Zarak: Afghan brunch in Vancouver

Zarak by Afghan Kitchen is a modern brunch and dinner spot in Mount Pleasant featuring Afghanistan recipes and twists. I came here to check out their weekend brunch menu with a friend.

Interior

The restaurant is not super large, so if you are trying to make a reservation for more than 7 people, you have to call them to make the reservation. Brunch time was pretty bustling and we were seated in a hallway-like area with big windows and a side of booth seating. Table was relatively small for 2 but it wasn’t an issue for brunch since we were both ordering our own dishes.

Food and drinks

Hojicha latte

I am actually writing this review quite late because I visited Zarak last year, but my friend and I ordered these lattes – mine was hojicha. I no longer see it on the brunch menu so I’m not sure if they still offer it or how much it is, but these are what our drinks looked like.

They do offer alcoholic brunch beverages as well, like mimosa flights.

Eggplant benny ($19)

My friend orders the eggplant eggs benny. It comes with a side of field green salad and a pakawra, which is like a deep fried potato (omg so good). I personally really like eggplant so I thought this was a nice vegetarian option as I haven’t really seen a lot of eggplant eggs bennies anywhere.

Kebab egg skillet ($24)

I order the kebab and egg skillet as I am not looking for a vegetarian meal. The skillet is not too big, but comes with 2 poached eggs, some potatoes, 2 slices of bread, a few pieces of kebab meat and a dallop of spiced yogurt.

I liked the pairing of the spiced yogurt with the kebab and the rest is a pretty classic brunch combo. I do wish the portion was a little bit bigger though since this dish is $24.

Final thoughts

Loewe’s rating: ⭐⭐⭐

I had a pretty good brunch at Zarak but not sure if I will be a frequent repeat customer. This is mostly related to pricing and portion size. I don’t eat Afghanistan cuisine often so there’s definitely a lot more dishes to try. I like that they try to incorporate Afghan into some of their dishes and have options for those who just want classic brunch dishes.

One good thing is that they have many vegetarian options so it’s a good choice to go with a friend who is vegetarian as they can choose from more options.

Sincerely, Loewe