What’s on the menu at Fet Zun, Anthony Rose’s new Middle Eastern restaurant on Dupont

By Renée Suen | Photography By Renée Suen | February 28, 2019

By Renée Suen | Photography By Renée Suen | 02/28/2019

Name: Fet Zun
Contact: 252 Dupont St, 647-352-3337, fetzun.com, @fet_zun
Neighbourhood: The Annex
Previously: Bar Begonia
Owners: Anthony Rose and Robert Wilder (Rose and Sons, Big Crow, Fat Pasha, Schmaltz Appetizing)
Chefs: Michael Sarino (Fat Pasha)

The food

Rose describes the flavour-punched fare as classic street food that’s lighter and brighter than Fat Pasha’s menu. It’s all stuff that’s meant to be shared: freshly baked pita and flatbreads, a selection of meze (olives, pickled things, babaghanoush, tabbouleh), chicken shawarma, turkey schnitzel. There’s also a substantial sabich plate. Here the Middle Eastern sandwich is served on an open flatbread topped with fried eggplant, chopped salad, fries and tahini. Coming soon: brunch that features an additional line up of dishes including a babka-twist on French toast, and maple or beetroot tahini on challah.

Meze include an assortment of goodies that are $6 each. Let’s take a closer look at some of the meze.

This is chirshi, a chunky squash and sweet potato dip topped with labneh, harissa and pomegranate molasses.

A plate of “spicy things” includes jalapeño mash with mint and garlic, hanif and two kinds of zhug (red, green).

This is pistachio dukkah with black and white sesame seeds.

And the babaganoush with fried eggplant and salsa verde.

The meze can be paired with house-made pitas ($0.79 each) or flatbread topped with za’atar or sesame ($2.99 each).

Seafood options include this plate of sweet shrimp. $19.

The Turkey Schnitzel comes with root vegetable coleslaw. $19. (That’s the Julius behind it, a mix of mango juice, soft serve, soda and pomegranate syrup. $7.)

The Jerusalem Mixed Grill features chicken thighs, hearts and livers, pickles, tahini, amba and zhug. $17.

The Fat Son Sundae is soft serve piled high with pistachios, sesame seeds, caramel drizzle and super-fun halva floss. $9.

“We’re very fortunate that most of the things we’ve done have worked, but we’re not afraid to change. We loved Bar Begonia— it was very popular—but felt that didn’t really fall in line with who we were: it wasn’t Middle Eastern, Ashkenazi or Sephardic. It didn’t tell a story that really resonates,” says Rose, pictured here (left) with chef Michael Sarino.

The drinks

Mike Tanchuk (Bar Begonia) is behind the cocktails (some of which are refreshing, others of which are spicy). There’s also a fresh juice program, and customers can get it straight-up, or in an Orange Julius–like dessert cocktail made with soft serve ice cream, in a glass rimmed with za’atar or pistachios and finished with pomegranate or lavender syrup.

Jaffa By The Sea is made with rum, dry vermouth, and fresh orange and grapefruit juices. $15.

The space

The five-week transformation of the dark and moody Bar Begonia space was a joint effort between Rose and Wilder. It’s now greener and brighter, and a mural that was once the outline of a nude woman is now the outline of a… camel. Thankfully, the great street-side patio remains.