After consolidating himself in Curitiba as one of the main references in Arab cuisine, the Baba restaurant innovates and brings pizzas to the city, which, contrary to what many may think, is also a dish of this gastronomic culture.
At the new Baba Pizza, next to the Baba Culinária Arabic restaurant, in the Batel neighborhood, the round pizzas are served in a format similar to a larger open sfiha, with a lighter dough and the same traditional ingredients.
Yousra Ghandour, who runs the restaurant with her mother Asma and sister Maha, says that just as we Brazilians adopt pizza in our daily lives, the Arabs also have it in their typical cuisine.
“It’s that practical ‘comfort food’ for dinner with family or friends just like here in Brazil. The origin of Arabic cuisine is to gather people around the table, that everyone helps themselves, and the pizza goes hand in hand with the sfihas”, he says, remembering that the recipes come from his mother’s notebook, which every dish prepared as she does in the house with the daughters.
From this notebook of recipes prepared at home, there are 11 pizza options served, of which nine are savory and two are sweet. Each is inspired by Arab peoples, such as the Lebanese mozzarella with black and green olives with tomato and heart of palm; Palestine of mozzarella and zaatar; the Moroccan mozzarella with, among other things, shredded chicken in butter and flaked almonds.
The sweet pizzas, on the other hand, have been given the suggestive names of Dubai and Qatar, where the tasty Baba cream based on ricotta is served with pistachios or walnuts.
Baba’s pizzas are served in a completely new environment reminiscent of the streets of Beirut and Casablanca, with typical Arabic decor in low light and an endearing and cozy soundtrack. This is all added to the service provided by Yousra and her team, who maintain the tradition of welcoming each customer as a guest of their own family.
Baba Pizza is open Monday through Saturday, from 5 p.m., and events with advanced reservations.
original Arabic delicacies
At the neighboring Baba Culinária Arabic, service starts earlier, at 12:00, with an executive lunch of typical dishes and a variety of delicacies prepared with their original Lebanese recipes. Among them are open sfihas, kibbeh and shawarmas, for consumption on the spot or to take away.
For example, the esfihas are available in versions with meat, cheese, zaatar (a mixture of spices) and vegetables. The shawarmas are served with fillings of falafel (chickpeas), meat, chicken and kafta, also available grilled.
And also the cold dishes of raw kibbeh, hummus, curd, mixture of pasta, Fatuch (green salad), Tabbouleh, among others.
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Baba Culinária Arabic is located in Alameda Augusto Stelfeld, 873, at the corner of Prudente de Moraes, downtown. Dishes and other menu items can also be ordered via iFood or by phone/WhatsApp (41) 3503-9820. More information on Instagram @baba_culinaria_arabe.