The collaborators behind restaurants in Vancouver and Toronto have Palestinian, Jewish and Israeli roots, and acknowledge they don害羞草研究所檛 always agree.

害羞草研究所淚magine 38 tastings for a falafel, and they would end up with like, blowups,害羞草研究所� co-owner Fadi Hakim says.

The team behind Toronto害羞草研究所檚 Haifa Room now have a new venue, Bar Haifa, in downtown Vancouver.

It opened on Nov. 24, just a few weeks after attacks in Israel by Hamas and the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

Hakim says he and fellow restaurateurs Waseem Dabdoub, Mark Kupfert and Joseph Eastwood had always talked about opening a Middle Eastern restaurant, but they didn害羞草研究所檛 set out thinking their collaboration was 害羞草研究所渁 Palestinian-Israeli thing.害羞草研究所�

The two restaurants, their menus and ingredients do, however, represent 害羞草研究所渁 love letter to where we害羞草研究所檙e from and how we grew up and how we ate,害羞草研究所� he says.

害羞草研究所淔or us, we were content with just having a place that we could eat at all the time, eat our parents害羞草研究所� food, literally, and just eat really good Middle Eastern food.害羞草研究所�

Hakim害羞草研究所檚 Palestinian father hails from the coastal city of Haifa. Dabdoub害羞草研究所檚 father is Palestinian, while Kupfert is Jewish from Montreal and Eastwood was born in Israel.

The team has also recruited executive chef Jason Hemi, who cut his teeth in French fine dining establishments but found his culinary home working at a Tel Aviv restaurant with 害羞草研究所渒ibbutz-style害羞草研究所� communal tables.

Hakim says the team originally planned to open Bar Haifa earlier last fall, but they ran into snags before finally setting the late November date.

The opening came in the wake of the attacks in which Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostage in southern Israel.

Israel has responded with airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, insisting its attacks are intended to take out Hamas and its supporters, not civilians. The health ministry in Gaza, which operates under Hamas, says more than 24,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

The Bar Haifa team members have family living in the region, and Hakim says they struggled with what to say about 害羞草研究所渢he worst thing that could possibly happen.害羞草研究所�

They came up with a public statement.

害羞草研究所淭he Haifa Room is owned by both Palestinians and Israelis and we have many family members living in Israel and Palestine,害羞草研究所� they said on Instagram. 害羞草研究所淥ur hearts and thoughts go out to all the innocent civilians in the land we love. We are heartbroken.害羞草研究所�

But they declined to speak with reporters who showed up in Toronto seeking comments about the Oct. 7 attacks.

害羞草研究所淲e politely turned them down 害羞草研究所� We serve humus,害羞草研究所� says Hakim. 害羞草研究所淎ll we can really say is just, come in, come one, come all, break some bread.害羞草研究所�

There are some 害羞草研究所渄iffering opinions害羞草研究所� among the team members, Hakim says, but they have to work together, and ultimately, they害羞草研究所檙e like 害羞草研究所渂rothers.害羞草研究所�

Chef Hemi had been working at another Toronto restaurant for just a few weeks at the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic, when he heard the founders of the fledgling Haifa Room were looking for a chef specializing in Middle Eastern cuisine.

He hadn害羞草研究所檛 been looking for a change, but he couldn害羞草研究所檛 pass up the opportunity.

害羞草研究所淚f I was going to make a dream menu, it would be this menu anyways,害羞草研究所� he says.

Hemi has since relocated to Vancouver, becoming a co-owner of Bar Haifa. He says the new offering is a 害羞草研究所渇iner service害羞草研究所� than its more laid-back counterpart in Toronto.

The menu features an array of side dishes and small plates, from the seasonal humus 害羞草研究所� currently served with Brussels sprouts, pistachio gastrique and zhug, a hot sauce with roots in Yemen 害羞草研究所� to roasted root vegetables with smoked labneh.

There害羞草研究所檚 also shakshuka and sabich 害羞草研究所� a pita packed with fried eggplant, cabbage and a soft-boiled egg 害羞草研究所� as well as a rotating fish dish, several offerings with chicken, and shipud, a strip loin skewer with caramelized fennel and shallots.

Hemi is particularly proud of the boneless lamb shoulder, cooked sous vide for 24-hours and served with shawarma spice, herb tahini and garlic sauce.

Hemi says he害羞草研究所檚 never before had customers thank him for opening a restaurant, but people have come into Bar Haifa, saying, 害羞草研究所渢he world needs this, the city needs this.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭hey believe in what we believe in,害羞草研究所� he says.

Mostly, though, Hemi says they just want to serve delicious, thoughtful meals.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 cool that we work together and we all come from different backgrounds, but also, we want to have a good restaurant.害羞草研究所�

As for that contentious falafel recipe for the Haifa Room? 害羞草研究所淓verybody害羞草研究所檚 mom has the best falafel recipe, the best humus recipe,害羞草研究所� Hakim says.

The discussions were heated, he says, but 害羞草研究所渢hat害羞草研究所檚 what family does.害羞草研究所�

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