For the love of sesame seeds

Parallel Brothers restaurant was one of Porridge for Parkinson’s 2021 brunch partners and catered our November 14th Sunday brunch. Many of you may remember the package filled with delicious spreads, pitas, falafel, and spices. Parallel Brothers is owned and operated by the Ozery family, and we recently spoke with one of the brothers, Aharon Ozery.

This month marks the fourth anniversary of Parallel, a popular middle-eastern restaurant in the Junction neighbourhood that showcases sesame butter or tahini in its many delicious forms. The Ozery brothers are serious about educating Torontonians about tahini—the healthy and very tasty paste. They brought a basalt stone mill press from Jerusalem to their Toronto locale and refitted and modernized the mill so it would grind and cold press the best-tasting sesame seeds imported from Ethiopia. These high-quality seeds are sweet and nutty and loaded in iron, calcium, potassium and good fat—making all the dishes on the menu high in nutrition as well as appetizing.

Parallel’s menu features modern twists on middle-eastern classics. Truffle hummus with mushrooms, beet tahini, and slow-cooked chicken musakhan are just some of the popular menu items. We are big fans of their herb falafel balls—they are fluffy yet crunchy and the best in the city. We asked Aharon Ozery if there is a cookbook in his future, and apparently, it is in the works—stay tuned!

PorridgeTO pop quiz | Aharon Ozery

Favourite comfort food — Chocolate
Favourite restaurant In Toronto — Ascari Enoteca
Favourite smell — Purple Basil
Smooth or crunchy — Crunchy
Three things you need on a desert island — Flour, olive oil and tahini
Favourite spice — Za’atar

Follow Parallel on Instagram @parallel_brothers