Bright, family-friendly Halal 786 in Parc-Ex has a dedicated barbecue menu with traditional veal, chicken, lamb, and even fish. While you’re waiting for the grilling magic to happen, check out the tandoori naan breads with nigella seeds, with or without butter or garlic. Seekh kebabs made with minced veal or chicken laced with coriander are good choices here for authentic Pakistani flavours. Vegetarians are also well-served here: Curry pakora, chickpea flour dumplings in a yellow curry sauce, mustard leaves (sarsoon ka sag), and baigan masala (spicy eggplant) are a few dishes to complement the kebabs or which stand well on their own.

Kebab- and carpet-lovers alike will enjoy the atmosphere and food at this popular halal BYOB spot near Parc Lafontaine. The walls are covered with crimson-coloured rugs and intricately decorated traditional clothing, the back room is set up for tea drinking and lounging on woven pillows while watching Afghan music videos on a big screen, and the generous kebab platters are enough to satisfy two or more diners at once. Compare and contrast the two minced meat kebabs — kofta and chapli, each with their own distinct preparation method and spice profile — or go for the win with the Kaboul kebab plate, adding a chicken kebab and grilled lamb chop to the mix. As an appetizer, try the ashak dumplings filled with coriander and leek, topped with yogurt and meat sauce.

Omnivore’s kebabs appeal to carnivores and herbivores alike, offering a range of flavour variations for skewers. Straight from the grill on a platter or wrapped in pita, as a sandwich, diners have the choice of several healthy Middle Eastern-inspired salads and sides to choose between at the counter. A newer location near the BANQ on St. Denis spreads the Omnivore love away from the Plateau, making this value for money eatery a good choice for students, bus travellers, and Village people alike. 

This Afghan supermarket in Greenfield Park has two small tables for in-house dining and a lively takeout and delivery business driven by its specialty: kebabs. A glass display case near the store entrance is laden with minced meat shaped on traditional flat skewers. The tables provide a vantage point to watch the grillmaster at work while enjoying a hot shami kebab either in pita bread or accompanied by mounds of raisin and carrot-flecked Kabuli rice. Wander around the store to find different halal meat cuts, yogurt drinks, and spice mixes, and peer through the glass window at the back to see bakery workers producing the long, rectangular Afghan naan bread (in regular or whole wheat iterations) dotted with nigella and sesame seeds.

Quick service spot Antep Kebab, right by Concordia, brings in the crowds with Turkish kebabs on rice and homemade sesame bread. This halal spot is popular with students and workers alike, so plan ahead if your time is limited. There’s a dizzying photo menu with LED arrows above the kitchen prep space; see what everyone else is getting and be prepared to order quickly. 

Lamb is an important part of the diet in the Xinjiang region of northwest China, and halal Uyghur restaurant Le Taklamakan is one of the few places in town showcasing this Turkic cuisine. Tender grilled lamb dusted with cumin is presented on ornate skewers, and other specialty dishes are on offer here, including toho kormisi (chicken stewed with potatoes); thick homemade laghman noodles — think udon but with more chew — with a vegetable sauce chock full of radishes, peppers, Chinese tree ear fungus, and lamb. Then there’s sambusak, an empanada-like pastry cooked in a tandoor and filled with lamb and onions. Named after the central Asian desert and staffed with Uyghur and Kazakh chefs, Le Taklamakan is in a strip mall in Lasalle, but you’ll definitely feel transported further than that with your visit. Bring lots of friends if you can: portions are huge.