Persian Neighbour–
hood Feature

The days are getting shorter in Markham, and although we gained an additional hour of sleep over the weekend, maybe we all need a little bit of inspiration on what we can do in our own backyard.

Markham is one of the most culturally diverse cities in Canada: which means even during these unprecedented times, we have a lot to discover and explore. At Destination Markham we wanted to kick off our feature on different neighbourhoods and communities in Markham by recommending some middle eastern restaurants at stores.

At Markham we are incredibly lucky to be surrounded by amazing restaurants, but we wanted to highlight a few that serve authentic middle eastern food, as well as takeout/delivery during these unprecedented times.

Let us do what we can to support our local businesses!

Bamiyan Kabob

Bamiyan Kabob is one of the top Toronto Star rated restaurants, and a place you can experience authentic Afghan cuisine. The portions are massive, and they have a unique hot sauce that will make your mouth water- they also have a white sauce that you can ask for.

We recommend the signature kabob and basmati rice, a mango smoothie to cut through the heat and meat, as well as a creamy homemade Firnee for dessert.

Website: https://www.bamiyankabob.com/
Address: 7760 Markham Rd., Building C Markham, ON L3S 4S1
Phone Number: (905) 910 1043

Parsi Sandwich

Everyone is a little bit more on the road, and with York Region in modified phase two the priority is finding amazing food that travels well: Parsi Sandwiches offers premium quality sandwiches, burgers, and kabobs that travel amazingly well.

Website: https://parsisandwich.com/
Address: 8199 Yonge St. Thornhill, ON L3T 2C6
Phone Number: (905) 597 1188

Shatter Abbas

Shatter Abbas is a family owned restaurant that started in 2011, and is famous for its authentic Persian cuisine. Considered one of THE places to go to for amazing skewers, we love the saffron basmati rice that comes with every meal.

All char boiled kebabs are served with saffron basmati rice and grilled tomato and the platters provide a great way to try a variety of different skewers, and it travels well as takeout. We also recommend Aash- a traditional Persian soup that will keep you warm as the weather becomes cooler.

Website: http://shatterabbas.ca/
Address: 8141 Yonge St, Thornhill, ON L3T 2C6
Phone Number: (905) 731 5299

For those of us who are little for something a little lighter or a little sweeter, we have more recommendations!

Helo Golab

Helo Golab is an amazing Persian pastry store that sells an assortment of bite sized delicacies as well as whole cakes. They pride themselves in using the best ingredients they can source, and what we love is how a full display case can make our mouth water- buy some bite sized desserts for home, to share with friends in socially distant bubbles and to tide us until we are able to go out and mingle again.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/helo.golab
Address: 8147 Yonge St, Thornhill, ON L4J 1W5
Phone Number: (905) 731 0560

Tavazo

Tavazo has a wide variety of dried goods, dozens of large glass displays filled with a variety of imported fruits and notes. The pandemic means we can’t go around trying the fruits and nuts as we did in the past, but we can continue to appreciate how amazing this store is.

Website: https://www.tavazo.com/
Address: 7345 Yonge St. Thornhill, ON. L3T 2B3 Canada
Phone Number: (905) 763 1855

Specialty Stores

During these unprecedented times, we have had to  re-learn home dynamics, getting accustomed to working from home and for those of us who live with others, whether roommates or family members, it has been an interesting experience.

It has also given us more time to experiment in the kitchen, so why not pick up an assortment of spices, new ingredients, and try them out at home?

Visit Parsian Fine Foods or Super Tehran, and pick up a box of new tea: it only requires hot water, and is an easy way of introducing something new to your day.

Meander through the spice rack and see if there is any that catch your eye. We might be physically apart, but what we have appreciated is the rise in home cooking- we’ve moved past the banana bread and sourdough phase to more exciting territory, and there are virtual classes and YouTube videos to discover.

At Destination Markham we are very excited to highlight and feature our local businesses! Are you a local business owner? Do you know of a local business that deserves recognition, or is a favourite of yours? Let us know by contacting us at marketing@visitmarkham.ca.

Photo Credits:
Cover Photo
Bamiyan Kabob: https://www.instagram.com/ayenomz/, https://www.instagram.com/chasingtoronto/, https://www.instagram.com/p/CC-AxFFhdqj/
Parsi Sandwich: Parsi Sandwich
Shatter Abbas: https://www.instagram.com/hankmoony/, https://www.instagram.com/shatterabbas_yonge/