ELLE Gourmet is partnering with Arbequina, the MICHELIN-selected Toronto restaurant from Chef Moeen AbuZaid, for a special one-night-only dinner celebrating local spring ingredients, sustainability and the vibrant traditions of Levantine cuisine.
Hosted at Arbequina in Toronto’s Roncesvalles neighbourhood, the intimate evening will feature a family-style menu inspired by Chef Moeen’s ingredient-driven zero-waste philosophy, with dishes rooted in the rich traditions of Arabic cuisine and approached through a modern culinary lens.
Throughout the dinner, Chef Moeen will personally guide guests through the menu, sharing the stories, ingredients and techniques that inspire each course in a warm, conversational setting.
Created especially for the occasion, the menu will highlight the freshness and abundance of the spring season through locally sourced produce, thoughtfully paired with exquisitely crafted zero-proof beverages designed to complement each dish.
About the Chef
Chef Moeen AbuZaid, recently recognized by The Best Chef Awards, is widely regarded as a pioneer of elevated Arabic cuisine and modern Arabic cooking. Born in Jordan to Palestinian parents from Yaffa, he discovered his passion for cooking at a young age, beginning his culinary career at just 18 in some of Jordan’s most renowned hotels.
He later spent a decade working in some of New York City’s most influential kitchens, including WD-50 and Eleven Madison Park, before opening Toronto’s MICHELIN-selected Arbequina with his wife. Today, his deeply personal cooking blends the flavours and traditions of Palestinian, Jordanian and broader Middle Eastern cuisine with refined technique, sustainability and a lasting curiosity for ingredients, technique and the emotional power of food.
About the Restaurant
Located in Toronto’s Roncesvalles neighbourhood, Arbequina is a MICHELIN-selected restaurant where the rich traditions of Levantine cuisine meet modern culinary innovation. Sustainability is at the heart of everything the team does: the menu evolves with the seasons and local availability, featuring almost entirely locally sourced produce, herbs grown in the restaurant’s own garden and a whole-ingredient approach designed to minimize waste while maximizing flavour. As a halal kitchen, the restaurant’s cooking is rooted in generosity, seasonality and a deep respect for ingredients.
Arbequina has become known for dishes that reinterpret the flavours of Levantine and Arabic cuisine in thoughtful, unexpected ways, from house-made taboon bread and muhammara to signature dishes like hand-folded manti nestled in tangy jameed yogurt and finished with Orfa chili and toasted pine nuts. Seasonal, plant-forward ingredients are central to the kitchen’s approach, with menus shaped by local availability and the changing seasons.
Limited number of ticket are going on sale early next week. For more information, contact us at hello@ellegourmet.ca
