Inside the kitchen of Seb Yacoubian, chef and co-owner of Taline

Before he ever stepped foot in a professional kitchen, Seb Yacoubian learned from the best—his mother, Taline. “Cooking as a career came to me because I was always interested in what my mom was doing in the kitchen,” he says. “Mom was always cooking, always hosting.”

His passion for the culinary arts deepened when he landed his first job, at Massimo Capra’s now-closed Fraticelli’s, where he discovered his love for the fast-paced world of restaurant kitchens. “The line is such a rush and so different from cooking at home,” he says. After refining his skills at the Culinary Institute of America in New York and gaining experience in Greek cuisine as sous-chef at Trinity Taverna back in Toronto, Yacoubian led the launch of Mamakas Taverna in 2014. Despite his journey through different kitchens and cuisines, he found himself drawn to the dishes he grew up with. “My brothers and I had always wanted to open something that reimagines Armenian cuisine,” he says. “I wanted something that speaks to our food and who we are as a diaspora.”

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In 2023, that idea came to life with the opening of Taline, the Summerhill restaurant Yacoubian now runs with his brothers, Saro and Serouj. Named after their mother, who passed away when Yacoubian was 16, the space is a tribute to their heritage and her enduring influence in their lives.

But early mornings and late nights working at Taline mean that Yacoubian isn’t the primary cook in his own household—that role falls to his wife, Angela Harutyunyan. Armenian food was central to both of their upbringings, with Yacoubian’s mother layering in Lebanese and western Asian flavours. Now, they’ve made those same traditions a part of their own home, frequently cooking dishes that stir up nostalgia. “One or two meals a week will be traditional, but from there we’ll change it up with something else,” says Yacoubian. Their weeknight menu might include favourites like madzoon abour, a tangy Armenian yogurt soup, but they also branch out with pho, pad thai or bulgogi beef. Even chicken wings make the rotation.

Yacoubian and Harutyunyan pick up the basics at Colangelo Brothers Food Market or at the Farm Boy near their Scarborough home. For meat, they hit up Cumbrae’s, and they head to Anush Market and Kitchen for specialty items imported from Armenia.

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Yacoubian’s fridge is filled with milk, eggs, olives, tomato paste for making soup and plenty of fresh winter root veggies. Tucked into one of the glass containers above the veggies on the left is basturma—Armenian cured beef that makes its way onto charcuterie boards or gets sandwiched into pita with cheese for a speedy snack.

There’s also a half-finished bottle of Chablis and some sparkling wine on standby. “We don’t drink that often, but we do host a lot, so we always like to have something available,” says Yacoubian.

Yacoubian and Harutyunyan gave jars of this Armenian apricot jam to guests at their baby shower, but they couldn’t resist holding on to one for themselves.

Yacoubian takes a DIY approach to pickling, favouring natural fermentation with salt and water over vinegar-based brines. Here, containers of pickled okra and cabbage are ready for grazing.

Yacoubian finds most store-bought juices overly sweet, but his family loves these Yan cold-pressed juices from Armenia, which are made without any added sugar.

For a fizzy twist, he mixes Yan with Jermuk soda, a naturally carbonated mineral water, also from Armenia.

When a late-night craving strikes, Yacoubian reaches for this pistachio paste, usually spreading it on a slice of toast.

Yacoubian keeps his fridge loaded with cheeses like asiago and parmigiano as well as jibneh mshallaleh—Lebanese string cheese. Prosciutto and capicollo are ready to complete a grazing board. “If I could have one last meal, it would be charcuterie,” he says.

For a quick snack, Yacoubian keeps shishito peppers on hand, ready to sizzle with a drizzle of olive oil. His herb arsenal, which includes marjoram and tarragon, is prepped to bring a fresh burst of flavour to dinner.

Yacoubian makes jingalov hats—flatbread stuffed with diced herbs—from scratch at Taline, but at home, his family enjoys this pre-made version from Anush Market. After a short stint in the oven, it’s ready to enjoy for breakfast or a snack.

