In 2016 Rahaf Alakbani, and her husband Esmaeel were two Syrian refugees lucky enough to find safe haven in Canada. Fate brought us together and they became instrumental in helping create Newcomer Kitchen, a non-profit social enterprise at The Depanneur that was able to put over $150,000 into the pockets of more than 80 newly-arrived Syrian families.
The intervening years have been bittersweet; Rahaf and Esmaeel had 2 beautiful children and have been able to pursue their academic and musical ambitions, all the while hopeful that peace would return to their homeland. In late 2024, with the fall of the Assad regime, optimism and possibility reigned, and plans to reunite fractured families began to be drawn. Sadly by mid 2025, things had taken a tragic turn with violence returning to haunt Druze communities in their home province of Sweida.
This year Rahaf and Esmaeel had the opportunity to travel to Jordan to reconnect with family and enjoy a well-deserved break. Jordan shares many culinary and cultural traditions with the rest of the Levant that spans from Egypt to Syria, and Rahaf has chosen some of her favourite dishes from this trip as the inspiration for this lovely dinner.
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Welcome
Fresh, warm khubz (round bread) with olive oil & za’atar, a Levantine spice blend of wild thyme, sesame, sumac and other spices with many local variations. Served with Mediterranean zaytūn (olives) and makhlal (pickled vegetables).
To Begin: Mezze
Family meals always begin with a selection of savoury dips, small plates and salads to share, like creamy chickpea & tahini hummus, smoky eggplant baba ganoush, and a crisp, colourful fattoush salad with tangy sumac and crispy pita croutons.
The Heart of the Table: Mansaf
Mansaf is the national dish of Jordan, a traditional Bedouin meal that is a common sight at weddings, holidays and when honouring special guests. It is built up on large platters for sharing, starting with a base layer of a paper thin flatbread called shrak (or markook), covered in a mound of spice-infused golden rice, then a generous portion of very tender, slow-cooked lamb finished in a special sauce made from jameed, a kind of tangy, dried sheep or goat’s milk yogurt. The whole thing is then garnished with butter-fried nuts before being devoured, usually by hand, from the common dish.
A Sweet Ending: Baklava
Homemade baklava with countless layers of buttery phyllo pastry, rich almonds & cashews, drizzles with a warm, aromatic syrup. Served with fresh tea or Arabic coffee
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Rahaf Alakabani hails from Sweida in southwestern Syria. She arrived in Canada in 2016 with her husband Esmaeel Aboufakher, and together they were instrumental in helping co-found Newcomer Kitchen, Nai Syrian Children’s Choir and Haneen Women’s Choir as part of their ongoing work to support their community. Rahaf continues to nurture her twin loves of Syrian cooking and culture in workshops, choirs and concerts across the GTA, sharing songs and recipes passed down from her mother and grandmother. Rahaf and Esmaeel have recently completed their Masters in Arts and Humanities at York while raising their two young children.
@the_rahaf_kitchen | @haneen_choir_ca
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Every week, The Depanneur invites TO’s best culinary talents to lead fun, hands-on workshops.@thedepanneur
