Cheese and Olives, Kahaani

Good morning,

The end of this week sees the latest Canadian Culinary Championships taking place here in Ottawa. The three chefs' challenges happen over two days and tickets are still available for those looking to experience the talents of some of Canada’s finest chefs. Check out my profile on Lizardo Becerra who will be representing our region this weekend.

As is the case every year, there are bound to be creative and delicious dishes on offer and so with today’s newsletter (as an appetizer, if you will) I introduce you to two of Ottawa's newest vegetarian restaurants. A perfect way to start 2025 for those looking to make some dietary changes this year.

Let’s get started,

Ralf Joneikies, food and drink editor. [email protected]

BREAKFAST

A Middle Eastern breakfast

• Name + address: Cheese and Olives, 1183 Hunt Club Rd unit 108

• Diet: Vegetarian

• Prices: $5-$15

• Wheelchair accessibility: Yes

• Other: Kids menu

• Website:www.cheeseandolives.ca

Last year, when I was fortunate enough to discover Sona Indian Kitchen, I noticed a restaurant directly next door named Arabian House. It was a Yemeni restaurant that I would soon visit. Or so I thought. It closed permanently before I could get to it.

In its place another Middle Eastern eatery, Cheese and Olives, has sprung up offering both breakfast and lunch.  

Owner Raed Al Qedra is from Palestine and was proud to boast that everything at his restaurant is made from scratch.

Indeed it was a great start when I was served a sublimely delicate date cookie with my robust Turkish coffee.

Much of the health benefits of this cuisine comes from its reliance on pulses like lentils which provide both fibre and protein. 

Like at many other such restaurants the lentil soup here is vegan and loaded with flavour. It’s always a surprise to discover how much complexity can be drawn from lentils, vegetables and spices all without the use of any sort of soup stock as a base. At five dollars a bowl, this is a substantial portion made extra filling by the addition of fried pita (fattoush) chips.

Foul (pronounced “fool”) is a warm dip made using fava beans which have been a part of the Mediterranean diet since the fourth century. With this dish named Qudsiah, the warm, cumin-scented foul is served in the centre of their fabulous hummus and topped with a mixture of finely chopped green pepper, parsley, garlic and lemon.

Next to it came a fresh mixed vegetable salad and for nine dollars you may not find a more substantial or healthier lunch anywhere in this city.

For a different take on falafel I ordered Mahshi, a falafel ball stuffed with onion and zesty sumac. I enjoyed each bitem but no more than I’ve enjoyed other falafel. It was the accompanying tarator sauce that elevated the experience. Tarator made with tahini, lemon, garlic and sumac, gave the fried ball its required zip.

Kunafa (aka Knafeh) is an age-old Palestinian dessert originating in the city of Nablus. It’s a semolina and cheese-based sweet ideally served freshly made and warm, although it’s also a treat at room temperature. This portion had been made to order and while very nice, I found it too much for just one person to enjoy and would recommend sharing this with up to four people. It is quite rich and was not as sweet as I was expecting but I suggest having this with tea to finish a meal.

The food at Cheese and Olives is just first rate and gives you every reason to make repeat visits. The prices are affordable, the service is friendly and the food is healthy, clean and just delicious.  A great way to start 2025.

INDIAN

Kahaani: Indian vegetarian on a budget

• Name + address: Kahaani, 3059 Carling Ave.

• Diet: Vegetarian

• Prices: $5-$20

• Wheelchair accessibility: One step up to the door.

• Website:www.kahaaniottawa.ca

Kahaani is the second new vegetarian restaurant to open in recent months. Everything on the menu looked so colourful and appealing that it didn’t occur to me that there was no meat on the menu until it was mentioned to me.

In all of Indian cookery, I’ve had the least success with samosas. Don’t misunderstand me, I’ve had some very nice examples but the majority of the time it’s always felt as if the poor samosa is the vessel for the rage of disgruntled chefs.

Thick, stodgy dough triangles filled with re-purposed vegetables fried in oil that should have been thrown out weeks earlier has been the norm for me. 

Not so at Kahaani where you enjoy these appetizers cleanly made and filled with nicely seasoned fresh vegetables. 

My lunch companion and I also ordered Peri Peri corn and Dahi Puri. 

You have your choice of four versions of corn and ours came with finely diced red bell pepper, herbs and a moderately spiced seasoning. It wasn’t terribly hot but if it had been, the next dish would be the perfect foil.

Puri are little cups made by frying dough until it puffs. These are then cooled and filled with an assortment of things. The Dahi version came stuffed with chickpeas, yogurt and mint and tamarind chutneys all sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and chopped cilantro.

Each mouthful was a refreshing sweet and savoury palate cleanser and I’d like to test their effectiveness against more fiery foods the next time around.

Hakka noodles are an Indo-Chinese specialty that have found an increasing popularity around Ottawa and you can now enjoy them not just at Chinese or Indian restaurants but, understandably at Nepalese restaurants such as nearby Everest Cuisine on Carling.

It’s always a fairly simple dish with the noodles cooked al dente as they were at Kahaani. The seasoning was mild but pleasant and I was reminded of my experience at the vegetarian grocery store/restaurant Spice Divine. There the seasoning was also modest although comparatively more lively and the portion was twice as large for the same money.

While the set up is as a take-away, this is also a sit down restaurant so I’m a little surprised by their use of throw-away containers for those dining in. It’s at odds with the ethos of vegetarian cuisine having a smaller carbon footprint. 

For some restaurants, it may be that industrial dishwashers simply don’t fit the budget or available kitchen space, but there are surely alternatives to more and more garbage.

I hope Kahaani continues to enjoy success. The food is fresh, bright and tasty and will fit most budgets. Besides, I’m keen to try their Special Burger on my next visit.

QUICK BITES

• St. Hubert is bringing a new dining model, that is sensitive to people with autism, to Ottawa. [CTV]

• Watch how kunufa is made in this video. [YouTube]

• Read this report on the nutritional benefits of legumes and pulses. [Harvard]

• This CBC story highlights how modern foods have been engineered to keep you addicted. [YouTube]

Latest stories