Architect Omar Gandhi Shows Us Where to Eat in Halifax
The architect behind landmark projects like Prime Seafood Palace and the viewing deck at Peggy’s Cove gives us a taste of the town he calls home.
Nova Scotia’s windswept maritime landscapes kept this Brampton, Ontario-raised architect in town after he finished his master’s at Dalhousie University. “I loved the scale of the city,” he says. “It felt like a place that was growing, but connected to nature at the same time.” Admittedly not the outdoorsy type before setting down roots on the coast, his embrace of the city’s natural surroundings forms the backbone of his eponymous studio’s projects. From his viewing platform at Peggy’s Cove – made to blend with the coastline and withstand the elements – to private waterfront homes, seaside geology fuels his artistic inspiration. His design sensibility also found its way into the odd Toronto restaurant, including Matty Matheson’s Prime Seafood Palace. Though not initially the seafood type either, Gandhi has taken the plunge into Halifax’s culinary tides, where shifting demographics are stirring a sea change in flavours, and he’s taking us along for the dive.
Illustration: Cristóbal Schmal
Omar’s 5 Spots in Halifax
Photo: Lindsay MacPhee
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Dee Dee’s Ice Cream —
This year-round sweets spot often has line-ups around the block. My son’s favourite is mint chocolate chip, so that flavour frequents our freezer quite a bit. A few weeks ago, I went out on a limb with a double scoop of Mexican chocolate and banana cardamom.
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Edna Restaurant —
It’s been a North End mainstay for 10 years for a reason. The interior is beautiful, with weathered wood, antique light fixtures and a dimly lit bar in the middle. It’s the friendly neighbourhood place where you’re going to get locally sourced oysters and mussels and drink a bunch of cocktails.
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Suda Table —
The young South Korean family that runs this café lends their graphic design sensibility to everything they do. I like to visit on weekends to grab a cortado with a cream cheese and scallion bun. We get mandu, pork and ginger dumplings, for home all the time.
Photo: Jessica Emin
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Bar Kismet —
There’s an almost Parisian vibe here with lots of found objects that make it feel homey, but not staged or fake – more like collected over time. My litmus test for any resto-bar is an old-fashioned and Negroni, both of which they perfect down to the glassware. I often order one with a dish of roasted carrots, crab and Béarnaise or tuna tartare with thin fries.
Photo: Riaz Oozeer
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Luke’s Small Goods —
Amazing homemade sourdough makes this the go-to for bread and the sandwiches they make with it. Grab one and take it to Halifax Common, the park in the middle of the city. There was a mortadella one recently that was off the charts, but their staple egg salad sandwich is the lightest, fluffiest thing ever.
