Me Va Me Kitchen Express
Me Va Me Kitchen Express is a fast-casual chain of restaurants serving East Mediterranean cuisine with three locations in Ontario. Their downtown location opened in mid 2014, and overlooks the busy intersection of Queen St W & John St. A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to have dinner at their Queen Street establishment and tried a few things on their menu. The menu features a variety of Mediterranean classics such as hummus, laffa wraps, signature dips, falafel, shawarma, and more. I believe that the chain sets the standard for Mediterranean food, as their their food encompasses the bold flavor that is known for this cuisine.
The restaurant itself is spacious, and decorated with a monochromatic theme giving it a very contemporary look. There are a handful of tables in the back for those who want the full dine-in experience. However, the concept also caters to the busy Torontonians who are looking for healthy and fast yet affordable meals. Ordering food-to-go is made easy at Me Va Me Kitchen Express as the simple storefront provides quick service (take-outs) at the front of the restaurant. The open kitchen concept allows customers to see all the fresh ingredients that the restaurant uses, as it is clearly displayed. Although, they don't have their own delivery service, Me Va Me Kitchen Express is also a partner of Foodora, who delivers their food on their behalf to those living in the vicinity of the delivery zone.
During our recent visit, we started with an order of Trio Dip Plate ($10.95) - hummus, lebaneh za'atar and baba gonoush garnished with extra olive oil and fresh parsley. Served with LAFFA bread. The platter was perfect for sharing, and there was a generous portion of all three dips. My favorite out of the three was the baba ganoush (grilled pureed eggplant and mayonnaise), which was creamy, and the flavour of the eggplant was really prominent. The dish is also served with a plate of freshly baked laffa bread, which were pillowy and soft. It was quickly devoured!
The restaurant itself is spacious, and decorated with a monochromatic theme giving it a very contemporary look. There are a handful of tables in the back for those who want the full dine-in experience. However, the concept also caters to the busy Torontonians who are looking for healthy and fast yet affordable meals. Ordering food-to-go is made easy at Me Va Me Kitchen Express as the simple storefront provides quick service (take-outs) at the front of the restaurant. The open kitchen concept allows customers to see all the fresh ingredients that the restaurant uses, as it is clearly displayed. Although, they don't have their own delivery service, Me Va Me Kitchen Express is also a partner of Foodora, who delivers their food on their behalf to those living in the vicinity of the delivery zone.
During our recent visit, we started with an order of Trio Dip Plate ($10.95) - hummus, lebaneh za'atar and baba gonoush garnished with extra olive oil and fresh parsley. Served with LAFFA bread. The platter was perfect for sharing, and there was a generous portion of all three dips. My favorite out of the three was the baba ganoush (grilled pureed eggplant and mayonnaise), which was creamy, and the flavour of the eggplant was really prominent. The dish is also served with a plate of freshly baked laffa bread, which were pillowy and soft. It was quickly devoured!
Next up was another plate of starters consisting of the Falafel ($4.95) - 6 pieces and served with tahini sauce, and Moroccan Cigars ($6.95) - 6 pieces and served with tahini sauce. Falafel is a deep-fried ball made from ground chickpeas, and is a common dish eaten through the Middle East. It's commonly served in a pita, but it can also be eaten on its own as an appetizer. The falafel balls were served hot, and had a nice crunchy exterior. I found the inside to be quite moist, and full of flavor. However, my favorite of the two was the Moroccan cigars, which was fried, and filled with spicy beef.
One of the more popular hummus on the menu is their Grilled Mushroom on Hummus ($9.95) - champignon mushrooms, Julian onions, lemon and fresh oregano tossed and lightly drizzled with olive oil, grilled and served on hummus. It had a nice consistency and the texture itself is creamy without being runny. I am not a huge fan of mushrooms, but the grilled mushrooms added a lot of extra flavor with the addition of olive oil and fresh oregano. Me Va Me Kitchen Express also offers a selection of pre-packaged dips refrigerated for takeout at the front as well. I actually came back a couple of days ago to grab two large containers as my family love the hummus from here.
As my entree, I opted for the Grilled Chicken Breast Skewers ($13.95) - tender pieces of boneless chicken breast with our special seasoning and grilled to perfection. Served with our special B.B.Q sauce. All entrees come with a side (fries, basmati rice or grilled vegetables) and salad, which completes the meal. The chicken was well-seasoned and I loved the crispness of the fries. Lastly, the set boxes are reasonably priced considering how generous the portion, and it was a filling meal.
J opted for the Grilled Lamb Burger Sticks ($13.95) - minced lamb and veal marinated with spices, herbs and grilled to perfection, as per recommended by the manager. The two lamb burger sticks were perfectly cooked and well-seasoned with a nice hint of spice.
Overall, Me Va Me Kitchen Express is committed to serving healthy fast fare in a relaxing environment. They are open Monday to Thursday from 11 am to 10 pm, Friday to Saturday from 11 am to 11 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 10 pm.
Address: 240 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V 1Z7
Social Media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mevame
Instagram: http://instagram.com/lovemevame
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lovemevame
Website: http://www.mevamekitchenexpress.ca/
Disclaimer: The food provided in this post was complimentary. However, all of the opinions expressed in this review are of my own.
comments