TORONTO — Taline, Canada’s sole Michelin-recommended Armenian restaurant, has introduced a new fall menu. Each dish celebrates the restaurant’s commitment to authenticity, from roasted vegetables and braised meats to aromatic herbs and spices, all inspired by Armenian traditions and complemented by Lebanese influences.
Located in Toronto’s Rosedale neighbourhood, Taline was founded by Culinary Institute of America (CIA)-trained chef Seb Yacoubian and his brothers, Saro and Serouj, as a tribute to their late mother, for whom the restaurant is named.
The new fall menu showcases familiar classics alongside inventive seasonal creations. Diners can enjoy dishes with fresh herbs grown from Armenian seedlings in the restaurant’s private garden, as well as an array of spices such as Aleppo, ras al hanout, allspice, sumac, za’atar, Baharat and more.
The menu begins with a variety of shared starters. The hummus is paired with black garlic, havgit, braised leek, and matnakash, while the Labneh is topped with honeycomb, burnt corn, carrot top, and served with matnakash. Salad options include its signature tabbouleh but enhanced with autumnal persimmon, kale, bulgur, and fresh mint vinaigrette, as well as Vosp Salad with black lentils, beet, shallots, radish, and parsley. For main courses, diners can enjoy Ghaverma, a veal shank inspired by Armenian winter traditions, accompanied by cipollini onions, nour, and dibs ar-rumman, Tsoug with pickled shallot, harra (a blended Lebanese chili crisp) and green harissa. A new rice dish, Dikranagerd Pilav, named for the ancient Armenian region, pays homage to a traditional rice dish often made by chef Yacoubian’s mother where she would craft an unleavened dough filled with rice, vegetables, and meat. Taline’s vegetarian version highlights this heritage with dried barberries, adding a bright acidity, and fried to a satisfying crisp for a hearty texture.
For dessert, the Sweet Sujukh soft serve is crafted with Armenian brandy-infused apricots and features a traditional, time-honoured process. This begins with walnuts carefully threaded together by hand and an apricot compote made from scratch. The walnuts are dipped into the syrupy compote and hung to harden, allowing the flavours to develop. All ingredients are preserved in-house and blended together to create an ice cream. The Kunefe Tarte Tatin is an inventive fusion of traditional kunefe and classic French tarte Tatin. It features layers of caramelized apple nestled in crispy kunefe pastry. A blend of akawi and mozzarella di bufala melts into the pastry.
“As a chef, I’m always drawn to the nostalgic flavours that take me back to my roots, to the places, aromas, and tastes I grew up with,” says Yacoubian. “Although I grew up in Toronto, I remember travelling through Armenia with my family, passing fields where farmers burned their crops to clear the way for something new. That vision, that smoky scent, has always stayed with me. I try to weave those elements into my cooking as a tribute to those memories, carrying a bit of that childhood experience into my craft.”
Taline’s cocktail program is led by Saro and features the Taline cocktail, inspired by the cinnamon and clove tea their mother would make during fall and winter. Saro added Dillon’s vodka and Amaro to play off the chai that she loved. The Valley of Ararat, made with Ararat brandy infused with apricots, honey and a tahini fat-wash, is served with a sesame snap. The restaurant also serves more than a dozen Armenian and Lebanese wines.
