a disaster.  This is probably my fault, however, for ordering something that isn’t pasta at a restaurant with pasta in its name.  Those meatballs would have been boffo on spaghetti, I’m sure.

A Tasty, Beefy Sandwich at Giragi

Published on by Michael NusairLeave a comment

Giragi
Location: 486 Front Street West, Toronto (inside Wellington Market)
Website: https://www.giragito.ca/

Wellington Market at the Well was already one of the better food courts in the city, but the recent expansion — with places like Bear Steak Sandwiches, Chen Chen’s Nashville Hot Chicken, and The Carvery — makes it hard to beat.

Giragi

Giragi is another one of the newer places in the food court.  It’s an offshoot of Taline, a Michelin-noted restaurant, and yeah, they clearly know what they’re doing.

They serve a variety of meats (and falafel) that you can get in a sandwich or a bowl.  I went with the davar (beef) which comes topped with “pickled cucumber, hummus, pevaz, toum, chilli, cilantro, parsley.”

Giragi

It’s a great sandwich.  The first bite is pretty much  just sauce, but once you get past that, it’s absolutely crammed with good quality beef.  It’s basically a steak sandwich with Armenian flavours, and it’s quite delicious.

That beef, in particular, is just right — it’s cut into fairly sizey chunks, but they’re all tender enough, with rosy pink meat within, that this totally works.  They also have a very distinctly smoky flavour from the grill.  I liked it a whole lot.