As court battles rage around the new U.S. administration's travel ban on citizens from six African and Middle Eastern countries, a local restaurateur is trying to raise awareness of the plight of people affected while raising money to help local immigrant populations.
On April 27, chef Hemant Bhagwani is set to host The 6ix Banned Nations Dinner at his midtown restaurant Indian Street Food Co. The menu will feature dishes from Iran, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen (Iraq was dropped from the travel ban earlier this month, though refugees from all countries are still being blocked).
Out of each $75 ticket price (which includes food, drinks, tax and tip), $20 will go to the YMCA Immigrant Services program, which supports newcomers as they begin their lives in Canada. Bhagwani adds in a release that as an immigrant himself, he was outraged by the ban and wanted to find a way he could make a difference himself.
Bhagwani isn't the only local restaurant trying to use food to land a tiny blow in the fight against institutionalized xenophobia: Financial District gastropub the Garbardine has been offering specials that pay homage to each one of the banned countries, with 75% of sales from each dish going to the UN Refugee Agency. (Recent dishes include a delectable-looking Somali beef maraq stew.)
But, of course, nothing beats supporting members of the affected communities directly — may we suggest a visit to Pomegranate, Kabsa Mandi or Hamdi?
nataliam@nowtoronto.com | @nataliamanzocco
Source: Trump's 'banned nations' inspire one-off dinner at Indian Street Food Co.
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