Syrian Brunch by Rahaf Alakbani

Name: Syrian Brunch by Rahaf Alakbani
Start: 2026-04-11T12:00:00-04:00
Location: The Depanneur

Schedule

Sat, 11 Apr, 2026 at 12:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

The Depanneur | Toronto, ON

In late 2016, The Depanneur & Butler’s Pantry teamed up with the fabulous Syrian cooks from Newcomer Kitchen to host Canada’s first Syrian Brunch Pop-Up, a sold-out event that reached as far as the pages of SAVEUR Magazine. Since then, many people have expressed interest in learning some of these fabulous recipes. In this fun, hands-on class, talented cook, musician and co-founder of Newcomer Kitchen, Rahaf Alakbani will be sharing her favourite recipes and techniques. She will share stories and songs as you delve into a some of the most popular traditional Syrian brunch dishes, and includes a sitting down to share a meal at the end of the class.
The class will focus on the following recipes:
Jazmaz The Syrian version of Levantine shakshuka, a popular dish of eggs poached in tomatoes, onions and spices.
Ful This dish of stewed fava beans is traditional breakfast throughout the Middle East,
Qatayef Delicate little yeasted pancakes folded around a sweetened ricotta filling, drizzles with a fragrant sugar syrup.
There will also be a demonstration of how to make labneh (a thickened yogurt-based cheese), and tamr mahshi (dates stuffed with walnuts).
Brunch will served with za’tar bel zeit (thyme & sesame seasoning mixed with olive oil), mukhallal (pickles), zeitoun (olives), fresh bread, and chay (tea).
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Rahaf Alakabani hails from Sweida in southwestern Syria. She arrived in Canada in 2016 with her husband Esmaeel Aboufakher, and together they helped launch Newcomer Kitchen, Nai Syrian Children’s Choir and Haneen Women’s Choir as part of their ongoing work to support their community. Rahaf continues to nurture her twin loves of Syrian cooking and culture in workshops, choirs and concerts across the GTA, sharing songs and recipes passed down from her mother and grandmother. Rahaf and Esmaeel have recently completed their Masters in Arts and Humanities at York while raising their two young children. @the_rahaf_kitchen | @haneen_choir_ca