Tonight we were at TWK. My host’s husband is friends with the owner, and we decided to stop by for dinner. The restaurant was opened by a group of friends that wanted authentic Lebanese cuisine in the city, so made it themselves.
They have been opened since November of 2025. Their corner cafe promised to bring authentic Lebanese cuisine to Vancouver; with hopes of doing well in their new Commercial Drive home, considering that there isn’t anything similar in the area.
The restaurant is set up deli style, everything is made fresh to order, visible within the front kitchen to illustrate that fact. We would take the owner’s recommendations and try a few of their wraps and sides with dessert to close.
The Chicken Tawouk is a must. The cafe’s name comes from the “T”, “W”, and “K” of “tawouk”; which translates to “chicken” in Turkish. Here, chopped up pieces of chicken breast is browned on a grill before placed at the centre of the warp. Folded together alongside fried to order potato fries, pickles, and generous globs of garlic sauce. There is so much seasoning in the chicken. This was best with plenty of the aforementioned garlic sauce oozing out the sides. The warm spices and cool cream complimented one another well, with the pickle acting more like a vegetable with little brine.
Not yet on their regular menu, we were able to get a sneak peek taste of their chicken shawarma. Similar in preparation as above with pickles and fries, but the chicken comes across as more mild and dry by comparison. I would have like a dip and greater acid to perk this wrap up.
The last wrap we tried with a vegan roasted vegetable featuring eggplant. This one was incredibly saucy, which my host thoroughly enjoyed. The cream wasn’t tangy or garlicky, but made from tahini which accented the veggies well as a dairy-free option. This wrap was best taken fresh, when the veggies are crisp and the potato fries still crunchy. Like above, I would have liked some acid to this, so a dip would have been nice here as well.
For a lovely fresh side we looked to the Fattoush salad, where the broken shards of cracker was the highlight. This was a mix of red pepper, green pepper, green onions, cucumber, lettuce, radish, mint leaves, and parsley. Other than the dressing this was a regular chopped salad with Lebanese spices and the crispy pita chips.
The owners of the restaurant were very proud of their Falafel pops. The batter is made ahead of time, but each pop is scooped and shaped before getting a dunk in hot oil. The feedback from their customers has been that these are the best falafels in BC, and I could see merit in their comment. I am typically not a fan of falafel for their dry and gritty texture, but this was neither of the two. Vegan, gluten-free, and dipped into tahini for flavour.
For dessert they have two different option for easy grab and go from within their showcase. The Lebanese pudding is made with white rice and cinnamon, plus two more secret proprietary spices to make it what it is. It has the consistency of apple sauce and feels like a wintery because of the warm spices used. The texture of the coconut distracts, but also adds texture, otherwise it would be like baby food.
I preferred the pistachio cheesecake. The top layer of chocolate was much sweeter than the cheese cream. I would have been happy with just the pistachio cheese cream and cracker base as is. The pistachio adds something without taking away from the cheesecake’s iconic flavour.
In short, this is a unique option for quick and easy Lebanese lunch in the Commercial Drive area, with a tasty falafel.
TWK – The Lebanese Sandwich Spot
1605 Commercial Dr, Vancouver, BC V5L 3Y3
(236) 427-5298
twkrestaurant.com
