A Taste Of The Mediterranean On A Cold, Windy Day On The Halifax Waterfront

HALIFAX – The last day of November is cold and windy along the historic Lower Water Street in downtown Halifax. As you enter the Queen’s Marque, a large beacon greets you to an area with six restaurants to choose from.

Tonight, the newest Queen’s Marque restaurant, Darya, feels miles away from the cold winds of Halifax. There is a warmth that comes with the dim lighting and upbeat music playing quietly in the background. Occasionally, the restaurant releases the scent of Palo Santo to add to the vibe.

All around the restaurant, couples are out on dates, and a table of six is chatting while enjoying pre-dinner wine. Staff members are busy taking orders and refilling wine glasses.

The Eastern Mediterranean restaurant opened just a month ago. It’s part of a rapid expansion at Queen’s Marque (developed by the Armour Group) since 2021.

In the past year, they have opened Drift (November 2021), BKS (December 2021), Bar Sofia (Feb 2022), Café Lunette (March 2022), Peacock Wine Bar (August 2022), and now Daryâ.

Corporate Executive Chef Anthony Walsh says the restaurants are performing with “Toronto” level numbers. He believes the success of the restaurants (besides the food) is due to Halifax’s appetite for these new places, and the amazing location.

“I think there is a bit of shiny Penny syndrome I think there’s the adage of the location which is a very people are catching wind of the Queen’s Marque and what an incredibly important spot it is, historically,” said Walsh.

The District Executive Chef overseeing the cuisine at Darya is Steven Kwon. Born in South Korea, his family moved to Dubai when he was three years old. He arrived in Canada when he was in high school. He recalls how travelling so much as a youth opened his eyes to different cuisines.

“Living in Dubai, it goes up to 50 degrees and the country empties out in the summer,” said Kwon. “So every summer as a child, we’d have to travel to cooler places. As a child, I’ve done a round of Europe, East Asia. I’ve travelled quite a bit and tasted different cuisines.”

“I try to be well-travelled. I don’t get to travel as much anymore. After I became a chef, I got bogged down.”

Kwon is indeed a busy chef these days. On top of being responsible for Darya, he also oversees Bar Sophia and Drift. But for Kwon, the competitive restaurant scene is more fun than stressful- something he discovered by accident in university.

“I went to university, and I got a job at a restaurant. I started as a server and one day the kitchen was short-staffed and they asked for a volunteer,” recalled Kwon. “And it was the most fun I ever had anywhere. I could have done it for days.”

“It was the most fun I ever had working. So, I quit university and (became a chef).”

Tonight, Chef Kwon and the staff are serving Mediterranean-style dishes like falafel balls ($14), stuffed grape leaves ($15), and mushroom kebab ($22). Both Kwon and Walsh say that they put a lot of energy into making sure the menu is authentic.

“It was a restaurant we were nervous about opening because Halifax has such a large and diverse Arab community,” said Kwon.

The last thing I want is for a table of people with Lebanese heritage (say) ‘this is not hummus,’” said Walsh. “I’m very fickle about how we build the menu.”

Despite the menu being Mediterranean-inspired, Kwon says most of the ingredients are sourced locally, something Kwon credits to the diversity of Halifax.

One such example is the creamy labneh that is served alongside the laffa bread. The labneh (a thick Middle Eastern yogurt cheese) comes from Dairy Sweet Moon on Robie Street.

But the menu at Darya still has its Nova Scotian influences. The grilled octopus ($32) comes with a bit of donair sauce for dipping. You can also order a plate of Nova Scotian lamb tagine for $52.

The Queen’s Marque may have quickly opened six restaurants in the past year, but they’re not done yet. The district plans on building four more in the next 12 months. The next one, Salt + Ash will be opening in February. We’ll have more information on that new restaurant to come shortly.

Derek Montague is a Huddle reporter in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].