immigrantscanada.com

Independent topical source of current affairs, opinion and issues, featuring stories making news in Canada from immigrants, newcomers, minorities & ethnic communities' point of view and interests.

King of Donair and Norman Nahas

Sunshine Village: The city iconic chain King of Donair will be setting up a pop-up shop here in Calgary on March 4, and at Sunshine Village on March 5 for the ski hill East Coast Lifestyle Rail Jam, according to CBC. MORE CALGARY NEWS Police looking for 'idiots' speeding recklessly down Deerfoot Trail King of Donair has been in Norman Nahas' family since the late 1980s. Haligonians have long-touted their city as the birthplace of the donair, and late last year the meaty pita sandwich was named its official food. The restaurant was created in 1973 when a Greek immigrant invented the donair, Nahas said. "He brought the gyro to Halifax and it didn't go over very well because the flavour of the lamb profile was not really in tune with the profile of American tastebuds and the tzatziki sauce on it didn't have as much of a kick," Nahas explained. "He ended up switching all the protein to beef and enhanced the spice and created the donair sauce, and lo and behold, it became the donair." Testing the waters Nahas said the donair is the "perfect combination of sweet and spice." Halifax donairs can't be replicated anywhere else, fans of the meaty pita sandwich say. "The proper ratio makes for a delicious meal." So he bringing it to Calgary and Sunshine Village — unofficially "testing the waters" for the possibility of expansion. And Calgarians are excited. The chain has partnered with East Coast Lifestyle to host a snowboard rail jam across the country. "We always get a lot of love from people out west and always hear the great stories of the ex-pats that leave here and want to replicate that taste," Nahas said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.