Where chef Nizar El Ali eats in Mississauga

East Tea Can chef Nizar El Ali has patios and picnics on the brain. “We’re currently offering a summer menu at our location in Wellington Market,” he says. “Think watermelon salads, smoked beef shawarma-style sandwiches on pretzel buns and a twist on our classic aish el saraya, which is a bit like a bread pudding. We’re making fun and playful tweaks to our popular staple menu items for those who want to get our delicious food to go so they can soak up the sun.”

Related: Everything to eat at Wellington Market, the Well’s fancy new 70,000-square-foot food hall

When Ali isn’t cooking up a storm at one of his two restaurants, you’ll find him wandering around Mississauga (the home of his original East Tea Can) in search of his next great meal. “I actually live in Burlington, but I just love this area and its vibe,” says Ali. “The people here are so food-centric, and meals are celebrations centered around being with loved ones. It’s why I opened my first restaurant in Mississauga back in 2015.”

Related: Where Pearl Morissette chef Eric Robertson eats in Hamilton

Here are a few of Ali’s go-to spots in Mississauga and what he orders at each one.

Original Shawarma

848 Burnhamthorpe Rd. W., unit 1B, originalshawarma.ca

“This locally owned and operated place makes Syrian-style shawarma. This means they use citrus-based marinades, sometimes with the addition of crispy fries and garlic sauce inside the wrap. Everything is super fresh because it’s always very busy, so there’s a high turnover of their ingredients.”

Go-to dish: Chicken shawarma

“They marinate the meat for 48 hours and then slow-cook it. It’s piled into saj bread, which is made with no yeast or sugar. It’s nice and thin, which allows it to brown on the flat-top very quickly. I’m a purist, so besides the meat, I’ll ask for a regular serving of garlic sauce and some pickles. It’s the perfect balance of flavours—you get sweet chicken, creamy sauce and some tanginess from the pickled cucumbers. My big no-no is adding lettuce—it just dilutes everything else in the wrap.”

Mutabak Karak

3480 Platinum Dr., unit 98, mutabakkarak.com

“Owner Salem Al Wuhaishi and his family serve Yemeni street food in this warm and inviting restaurant. Here, you’re met by a sink at the entrance—much like if you entered a Yemeni home. It’s part of the culture: you wash your hands first, and right afterward, you’re greeted with drinks and shared snacks. The dishes here are modernized slightly to appeal to Westerners and their taste buds, but they’re made using family recipes.”

Go-to drink: Karak chai

“Making this is an art. They brew black tea in milk, add a bit of sugar and then steep it with a proprietary blend of herbs and spices—but you can figure out through taste that they use cardamom and saffron. I’ve worked in 10 different countries as a chef and restaurant consultant. This drink brings me back to Dubai and Qatar, because it was what I’d start my days with. It’s just so inviting, creamy and not-too-sweet.”

Go-to dish #1: Minced beef mutabak

“A mixture of beef, egg, onion, green onion, parsley, tomato and house spices wrapped in flaky pastry. It’s crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. I can enjoy this at any time of day—it’s the perfect sharable snack. I usually eat this on its own, but the spread of house-made sauces is great. It makes for a fun choose-your-own-adventure kind of scenario. There’s a chili-tamarind sauce, a white garlic sauce, a mint sauce and one with tomatoes and herbs.”

Go-to dish #2: Mutabak with Dubai chocolate

“This is a specialty menu item. It’s made with the same pastry dough they use for their savoury mutabak, but inside is knafeh, pistachio and chocolate. It’s a feast for the eyes with the chocolate and pistachio drizzle. The texture and crunch is amazing, but again, it isn’t too sweet. I always have some karak on standby because it’s the perfect drink to go with this dish.”

Related: Six Toronto takes on Dubai’s viral knafeh chocolate bar

Go-to dish #3: Pistachio areeka

“Think of this as a date-based parfait or overnight oats, but you can eat it in the morning, midday or night—it’s that versatile. It’s made with crumbs of their house bread—so kind of like graham crumbs—date sugar, thick cream, sesame seeds and pistachio sauce. It looks like this would be cold, but it’s served warm, and wow, so full of flavour.”

Daiichi Sushi

3105 Winston Churchill Blvd., unit 7, daiichisushi.ca

“This spot has been here for over 20 years. You’ll probably notice a trend by now that every single restaurant I’ve highlighted is family owned and operated—Daiichi Sushi is no different. It makes such a huge difference in the quality of food and service. If this place were located in downtown Toronto, prices would be tripled. But because of the location and the high turnover of ingredients, they’re able to keep prices super reasonable. Honestly, this is the best sushi spot in town. The quality is amazing.”

Go-to dish #1: Spicy tuna roll

“With each bite, you get clean, fresh fish and delicate sweetness, and then the spice that slowly creeps up on your tongue and lingers there. The portion size is generous, but you also don’t feel weighed down after eating this roll.”

Go-to dish #2: White mountain roll

“Inside this roll is spicy salmon. And outside, you get some smokiness from the torched salmon on top. I really appreciate how the filling-to-rice ratio is generous and they aren’t just loading you up with starch. The fish is ultra-fresh, and there’s just enough spice to kick things up—it doesn’t linger too long, and you can jump right back for another bite with ease.”

Go-to dish #3: Sashimi assortment (small)

“This is just amazing. The fish practically dissolves in your mouth, and there is never any fishy after-taste. It’s something simple, so it can’t hide behind any extras and must be executed perfectly—and they achieve that here. Before I move from one fish to another, to properly enjoy each type, I’ll cleanse my palate with some pickled ginger. Pro tip: never eat the pickled ginger that is dyed pink. It has too many preservatives and additives. The yellow stuff is the freshest.”