The team behind a Michelin-recommended restaurant just opened something new in a downtown food hall
Giragi, a fast-casual kebab shop from the owners of Taline, is now open at Wellington Market
Sebouh, Serouj and Saro Yacoubian—the three brothers behind Taline, a Michelin-recommended Armenian restaurant in Summerhill—have opened something a little bit different at Wellington Market, the fancy food hall inside the Well. Giragi, a quick-service counter, is Toronto’s first Armenian-Lebanese kebab shop.
Related: All of the new food vendors and restaurants opening in the Wellington Market this summer
As of today, Giragi will serve up all the hearty Armenian flavours Taline has become known for, but with a Lebanese flair and a fast-casual format. It’s a love letter to the grab-and-go food of both countries: plenty of proteins—lamb, chicken, beef—plus pickles, fresh produce and house sauces, all stuffed inside a freshly made pita.
The word giragi in Armenian means “Sunday,” the day when families gather around to share a meal and stories, so there are also many sharable plates for those looking to dine family style. These include some classics (fattoush salad, tabbouleh) as well as basturma croquettes, a twist on tater tots that involves halloumi, a whipped feta aïoli and Aleppo pepper.
Related: A former Alo chef is opening a kebab shop
The concept was born from a kebab pop-up the brothers held at Taline every Sunday last year. Chef Sebouh Yacoubian promises he’ll bring the same love and family inspiration to the new concept. While Taline honours (and is named for) the Yacoubian brothers’ late mother, this space is an homage to their father, who could be found at the grill every Sunday when they were growing up (that’s him up there, drawn in the style of Family Guy). For the Yacoubians, food and family go hand in hand.
