A former Alo chef is opening a kebab shop

Chef Barbode Soudi has cooked in fine-dining restaurants for more than 20 years, starting as an intern at the French Laundry and, most recently, working as the chef de cuisine at Alo. For the past four years, however, he’s been working on Sima, his private dinner service. He was also honing the technical process of making kebabs in his free time. “As I got older, the more I fell back in touch with what I grew up eating,” he says. “I’m Iranian, so cooking over charcoal is second nature to me. We take pride in our skewers.” The plan to open a kebab counter was always in his back pocket.

“Greg Bourolias, the owner of Burger Drops, is a dear friend of mine,” Soudi says. “I always joked with him that if the owners of the Liberty Shawarma next door ever want out, I would jump at the opportunity to open a kebab shop there.” When the opportunity presented itself, Soudi followed through.

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Mozy’s Charcoal, as its name suggests, will focus on the charcoal method of cooking rather than on the authenticity of the cuisine. There are plenty of places in the city to get a classic kebab—Mozy’s is where Soudi will turn out Toronto-inspired takes, which could mean Chinese-inspired cumin lamb or a peanut satay skewer wrapped up in a pita with Thai basil and pineapple. And of course, visitors can also expect some iteration of koobideh, an Iranian favourite usually made with ground lamb or beef and spices.

The kebabs will be central to the menu, but Soudi is betting that his chicken will actually be the sleeper hit. Spatchcock birds will be marinated and cooked rotisserie-style over charcoal on grills imported from Portugal (though this is no Portuguese chicken). “I don’t know if there’s another restaurant that cooks in the same fashion, but it’s a completely different approach and technique to both the chicken and the flavour profile,” he says.

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Soudi has named each of his projects after his parents. Sima, his catering service and his mother’s namesake, takes after her elegance. Mozy’s, meanwhile, pays homage to his father’s more simple and straightforward nature. “The man wore the same black Reeboks for as long as he was living,” says Soudi. His mother was a phenomenal cook, but it was his dad who took over the grill during cookouts. “When we were at someone’s house, he would hover over the person cooking kebabs, telling them not to overcook them. I was always so embarrassed.”

Soudi’s dream is for both concepts, Sima and Mozy’s, to live under the same roof—a casual kebab shop up front with a more formal sit-down restaurant in the back. For now, Soudi is revving up to open the kebab portion of that plan this fall.