From Back Home to the Countertop: Real Stories Behind the Recipes

JASHANPREET KAUR
Mar 27
3 min read

Updated: Mar 28

EVERYTHING SEEMS NORMAL UNTIL...

Every morning before the first customer walks in, even before the grill heats up and the sauce is stirred, there is a special ritual done in the kitchen. Spices are weighted not by scale but by memory. Chicken is marinated just like it was “BACK HOME.” The smell that fills the air doesn’t just come from the food – it comes from years of family tradition, hard work, and stories you won’t find written on any menu.

The BIG Picture

At Kebab & Shawarma in Woodstock, the recipes extend beyond their taste. These culinary traditions consist of memories from former residences alongside memories of family gatherings and mental images of newcomer adaptability in their new country. The establishment functions beyond being a restaurant since it preserves living stories that began in South Asian and Middle Eastern home kitchens while revitalizing them throughout a small Canadian town. The feature guides readers through an emotional experience from traditional home kitchens to modern countertops, demonstrating how food maintains cultural heritage in each dish.

Born in the Kitchen, not in a Book

Like many immigrants, owner Mir Liaqath Ali Shah brought more than a suitcase to Canada – he brought skills shaped by watching his elders cook over open flames and in tiny, spice-filled kitchens. “We didn’t have recipes written down,” he often says. “We learned by watching, tasting, and feeling. That’s how you cook.”

Many dishes served today at Kebab & Shawarma – the chicken shawarma, the garlic sauce, the falafel – are made using methods passed down through generations. Even how meat is marinated and grilled, or how the rice is fluffed and seasoned, echoes the rhythm of kitchens from back home.

In many cultures, food isn’t just sustenance. It’s how love is shown, heritage is passed on, and memories are preserved.

Food as a Bridge Between Worlds

Food was always a way for Mir to connect his past with the future. Moving to Canada came with its share of challenges – new systems, new climate and new expectations. But Cooking was familiar. It was the one place where he felt confident and rooted. So, when the opportunity came to open a restaurant, it wasn’t just about launching a business – it was about sharing a story.

“There is something heartwarming about seeing someone from Woodstock try a falafel for the first time,” Mir shares. “And then they revisit us the next week, bring a friend and say, ‘You have to try this garlic sauce.’ That’s when you know our story is being heard.”

Preserving Culture One Plate at a Time

At kebab & Shawarma, authenticity isn’t a marketing word. It’s a mission. The kitchen prepares food using traditional flavor combinations which result from kitchen traditions across Lebanon, Syria, Pakistan and South India where cumin, coriander and cardamom are present in every dish. Mir often works hands-on, adjusting spice blends by smell, not a spreadsheet. And when someone asks, “What’s in this?” the answer usually begins with, “Well, my mother used to….”

The contemporary dishes served at the restaurant pay homage to original family recipes, which undergo minimal local adaptation rather than substantial alteration. Simple preparations like tandoori chicken and falafel platters require traditional marination methods and cooking practices despite the minimum waiting times in fast-paced environments.

Conclusion: A Story You Can Taste

Every platter at Kebab & Shawarma is layered – not just with garlic, hummus, or tahini -but with memory. It’s layered with years of watching and learning, with smells from home kitchens thousands of miles away, and with the courage to bring that flavour to a new place.

Your visit to this establishment extends beyond essential business support. Kebab & Shawarma invites you to share a family dining experience from Woodstock into Hyderabad and then to Beirut and beyond.

The experience awaits you, so dine generously and take back memories that exceed your initial hunger. Your dining experience will end with a handwritten tale in spices that chefs prepare by hand from original ingredients with caring commitment.