We will be very upfront in the fact that we have been to Chef Abod Cafe on multiple occasions. It’s become our “go to” place when we want a nice dinner in Halifax that is both keto friendly and delicious. That simple statement is giving away how this review is going to go, but we decided it was time to break the place down a little more so you can see why it’s our favorite spot.
Introducing Chef Abod Cafe
Located in a vibrant part of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Chef Abod’s is run by Syrian born and world travelled chef Kader Sadieh. The food is classified as Halal Middle Eastern Cuisine. Halal means the food adheres to Islamic law on specific ways the animal is handled before preparation.
From online articles and the restaurant’s own website some things become very apparent. Sadieh prides himself on two things. One is they take locally sourced fresh ingredients and turn them into authentic middle eastern dishes. The second is they work hard to treat every guest like they are part of the family.
As someone who has frequented the place, I can say both are true, especially the second. You will be asked multiple times how your meal is going and encouraged to take your time and enjoy the food and conversation.
Décor and Parking at Chef Abod’s
Parking is an easy one. Either on the restaurant’s lot or across the street there is plenty of space. The area Chef Abod’s is in is vibrant, but not busy to the point where you are overwhelmed by traffic. If you have a rush hour reservation you may want to leave a little early to avoid traffic, but parking won’t be an issue.
For décor the inside is very authentic. Some may call it dated, but for us the simplistic feel of the booths and communal table at the back make the space very homey and warm. There is no intimidating culture shock or overly fancy wall treatments. Casual dress if perfectly fine and in my books that’s a win.
The Star of Chef Abod Cafe… The Food
Now let’s get to the best part of this blog. The food. Chef Abod’s has a complete separate page for Keto. There is a little blurb at the top talking about what a keto diet consists of and why it can be beneficial to your health. This simple act of having a keto page where you don’t have to ask questions or change the food makes you feel instantly at home on keto. Pricing is also great ranging from $19.99 to $24.99 for keto dishes.
I’m only going to talk about the dishes I’ve had on my visits to Chef Abod’s as I don’t think it’s fair to review something based on others experiences or from looks alone. Each dish comes with two of three possible sides. Spinach salad, grilled vegetables, and cauliflower rice. I’ve never had the spinach salad as the other two are far too good to turn away from now.
The grilled vegetables are a combination of keto friendly options. Off the top of my head on the plate was broccoli, cauliflower, red peppers, green beans, snap peas, and likely others. The real star is the cauliflower rice. As someone that prides himself on making a mean cauliflower rice, I can’t believe how good this side is. The texture and flavor are amazing. I wish I knew Sadieh’s secret.
The Main Courses at Chef Abod Cafe
For main courses we have had four of the several options available. Let’s start with the Cauliflower Falafel. A falafel is a traditional street food that is best described as a deep-fried chickpea fritter. In this case the fritter is made from Cauliflower and delicious. It’s served with keto friendly humus. Wendy wasn’t as enthralled with the dish flavor wise, but we used it as an appetizer, and I loved it.
Let’s moved on to the Lemon Garlic Chicken. This kebab style dish is tender and decadent. The marinated chicken is served with a garlic sauce that sets off the flavors. There is nothing bad to say about this plate of food.
My personal favorite is the Tandoori Chicken. The traditional spice blend is near perfect with a little kick, but far from spicy. It falls apart on the plate and leaves you wanting more even though you are full. I could use pretty much the same description for the Chicken Shawarma Bowl that just burst with flavor on every bite.
Conclusion
I swear I went into this review saying I would have a critical eye, but good food wins every time. There is really nothing negative I can say. Each time we go in the staff is friendly, courteous, and welcoming. We’ve only had one interaction with Sadieh himself, but he was very warm and genuinely interested in how we enjoyed the food. I don’t know if his family is involved in the day-to-day operations, but the place certainly has a family vibe to it.
With such good food my ending may seem silly, but if you’re on keto you’ll understand. Being able to go to a restaurant and order food without providing an explanation or changing fifteen things on the dish is such a treat. We get to go to Chef Abod’s like normal people and enjoy our food. The fact that it is delicious is just a bonus.
Bill
