Egyptian in Mississauga: seafood at Mermaid Fish and Grill House

Mermaid Fish and Grill House

For one of our get-togethers with friends from the Western side of the GTA, we decided to try some authentic Egyptian seafood. We went for lunch at Mermaid Fish and Grill House in Mississauga.

Hubby and the girls ordered the Pharaoh Fish Platter where they selected their sea bass. The chef prepared the whole fish which was coated with wheat bran (rada) and grilled. The crispy fish was then dipped in a special house marinade with lemon, garlic and cumin. They had it with sayadya rice. I had a little bite, of course. The fish was really nicely cooked and, while it was in ice and likely frozen, tasted really fresh. The seasoning was tasty and overall a delightful dish.

Pharaoh grilled sea bass @Mermaid Fish and Gril

Grandma and I shared an Alexandria mix platter consisting of fried seafood– there was shrimp, calamari and fish fillet. We also had sayadya rice and fries. The serving was pretty good and even the girls were able to get a taste.

Alexandria mix platter @Mermaid Fish and Grill 

Our other friends got shrimp platter, calamari platter, fish and chips and fried fish platter, which they all said to be good. We also got some delicious mango juice to go with our food.

Shrimp platter @Mermaid Fish and Grill

Calamari platter @Mermaid Fish and Grill

Crispy fish @Mermaid Fish and Grill

The prices were also reasonable given we were all quite happy with our meal. We all agreed we would definitely come back!

A Turkish Feast: kebabs at Efendi

Turkish coffee @Efendi

With DD#1 off to uni, the fam does not always have a chance to try new restaurants together. But since Turkish restaurant, Efendi, opened in Thornhill, we wanted to give it a try one weekend that DD#1 was home.

We started off with mixed appetizer of Baba Ganoush (roasted eggplant with tahini),  Hummus (I don't have to explain what this is, right?), and Acili Ezme (spicy mashed tomatoes and peppers). They also served us house salad and the most delicious bread made from their wood-fired oven, which you could see, if you peek into their kitchens. Everything was so delicious that we could not decide which we liked more. Our appetites were whet and we were all excited for the main dish that was coming--especially since some of us did not have breakfast to prepare for this feast!

Mixed Appetizer @Efendi

For the mains, we shared a Mix Kebab for 4, which was just right for all of us, given Grandma and DD#2 were not big eaters. The beautiful presentation made it difficult to contain ourselves while someone (ahem ahem) took photos. We wanted to give all the meats a try. All at once. The meal came with 2 skewers each of spicy Adana Kebab (ground veal meat and lamb fat), Meat Shish Kebab, Chicken Shish Kebab, 1 skewer of chicken wings, 4 lamb chops, 4 Icli Kofte (stuffed meatball made of ground beef, bulgur and spices) , bulgur, rice, and barbecued tomatoes and peppers. The lamb chops and Meat Shish Kebab were in sizzling plates and were the most delicious out of all the meats. The fact that these were cooked in butter may or may not have influenced that conclusion. They were so juicy and tender and so, so flavourful! The chicken wings and shish kebabs were also grilled perfectly and paired so well with the grilled tomatoes and peppers. The Adana kebab was on the spicy side but it was delicious. It was perfect with bulgur.  Our least favourite was the Icli Kofte, which was on the oily side. 

Mixed Kebab for 4 Platter @Effendi

We capped our meal with some Turkish coffee (or is it just called "coffee" in their restaurant :P). We were all delighted with the beautiful Turkish cups and enjoyed what was inside even more! Efendi's coffee was quite good. It was bold and strong and nicely aromatic. Grandma, who usually drinks her coffee with sweetener, enjoyed it black. 

Turkish coffee @Efendi

Two thumbs up for this Turkish kebab grill place. I highly recommend and we will definitely be back!