Victor Bouzide founded Nuba in 2003 with a desire to spread the goodness of his grandmother's cooking. He did this in a small 15-seat restaurant on Hastings Street which served our now famous plates and pita wraps.
The majority of Nuba’s colourful, vibrant Lebanese menu is vegetarian and packed with protein in the forms of falafel and thick dips made from chickpea and yogurt – and all is prepared remarkably quickly, especially at the Gastown location, where rapid lunch breaks are commonplace among the creative class. Don’t forget to grab a fresh juice – made from any eight ingredients of your choosing – to add zing to any hearty meal.
Local Lebanese chain Nuba has developed a devout following among Vancouverites who just can’t get enough of their fresh and flavourful salads, pitas and meaty entrée plates. Inspired by family recipes and created with local ingredients, these Middle Eastern dishes are packed with exotic spices and are colourful in a way that will appeal to amateur food photographers. The house-made hummus – a blend of organic chickpeas, garlic, lemon and tahini – makes an appearance throughout the menu. Try the creamy spread a-la-carte with pita and pickles, or as an accompaniment to a number of hot mezze dishes and sharing platters.
The best thing about digging in to the comfort foods at Nuba is that you are simultaneously allowed to feel healthy while doing so. The Lebanese inspired cuisine here is vegetable forward, with Najib’s special (blackened, crispy cauliflower tossed in salt and lemon) as the must-have item on the menu. Follow it up with a warm bowl of red lentil soup, the mujadra (stewed lentils with crispy onion bits on top), house-made falafel (served with tahini, a fresh green hot sauce, avocado and pickled cabbage) and let the warm fuzzies sink in.