Baraka Pita Bakery & Restaurant

It should be no surprise to anyone reading this blog that I love food. Wrap it, grill it or fry it; if something is edible then you can bet I will not be too far behind. During the first two years of medical school I was consuming food at an incredible pace: there would be nights when I would have "two suppers" or days when I would frequent the local Indian buffet. Unsurprisingly I grew to an unhealthy weight, one that started alienating my friends, costing future relationships and ultimately shaving years off my life expectancy. Thus during third year of medical school I decided enough was enough. Cutting out the fatty unnecessary meals of the day, I started on a crash diet of homemade meals, low calorie snacks and the occasional workout at the local gym (emphasis on occasional). During the half year it took me to lose ~40 lbs, my guilty pleasure were pitas. Pockets of delicious bread filled with grilled lean protein and vegetables finished with delicious hummus, it was exactly the low fat, high protein meal I needed. Thus with fond memories of my love for pitas, I came across Baraka Pit Bakery & Restaurant.

Baraka Pita Bakery & Restaurant is a highly rated Mediterranean restaurant in the north end of Winnipeg. The family run joint has been a staple for the past couple decades and features a simple but killer menu based on Falafel and Shawarma.

Their menu is small and revolves around a meat (or falafel) base in either a pita or a platter. Accompanying that duo is a nice mixture of vegetables and dips. Despite the small menu, it was obvious Baraka was doing well. During the ten minutes it took me to peruse through the offerings, a line had started to form to order. Crying out in dismay, I quickly decided on my culinary target of the day and proceeded to order.

I foolishly asked the owners what their Soup of the day was. "Lentil, the same soup it is everyday" the owner replied with a huge grin. "Well, I can not go without trying that then!" The soup was excellent. A curry based broth worked well with the smooth creamy lentils and was contrasted with fried crispy bits of dough (you can tell I have no idea what their called). A tasty start to the meal!

Wanting to try as much as possible I ordered the Lamb Platter. A heaping plateful of food featuring the grilled lamb on a bed of rice with a side of Greek salad, hummus, tabbouleh and garlic sauce. Absolutely delicious: the charred bits of meat were incredibly tender, the Greek salad well dressed and the rice soaking up all the wonderful juices. The star of the dish though was the creamy fragrant hummus which brought the entire dish together.

Baraka is a special little place in Winnipeg. Judging by the massive lines out of the door, it is obvious that Barakas' business model works. And it is easy to see why as they have good delicious food at affordable prices mixed in with friendly owners and staff. Baraka is definitely one of my top recommendations for anyone in for a pita fix, or in need for a meal in north side of Winnipeg.