These containers hold the ultimate comfort food line-up: beef-and-potato stew, hearty lentil soup and Yacoubian’s go-to yogurt soup, madzoon abour. With his wife, live-in mother-in-law and visiting brothers to feed, keeping the fridge stocked is practically a full-time job.

Yacoubian’s mother-in-law made these blinchik, which are crêpes stuffed with seasoned ground meat and onions, then pan-fried until golden and crisp. “They’re the perfect snack in the middle of the night,” says Yacoubian.

Yacoubian’s freezer holds Kettlemans bagels, Magnum ice cream bars, frozen fruit for the rare wholesome smoothie and bags of nuts—a habit he picked up from his dad, who swore that freezing them kept them fresh longer.

On the left, there’s lahmajun (Armenian pizza) and manakeesh, a za’atar-dusted flatbread topped with cheese or ground meat. “It’s not an Armenian household without these two in the freezer,” says Yacoubian, who grabbed these from Mamajoun pizzeria. His cache of easy dinners doesn’t stop there: there are also chicken wings, pork tenderloin, kibbeh and stewing beef. Frozen peeled-and-deveined shrimp are ready for a cocktail platter.

Yacoubian’s mother-in-law ensures the pantry stays well-stocked, bringing back Armenian spices from her trips overseas. “You just can’t get some of these here,” he says. On the bottom shelf sits a container of wildflower honey, also brought from Armenia. Balancing these essentials are stir-fry staples like hoisin sauce, peanut sauce and dried pad thai noodles. Yacoubian likes experimenting with new sauces and condiments—right now, it’s all about Japanese barbecue sauce.

Oortz, a wild thyme for meat, and souneli, a chicken seasoning, anchor Yacoubian’s spice cabinet. Basturma spice gets used for the cured beef in his fridge, and two kinds of za’atar—a robust Lebanese blend and a fragrant Syrian one—sit alongside his homemade ras al hanout, a mix he crafts to season Taline’s lamb dishes.

Other pantry mainstays include tarkhana, a fermented egg noodle often paired with yogurt and garlic, and arishta, a versatile handmade pasta typically served with tomato sauce.

“We’re a huge snack family,” says Yacoubian. He jokes that Harutyunyan is responsible for the more healthy options in their snack stash—cereals, dried fruits and granola bars—while his picks lean more indulgent, like jalapeño-lime chips, chocolate-covered almonds and popcorn.

Yacoubian insists on cooking popcorn kernels on the stovetop—just like his mom used to—rather than using the microwaveable kind. He enjoys trying different coloured kernels to savour their subtle flavour differences. When it comes to seasonings, he reaches for white cheddar or classic butter and salt.

Sunflower seeds are a nostalgic favourite and a staple snack in Armenia, where roasted seeds are a ubiquitous street food.

Yacoubian’s coffee station is a mix of tradition and convenience, featuring everything from an Armenian jazzve to a drip coffee machine. “Mornings are all about lazy coffee now,” he says, admitting that Nespresso pods have become his go-to since his son, Sero, was born. His wife and mother-in-law also keep it simple with instant coffee.

Here’s a closer look at the jazzve, the traditional stovetop pot for brewing Armenian coffee. It takes about 15 minutes—far slower than the Nespresso, which wins out most mornings when energy is low.

His family also enjoys these Darman teas, which are organic and grown in the mountains of Armenia’s Tavush region. “When it gets really cold outside, tea goes down really well,” he says.

The Global knife on the far left was a gift for his mother-in-law, but Yacoubian gravitates toward the VG-10 steel set on the right, which are Harutyunyan’s favourites too.

The shelves in Yacoubian’s basement bar are stacked with single-malt scotches he’s collected over the years alongside a steady supply of Armenian vodka—courtesy of visiting relatives who know exactly what to bring.

He’s still holding on to his bottle of Kataro, waiting for the right moment to pop it open. Produced in southern Artsakh, this red has been aging since 2014.

Years before she died, Yacoubian’s mother brought home three bottles of Tsar Tigran 25-year-old Armenian brandy—one for each of her sons to open on their wedding day. “When I got married, my mom missed that, but we still kept the tradition alive and opened my bottle,” he says. Now, he’s holding on to a new bottle, saving it for the day his son ties the knot.