5 Most Popular New Opening for the First Half of 2016

The first eight months of 2016 has seen a huge boom of new restaurants open up in Mississauga. Here are the top 5 most popular new openings in Mississauga based on page views on insauga.com:

5 – Roman Zaman

Roman Zaman captivates you with an extra-sensory experience from the moment you step into the restaurant. It wows you with the vibrant palate of colours and contrasting prints and materials and the Middle Eastern music that invites you into the space. Food Menu: The Damascene cuisine menu includes both traditional dishes and modern takes on Middle Eastern cuisine and includes a number of cold and hot starters such as yalanji (vine leaves stuffed with rice, tomatoes, parsley, mint, olive oil, pomegranate molasses, tomato paste, onions, and crushed bell peppers), kibbehnayeh (raw meat dish includes habra meat, crushed bulgur wheat and spices), muhammara (mixture of breadcrumbs, pomegranate molasses, olive oil and walnuts) and chili potatoes (grilled potatoes, olive oil, garlic, parsley and coriander).You will also find soups, salads, shawarma platters, saj (middle eastern flatbrad) and sandwiches on the menu. The kibbeh section of the menu includes beef, potatoes or helah (fried or grilled). The grilled portion of the menu includes charcoal grilled skewers (beef and chicken) known as shish tawook and kebabs. Last but not least, there are four desserts on the menu, including knafeh (knafeh paste/rice flour paste, cheese, simple syrup, ghee and pistachios), rice pudding, muhalabiah (simple pudding made with milk, flavoured with mastic and garnished with pistachios and honey) and Roman Zaman fruit mix.

4 – Jody’s Deli

Jody’s Deli is a family run business named after the founder, Jody Kerimovski who is also the creator of the signature blends used in the meats. The meats are prepared by a boutique butcher located in Montreal using Jody’s signature recipes and brought in weekly. You can find a variety of classic deli sandwiches including smoked meat (pepper crusted and smoked for 16 hours), corned beef (slow cooked in a mild spice brine), slow roasted beef, smoked turkey (white breast meat smoked for 8 hours) and a variety of daily house-made sides.  It’s a modern take on an old school deli concept built on years of experience in the Montreal food scene.

Original reuben 

3 – The Maharaja

The Maharaja is an incredibly stunning boutique restaurant inspired by the regal beauty of India’s diverse landscape of architecture and flavours. The concept offers a visual and culinary journey through three magnificent palaces of India and a menu featuring cuisine from four different regions in India.  The storybook menu is divided into four regional cuisines found in India which have been influenced by various ingredients and flavours of a variety of countries including Greece, West and Central Asia and Persia.  There are a number of shareable dishes and entrees highlighting the unique flavours of each region through Awadhi cuisine, classic Hyderabadi cuisine, Punjabi cuisine and Rajputana cuisine. The extensive menu caters to all palates and features distinct regional dishes presented on fine dishes such as copper bowls, slate boards, and copper table top grill. 

Nargisi Kofta Curry

2 – El Jefe

One of Mississauga’s most highly anticipated restaurants has opened this week! It’s one of only three full-service Mexican restaurants in Mississauga and it’s called El Jefe, which translates to “the boss” or “the chief” in Spanish. The menu as described by Pablo as having many layers to it. For example the chicken chimichanga is “sweet, spicy and crunchy. It has a three-pepper roasted tomatillo (Mexican green tomato) that is seared off with olive oil and spices mixed with roasted garlic, roasted poblano and chipotle peppers that are pureed down to serve as the base of the dish. It is stuffed with seared chicken breast, spinach, roasted corn and cheese, deep fried and covered in a mango Pico de Gallo,” says Pablo. The menu also features table-side made guacamole and house-made flour tortillas, sauces and salsas. Pablo has incorporated three main cheeses throughout the menu, including Mexican queso fresco, Spanish manchego and American Monterey jack cheeses. The diverse, mouth-watering menu includes dishes such as ceviche, Corona-battered blooming onions, taquitos, baked empanadas, seven different tacos (chicken, fish, steak, calamari and more), burritos, carnitas, a signature beavertail taco and a classic Mexican sweet favourite – churros. 

5 pound burrito

1 – Corner by Spoon and Fork

Corner is a new cafe which combines a casual dining experience in a contemporary designed space and offers a global menu that caters to a wide variety of palates. The concept, by Spoon & Fork, is the brand’s first quick-service restaurant. The popular brand is a family run business, well known for their contribution to the Asian restaurant scene having started their first Japanese restaurant called Prince Japanese Steakhouse back in 1996. Food Menu: Corner’s Asian and European menu includes a wide variety of options that include freshly baked pastries (croissants, scones, muffins, brownies,donuts, danishes, cinnamon buns); desserts (French macarons, tarts, cupcakes, cakes); all day breakfast (benedicts, omelettes, breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, french toast); sushi trays (made fresh daily and on-site). The Mum Bowl is a fun Thai-inspired menu where you can mix and match over 50 different ingredient options to create your own personalized dish. Over the last couple of months they have introduced the sushi burrito and poke bowls to Mississauga! 

The Sushi Burrito

1. Corner by Spoon & Fork
2. El Jefe
3. The Maharaja
4. Jody’s Deli
5. Roman Zaman