Despite falling just short of reaching the finish line on the road to redemption during this year’s MasterChef Canada Back to Win season, Halifax chef Andrew Al-Khouri proved that when your cooking revolves around passion, heart, and heritage, amazing things can happen in the kitchen.
After switching career paths following his inaugural MCC run in Season 2, Al-Khouri went on to open aFrite which, thanks to his signature blend of Mediterranean-Syrian fusion and zero-waste mentality, has since become one of the city’s premiere dining destinations.
Upon his return to the MCC kitchen for Season 7, Al-Khouri arguably showcased the most growth of any of the returning “All-Stars”. In addition to blowing his initial 10th place finish out of the water, Al-Khouri accumulated the most individual wins in what would ultimately become one of the most impressive series of performances in the show’s seven-year history.
We recently caught up with the talented East Coast chef, who shared a few of his favourite places to eat and drink in his hometown of Halifax.
Breakfast
Cosy Snack Bar. This place is a time warp with its wood paneling and Montreal Canadiens decals. They serve up basic and familiar breakfast but it's always tasty and you feel at home when you go there. It's cozy!
Lunch
CHKN Chop. Very cool local quick-service rotisserie chicken place. Always consistent and a great riff off popular chains.
Dinner
So many amazing options, but I'm going to have to shamelessly self-promote and say aFrite Restaurant. I know I'm biased, but I do honestly believe we are putting out some of the most creative and fun dishes in Halifax.
Drinks
I'm not the best to comment as I almost never go out anymore. However, I have been to Dear Friend Bar in Dartmouth and it was spectacular!
