Joummar – 2575 Dundas St W Unit 1, Mississauga, ON L5K 2M6
Country: Iraq
Seating: Big indoor and outdoor dining
Must-try dish: Lamb Quzi
Dinner guest: Ry-hy

The unplanned whirlwind dining tour through the Middle East continued with a dinner at Joummar. There’s a large menu with a number of items that were appealing, so in true Mandrea Bike fashion, a call to the restaurant to consult an expert was placed and the evening’s dinner was briskly sorted out.

To make matters easy, a Family Meal was on order because it acted as a sampling platter for Joummar’s signature dishes. 

Here’s what was in the family platter: 

• 1 Lamb Quzi
• 5 Iraqi Kabab Skewers
• 2 Chicken Tikka Skewers
• 2 Beef Tikka Skewers
• Eggplant Gravy
• Bamya Gravy (okra)
• Fasoulya Gravy (bean)
• Biryani Rice
• White Rice
• 4 Pieces of Tannour Bread 

All the meat was served over a bed of rice – half the platter with one type of rice and the other half with the other. Although all the meats were enjoyed and debated about being the best, the Lamb Quzi was the winner in the end as it was bone in and the meat was slow cooked to melt in your mouth. Unlike other spots, the chicken skewers were moist and delicately seasoned. Thankfully the Iraqi Kabab was served with five skewers because it was also a contender for the must try dish, and can you really go wrong with barbecued beef? 

The Biryani Rice was fragrant, and therefore, so delicious. It was cooked in spices like cinnamon, cardamon, and a couple more goodies that Mandrea Bike wants to uncover to try their hand at this recipe. All the gravies were in a tomato sauce, but the one with eggplant was preferred. Another noteworthy part of the meal was the soft (and still warm) Tannour Bread. It was quickly agreed that this was one of the best breads from any of the restaurants that Mandrea Bike has visited. 

By the way, there’s a patio at Jourmar’s so there a great opportunity to skip the takeout and dine in. 

Despite patios opening up and restrictions lessening across Toronto, it’s still important to support the restaurants that can’t reopen for dinning in by getting takeout to be enjoyed in a picnic, a backyard, or within the comfort of your home. 

Eat with you soon, 

Mandrea Bike
(Mat & Andrea)