Village welcomes new Middle Eastern eatery

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This article was published 27/08/2021 (1477 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Bassma Zahran’s children are always asking her to write recipes books for them.

Instead, she opened a restaurant.

Zahran, along with her business partners and friends Huthaifa Alomari and Mohammed Watan welcomed diners to their new Osborne Village cafe, Zaytoon, on Aug. 14.

Zaytoon is a Middle Eastern restaurant that incorporates traditional flavours presented in a modern way. All ingredients and merchandise is sourced locally from Winnipeg businesses.

“When you do something with love it’s different,” Zahran said. “We’re not looking at this place as a job, we’re looking at it as our passion.

“We’re trying to give the community the best we can do, and we hope to get their support.”

Zahran, Alomari and Watan are immigrants from Jordan whose paths crossed in Winnipeg through mutual friends. All three of them have previous food and hospitality experience.

“The most important thing is the relationship between the three of us, it’s what makes everything promising,” Zahran said.

It took eight months to get the restaurant together; Zahran, Alomari and Watan did everything themselves, including crafting the tables. They wanted it to be simple and cosy so customers feel relaxed.

Zahran, Alomari and Watan felt like there weren’t enough Middle Eastern restuarants in Winnipeg, especially in the Osborne Village area.

“We felt that this area needed a new thing and we believe this strip needs more cafes and restaurants,” Zahran said. “The feedback has been really great; everyone is really welcoming and excited.”

Zaytoon held a soft launch on Aug. 14 where they accepted feedback on the menu, including what they can add or change. Food options are currently limited, but there are plans to expand the menu.

“We just wanted to introduce our flavours to the community first and let them get to know our dishes,” Zahran said.

Zaytoon’s grand opening will be held at a later date.

Zaytoon’s most popular menu item has been the lamb ribs, which is culturally used to welcome guests. There is also coffee, tea and freshly squeezed juices.

Zaytoon’s most popular menu item has been the lamb ribs, which is culturally used to welcome guests. There is also coffee, tea and freshly squeezed juices. Zahran said their shawarma and baba ghanouj have also received a lot of attention.

Zaytoon doesn’t carry liquor right now, mostly because alcohol is not something that’s served with food in their culture, but plan on seeing what customers prefer.

Zahran admits opening a restaurant during the pandemic was frightening, but it didn’t stop the trio from following their passion.

“We believe the economy should go on, and think the support from the community will be better than anything else,” Zahran said. “We didn’t know if it’s the right time or not, but you always have those worries.”

Zaytoon is located at 203-99 Osborne St. and is also on DoorDash. More information can be found at www.zaytoonwpg.com