Vikas Sharma

It’s been a little bit since I’ve laid down a restaurant review.

I was really getting into putting out wine reviews and then since June, I’ve been busy with a music project with Deadbeat Superheroes, which is coming to a close in the next little bit.

This past Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, my wife and I took a trip to Portland, OR for a few reasons; to relax and getaway, to check out the food and fashion scene, and to try some of the wines in the Willamette Valley.

My wife, as she usually does, got to planning the trip weeks, if not months, in advance; and had restaurants and other activities ready for deployment.

We hit a couple of spots for dinner on the Friday and Saturday nights (Andina, which is a Peruvian joint, and Nostrana for pizza and pasta … and other stuff), but they were just okay.

To be clear, the egg sandwich that we got at a food truck called Fried Egg I’m In Love was the main event up until Sunday’s dinner; the night before Canadian Thanksgiving.

So – about Sunday dinner.

Being a Torontonian, I take Middle Eastern food seriously. I don’t like pretending a place is good just because my Middle Eastern friends say so. I’ve been to some of the motherland(s): Egypt, Israel/Palestine, and Jordan, and I’ve tried some of the very best, and simple, street foods.

But falafel? There’s only one place … and that’s Parallel on Geary Street in Toronto; it’s better than anything I’ve had anywhere in the world. And was I surprised to see that they were voted the #1 hummus in Toronto Life? Not a chance. That said, I would vote Hummus Abu Dabi in Tel Aviv the best hummus I’ve had in the world … and don’t be put off by their website, I believe that the menu on-site is also in Hebrew only … but their hummus? Sababa.

Which, brings us to the star of the Portland dining scene, in my opinion, Shalom Y’all.

They appear to be part of a conglomerate called the Sesame Collective, which is a group of food spots which are mostly Mediterranean-focused.

From the food menu at Shalom Y’all, we went with the following:

• House Labneh with Fried Artichokes
• Fig & Arugula Salad
• Shalom Y’all Platter (Hummus, Labneh, Falafel, Tahina, and Schug)
• Grilled Trumpet Mushrooms
• House Made Pickles

Everything was bang-on.

Drink-wise, I could go either way with Middle Eastern food … wine or beer, but after an afternoon of wine tasting, I opted for a nice IPA by Wayfinder, a local brewer, and my wife stuck with sparkling water.

The Artichokes had a very Mediterranean flair to them … it reminded me of how they are prepared in Spain; crispy and flavourful. As well, they topped a lovely serving of Labneh, which was as smooth as silk.

What I loved the most about the Arugula Salad is that the leaves tasted and appeared as if they had just been picked from someone’s home garden; they didn’t have the appearance of the baby arugula that you get in a box at the grocery store. It was served with Fennel, Sheep Cheese, and Candied Walnuts. From what I remember, the cheese tasted more like a Goat Cheese than Sheep.

The House Made Pickles were just right – with Carrots, Onions, and Cauliflower being the veggies of choice, fermented with mustard seeds.

The Trumpet Mushrooms (also known as King Oyster) were quite flavourful and were served with Nardello Peppers, which I’ve never had before, but here is the story behind them.

When the Shalom Y’all Platter arrived, I couldn’t take my eyes off the Falafel, which were topped with a healthy serving of Schug (which is one of my favourite condiments to try and pronounce – and one of my favourite condiments period).

The Falafel was perfect; the right amount of green inside, the right amount of tenderness inside, and the right amount of crispiness on the outside. The ideal Falafel specimen.

The Hummus was extra-smooth, had the right amount of creaminess, was a little earthy, and had perfect density (for my liking).

And the Pita. Foof. Perfect; right out of the fire, baked on site, and goes toe- to-toe with the Ozery Brother Pita served at Parallel.

Since moving to Vancouver, finding great hummus, falafel, pita, and the sort has been a problem for me.

Now, I only need to drive five hours or so to get myself over to Shalom Y’all.

Return: Absolutely – the first place that I’m going to eat the next time that I visit Portland is Shalom Y’all.

Rating: 9/10