Somun and Ćevapčići from Somun Superstar

When B and I decided to follow the lead from Aashim from Seed, Eat, Repeat, the first restaurant on our list was Somun Superstar, a more recent addition to a strip of restaurants along Kingston Road at Victoria Park. At the time, I didn't think I'd be starting a blog (so, apologies for the photo), but really we just missed the intersections of travel and food that brought us together.

Somun Superstar features its namesake somun, a bread similar to pita that was introduced to Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Ottoman period. Unlike pita, somun has a distinct crust with it's grill lines, and also has a much more pillowy texture; more similar to the Israeli and Greek pita that I grew up with compared to the Arab pita more readily found in grocery stores in Toronto. The pillowy somun holds the ćepavi (or ćevapčići; the national dish of Bosnia), best described as grilled minced meat similarly introduced during the Ottoman period.

Ćevapčići are often served in groups of five with somun and accompanied by chopped onions, sour cream, kajmak (unaged cheese), and ajvar (roasted red pepper sauce). While ćevapčići are often made from two types of minced beef (or, in Serbia, a mixture of beef, lamb, and/or pork), I would be the last person to tell you what the meat-based ćevapčići. Rather, their plant-based ćevapčići (also known as vegančići) are made with black bean, brown rice, mushroom and chia seed -- and are frankly delicious!

The first time we ordered, B got the classic, five ćevapčići in half somun, with kajmak and chopped onions. Not being the biggest fan of raw onions, I opted for the loaded (pictured below), five vegančići in half somun, with house-made tahini, ajvar, chopped onions, pickles and hot peppers. Both meals also came with potato chips, red cabbage coleslaw and a fefferoni hot pepper.

The somun was delicious. Fluffier than Israeli pita with a pillowy texture, I was blown away. On B's Classic, the meat was cooked perfectly and, while we wanted to order the dish closest to how ćevapčići would be served in Bosnia, he wanted more toppings and flavour profiles. Having ordered the Loaded, I did not have the same desire. The vegančići were delicious. I was expecting something resembling a black-bean patty given the ingredients, but it had a surprisingly meaty and flame-grilled taste. The addition of tahini and ajvar alongside the onions, pickles, and peppers created unique bites that were perfectly balanced. In fact, I found the meal so good that I wouldn't stop talking about it. Our friends ordered from Somun Superstar within the week and rather than trying a different restaurant two weeks later, we ordered Somun Superstar a second time, with B getting the Loaded on the second order.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10 (L - 9.5; B - 7.5 for Classic; 8 for Loaded)

Main Takeaway: Give me somun all day, every day. The vegančići are a perfect plant-based option for folks who eat plant-based and those who don't. Would 100% recommend.