Kitchen Bliss

Opened in November 2019, Tomah was the last restaurant I visited before the pandemic. The review was not published at the time given all the uncertainties. Tomah was closed for a few weeks waiting for the path forward to become more clear.

Today its takeout is a going concern and you’d be wise to indulge in what they have to offer.

At Tomah, the “who” is just as important as the “what”. Mohamad Tomeh has accomplished much in the short time he’s been in Hamilton with his family of six. He’d always been busy when Syria was home, running three restaurants and a cheese factory that produced fifty-seven products including jams and pickles. Pay attention to the cheese offerings. Tomeh, an artisanal cheesemaker, prepares his cheeses onsite, and they may be taste sensations you have not experienced. Mohamad is happy to educate you about his cheeses and Syrian cuisine which features many vegetables. Syrians also love their desserts and since my visit they are regularly adding more.

Our meal in the basic diner setting began with a complimentary starter of adorable heart-shaped falafels. During a phone chat we had in December for a Restaurant News column, Tomeh encouraged me to drop by. He was confident he made the best falafel. Having tasted them – he has my vote. If I lived around the corner, I’d be snacking on these far too often – seven falafels for $5 is a healthy, affordable snack.

We had several starters, and they mostly came out at the same time. Specify if you’d prefer them to be staggered.

The three dips on the Dip Sampler Platter were plated beautifully - heart-shaped carrots, ever-present jewel-like pomegranate arils, and artful drizzles of olive oil. I may never again serve a dip by simply plopping it into a bowl. Hummus was one of the dips, along with labneh – a tangy Arabic-style yogurt, and muttabal - smoky roasted eggplant with garlic, lemon, olive oil, and tahini. All were tasty and served with pickles, olives and fresh pita bread – which we would have preferred warmed.

The Vine Leaves (filled with rice and pomegranate sauce) and Cabbage Rolls (filled with rice and the spice mix kamun) are light and tasty appetizers served cold.

When in the presence of a cheese master, it would be unforgivable to not sample the cheeses. Strings of Chalal cheese sat atop and Akkawi (mild salty) slices. All happily devoured. Before we left we also tasted the wonderful Nabulsi (resembles Halloumi, with nigella seeds).

Top marks go to Tomah’s kibbeh - deep-fried croquettes with various fillings - very popular in the Middle East. At Tomah we had Beef (which combined cracked bulgur with finely ground beef, Middle Eastern spices and pomegranate) and Vegetarian (mushroom onion pomegranate and peppers). Since our visit, I noticed Tomeh is experimenting with new combos – spinach, onion and pomegranate.

The mains awaited and we tried the daily feature – the Falafel Special – more of those terrific falafels nestled on top of rice, with hummus, salad and pickled vegetables. Who wouldn’t want to eat that every day?

“Sandwich” seems such a humdrum word to describe the nine sandwiches on the menu. They are more like “wraps” – yet I admit to being uninspired by most wraps. What Tomah serves up are unexpected and delicious. The Syrian Shawarma Sandwich is a Tomah favourite. Spiced, juicy, crispy chicken breast is dressed up with garlic sauce, pickled cucumber, and pomegranate molasses and rolled into Saaj (unleavened) flatbread. A lovely char on the flatbread and one more drizzle of sauce equals a delicious thing of beauty. (Vegetarian versions are available.)

I cannot pretend that we were still hungry after all of the above, yet we indulged in rice pudding with pistachios - a nice pairing with Arabic coffee. But there was still something new to try. For years, I have admired photos of gorgeous cookies – maamouls - with fillings that might be dates, nuts, almonds, or figs. They conjured up happy childhood memories eating fig newtons with the added attraction – they were pretty. The “pretty” comes from the fact that these are baked in molds. These were available for takeout and so we trotted home with date-filled maamouls - and kanaafa with pistachios (similar to baklava).

It should be no surprise that this is a family affair. Most of the baking is done my Mohamad’s wife, Roula who also helps with the leaves, cabbage rolls and kibbeh. You may bump into son, Homam working front of the house and already a talent in the kitchen. Children Bayan and Khirat also pitch in. A steady and steadying presence has been Manager Charlotte Schwartz. Mohamad has high praise for all she does to help the family business succeed. This is a somewhat shy team, but get them talking and they are happy to share stories and smiles – and great food.

The look: Casual Diner The feel: Quietly Welcoming

What I paid: Cheese Plate $10; Dip Sampler Platter $12; Vine Leaves $9; Falafel $12; Syrian Shawarma Sandwich $9; Coffee $2.50; Rice Pudding $3.50; Maamoul (per pkg) $12 Wheelchair access: No