East Tea Can is a strikingly fresh find tucked deep within The Well complex. Airy and stylish, it offers an appetizing array of dishes hailing from the Middle East.

Among the hubbub and bustle of the Wellington Market, East Tea Can feels like a tranquil oasis. The restaurant, which opened in May 2024, is handily located on the perimeter of the action, and comprises a room that can seat 36 along with patio space for 50.

Taking its name from "estikan," Arabic for the small glass cup used in the Middle East for drinking tea, the restaurant is a quarter of the size of the team's original Mississauga location.

Owing to its downtown address and size, it also offers an abbreviated menu. It's a menu, though, that still manages to hold plenty of temptations.

"We took our time selecting our second location," explains co-owner and CEO, Shakir Al-Qanbar. "We wanted to have this really nice association with a happening place, not just a normal plaza."

In The Well, and its locally-driven food hall, the team found just that. It's a lively destination that's continually crowded with office workers and residents, shoppers, wanderers and people just looking for really tasty food.

"It's basically the same menu," says Al-Qanbar, "but we offer fewer items here." With more customers looking for take-out options, the team also "tweaked the menu to feature smaller dishes," he adds.

Reading over East Tea Can's offerings, which jump from dips and breads to hot and cold mezze, grill plates and bowls, it's clear that the Mississauga menu must be huge. Happily, dishes are meant to be shared, meaning that ordering several is the norm.

"In the Middle East, dining is an array of a lot of dishes, and different aromas and smells of fresh food, spices, fresh bread," explains Al-Qanbar.

The vast area's rich cuisine is "much more than shawarma and falafel," he adds, explaining that East Tea Can's menu aims to highlight other popular dishes and upscale fare from Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey, and more.

At both locations, "everything is made in-house. Almost 95 per cent of the menu we make from scratch," says Al-Qanbar. "We also make sure, to the best of our ability, to source ingredients that are well-known in the Middle East."

As evidenced by shelves stocked with house-brand sauces and dressings, spreads and spices, when the team can't find a specific ingredient, they simply make it themselves.

The best way to settle into the menu is with several of the team’s fresh, fluffy dips and a side of stone-baked bread.

Feeling parched? House Hibiscus & Aged Dried Lime Iced Tea ($7) and Rose Lemonade ($7) each offer cooling refreshment that's judiciously sweetened.

Velvety and plush, scented with tahini and olive oil, Legendary Hummus ($10.50) is aptly named. "I'm very proud of the hummus," admits Al-Qanbar.

Generously flavoured with their star ingredient, Saffron Labneh ($11.50) and Love your Beets ($10.50), meanwhile, are not for those who shy away from those particular add-ins.

Swirled with harissa paste, pomegranate molasses and crushed walnuts, bright, zingy Muhammara ($12) will make every scrap of bread disappear.

Hot mezze include plump, meaty Arabic Sausages ($14.50) and crunchy, savoury baked Sumac Chicken Cigars ($11).

Tossed with tahini sauce and chimichurri, Roasted Cauliflower ($12) is an effortless way to approach your 5-10 a day.

Another easy plant-based sell? The team's garden-fresh Seasonal Fattoush ($15) which is crisp and vitalizing, redolent of mint, oregano and sumac.

For take-out, or less leisurely lunchtimes, Lahme B-Ajeen Mana'eesh ($14) is a punchy, tender alternative to pizza.

As for days when you have all the time in the world to graze through a spread of flavourful things? The Complete Tasting Platter ($45) is a smorgasbord where spiced and savoury, herby, flaky and creamy come together in one sumptuous offering.

With hummus and tabbouleh, sumac chicken cigars, roasted cauliflower, Arabic sausages, kebabs and rice, it's the meal to order if you want a sampling of the menu without having to make too many decisions.  

Dramatically designed to mimic shawarma spits, Signature Beef Skewer ($30) and Signature Saffron Chicken Skewer ($28) offer personalized takes on the shawarma experience.

Each is served with bread, salad and fries, with tahini sauce accompanying AAA beef and creamy garlic sauce in place to daub on each and every piece of seasoned chicken.

With an earthy Saffron Iced Latte ($7) or toasty, spiced Karak Chai ($11, or $6.50 per cup), dessert at East Tea Can should be mandatory.

From Egyptian Um Ali to stout Date & Oat Cardamom cookies, each is comforting in a way only handmade foods can claim to be.

Subtly perfumed with rosewater, with the satisfying discord of crispy kataifi dough set against silky cheese, Cheese Kunafa ($11) is the dessert sure to inspire return visits.

What might further encourage diners to pop in with some frequency? "Consistency and quality," says Al-Qanbar, "this is something we really focus on." 

With menus that change often, there's also always something new to discover at East Tea Can. "The Middle East is a huge area. There are hundreds, thousands of dishes and variations on dishes," he says.

East Tea Can is located in the lower level of 486 Front Street West, Unit 46-60.