By Erum Zehra

Paramount Fine Foods is chain of restaurants that originated in Canada and offers fresh and healthy Middle-Eastern cuisine. Over the last decade, they have made a huge name for themselves in traditional and authentic Lebanese food.

Recently, they have diversified their menu to include items that are loved by children and adults alike. We tried some of the items that are now available in their menu: Arancini, Caesar Salad, Mac and Cheese, Krispo Fried Chicken, Truffle Mashrooha and Lailas Cheesecakes.

Appetizers

We started out our meal with some Italian inspired appetizers, namely Arancini and Caesar Salad. We also added mac and cheese to the mix for our kids.

Arancini are deep fried Risotto (rice) balls, a treat for those who like it crispy on the outside and soft in the inside. They come with Marinara sauce and have mozzarella cheese filling with crunchy breadcrumb coating.

You dont have to be a salad lover to love this version of Caesar Salad. Not only is it creamy and crispy, it is topped with a rare treat i.e. halal cured beef bacon (also known as Basterma).

Mac and Cheese is comfort food which is loved by both children and adults. If your kids love to eat Mac and Cheese for dinner, now you can place an order for them at Paramount, along with your usual favorites.

Mains

We had two main dishes in our order: Chicken for everyone and Truffle Mashrooha for those who prefer vegeterian options.

Fresh and tasty crispy fried chicken is everyones favorite indulgence. Paramounts Krispo Fried Chicken is deep fried in vegetable oil for that crunchy flavor you crave, minus the heavy saturated fat you dont need. It is not to spicy by well seasoned for a lot of flavor, perfect for kids who love fried chicken!

Manakeesh is a popular food consisting of dough topped with wild thyme, cheese or ground meat.  Mashrooha is a stretched out oval shaped version of Manakeesh. I loved the truffle mushroom and Arugula topping on my Mashrooha!

Dessert

No meal is complete without a tasty dessert to tickle your taste buds. We opted for cheesecake, one of our favorite desserts and we werent disappointed.

Paramount has partnered with Lailas Cheesecakes to offer delicious cheesecake desserts along with your meal. You must try one of these: Creamy, tasty, a taste of heaven in a little jar, available in Pistachio and Coffee flavors.

Locations

All the new menu items discussed above are available at the following Paramount Fine Foods locations:

• Yonge and Eglinton
• Dundas
• Yorkville

Give these a try and tell us which you liked the best!