Sahan Restaurant

A few weeks back I went to this Somalian restaurant in Scarborough located in Lawrence ave E.

It was my first time trying African food and I was impressed! The portions were great for the price and all of the dishes were different which made it more appealing.

We tried their:
👉 Chicken stew
👉 Beef stew
👉 Goat ribs
👉 Beef steak
👉 Goat lamb

My favourite was the goat ribs and the chicken stew. Loved both the dishes! All the items cane with salad and rice and we were also given lentils and mango juice before our main dishes.

We got the Somalian milk cake for dessert - this was nothing fancy, just the regular milk cake that tasted really delicious.

Would highly recommend to give this place a try if you’re nearby!

If you're looking for some Somali Traditional Food, I would recommend trying Sahan Restaurant.

We ordered Lamb with Rice and Beef Steak with Pasta. The Beef with pasta was average for me but the lamb with rice was standout in terms of taste and quality. The Milk cake as dessert was also tasty. Therefore, my overall experience was pretty decent, and I recommend the folks who wanted to experience such traditional food.

Finally, as a bonus you will get complimentary Mango Juice and soup at the beginning of the main dish and at the end you will get unlimited tea. I took almost 3 cups of tea, certainly refreshing.

The food was good . the service was fast .. the server was polite and respectful... quantity of food was also good for the price. they give free lentil soup and mango juice. that is a good idea.they have a extra party room and also a prayer room in the basement .

Usually this is a very good restaurant and I find many people either dine in or take out. The reason I’m giving a 2-star is because of the bad experience my dad had last weekend. He went to dine in and had asked for rice or anything to eat which has less sodium since he is a hypertension patient. Whoever served him on that day, has said their rice is quite less in sodium but the meat items all have high salt levels. The server finally upon my dad’s approval served him a box of rice with only salad and NO MEAT 🥩 as you see in this picture. He only had like 2-3 spoons of rice and bought the box back home empty stomach. He was charged a total of cad $15.89, which was a total waste of money. I guess the people serving there should be more gentle and polite to seniors especially if they have language barriers. The lady sold this box of rice without any meat for almost 16 dollars, while with meat it was around 17+. I am totally disappointed for charging him more as he didn’t get any meat and a amount like this for a box of plain rice with salad. Atleast you could have charged him regular amount and given him the meat separately. Not a good experience and next time please serve people and specially if seniors show up, have some mercy and try to understand them from their shoes.

Worst food and service I've ever experienced in my life! I never give 1 star review but this place earned it. We got there at 7:30 to break our fast for Iftari and the waitress didn't take our order until 8:10 pm. The waitress provides free Samosas to almost all the tables except for our table. When I asked her she said we're done and samosas has finished. A lot of tables didn't eat and washed the samosas which could have gone to people fasting and waitin for their food.

We got our food at 8:20 pm and it was horrible! The beef had a horrible grimey taste and it appeared to have cooked in a hurry! Never going back here again.

This is a hidden gem with a simple, yet spacious ambience, catering generous and delicious food. It's known as a Somali grill and cafe. First time trying Somalian food and it's beyond expectations. The fuss free limited menu makes deciding & choosing what you want to eat so much easier!
With their generous portion sizes (shareable)... kinda comfort food, I'd say it will soon become your favorite spots to order from or eat at.
Service is efficient. Every meal comes with and begins with a comforting lentil soup & mango juice (that's kinda watered down), but I realize the juice probably being that way is why I did not feel over stuffed, sipping while I ate.
I can say this place is an almost meat lover's paradise (read huge portions) whether it's the goat ribs or the chicken suqaar or the beef T bone.. They're all more than sufficient and go well with the base you choose - You can choose either their Chappati (flakey & buttery) or pasta (spaghetti) or rice. And if you want it spicy, ask for 'hilac' (they have their own version of a sauce that's a blend of green chillies & vinegar)
AND whatever you do, pack your leftovers for takeaway or not ... BUT please do not leave this place without trying their signature STAR- the simple milk cake dessert (pure heaven & maybe one among the foods of the Gods!)... just melts in your mouth & will leave you wondering where did it all go. I'll bet you order one more to go ;)
Without a doubt, I'm definitely coming back again here for the re-experience!

Pictured here is food for three, presented as a family plate. (You can ask for individual plating too)

Sahan offers very good quality Somali traditional food here. The portions are very good and the quality is always the same. I came here with friends and got a sports dish combining 2-3 dishes into 1 plate so we can all share from one another. The tea is phenomenal. They also have a private room in the back that is family and ladies friendly.

Picked this place on a whim. It's not the kind of place where you expect any sort of service.

First timers - if you're planning to sit down, pick a seat and grab your own menus instead of waiting to be served. When you know what you want to order, head to the counter and let them know where you've sat and order with them. If you want to pay the bill, I suggest going up to them as well.

I had the T-Bone Dinner, side of Chapati and spicy onion side. The dinner comes with soup and mango juice. The cut of meat was sooo flavorful, well-balanced and tender. It had a tanginess and undertones of jerk seasoning. The soup was really good too. Some sort of lentil bean soup but very flavorful and perfect for a cold day. Really delicious. The rice was a smidge over but flavorful. I'd skip the chapati.

The owners were nice, but don't expect any decent service when you come here. It's also a bit slow but it is what it is.

Overall, I'd opt for take out next time. Love to try and chicken next.