HUNGRY AMOO

Middle Eastern cuisine is one that I’m not the most familiar with aside from falafel and shawarmas. However, it feels like there are more restaurants opening in Toronto with a menu featuring Middle Eastern flavours. Hungry Amoo is one of these new spots on Ossington in the Queen W neighbourhood that draws inspiration from all over the world to create a fusion menu that ranges from Fried Chicken to Tamarind Beef. Stephen and I stopped by to taste the menu, trekking through a snowstorm outside.

Disclaimer: All food and drinks reviewed below were provided complimentary. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

Atmosphere: Like many restaurants in the neighbourhood, Hungry Amoo was long and narrow. There was a high communal table just behind the front window, perfect for groups, and cozy leather bench seating along one wall. The bar was lit with purple neon lights. We chose a large table near the back of the restaurant, close to the kitchen, to avoid disturbing other customers with the camera flash. With snow continuing to fall outside, the restaurant stayed quiet that evening.

Food: To start, we decided on the soup of the day after hearing the words “roasted root vegetables”. The thick soup was a perfect match for the weather, well seasoned, a little bit of heat, and with a natural sweetness from the vegetable. From the starter section of the menu, we also tried the Falafel and Tamarind Beef. I enjoyed the fresh hummus and toasted pita chips. The falafels themselves had a nice texture, and good seasoning but were a touch dry. I loved the Tamarind Beef. Each beef was savory, sweet from the date sauce and nutty from the cashews. This was my favourite dish of the evening and I would highly recommend ordering it.

For mains, we tried the house made Seafood Manti and the Lamb Chop. The manti were little dumplings filled with shrimp, crab, fennel, saffron and topped with caviar in a tomato sauce. Raw shredded fennel was served on top of the manti and added a refreshing bite to each spoonful. These manti were very flavourful and you could really taste the saffron. The seafood flavour could have been stronger. As for the lamb, the chop was served on a layer of puff pastry hiding a sauce of yogurt and pistachio with beans and raisins sprinkled on top. The lamb was not too gamey, cooked medium, and was juicy and tender. I really liked the puff pastry but found the yogurt sauce a bit heavy. Overall, the presentation of the dish was interesting and it was very filling.

Ending our evening on a sweet note, Stephen and I had the coconut dusted Sour Cream Donuts with Nutella and banana cream. A perfect way to finish our meal.