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Mediterranean restaurant is a family affair for newcomers

Delicious souvlaki, delicate moussaka, gyro wraps bursting with flavour are all on the menu at Port Coquitlam’s Dinakis restaurant.
dinakis
The Noori family.

Delicious souvlaki, delicate moussaka, gyro wraps bursting with flavour are all on the menu at Port Coquitlam’s Dinakis restaurant.

The Mediterranean restaurant, which hit a milestone 10-year anniversary this May, canceled its plans for a large celebration, instead opting to give back to the community.

“We donated 400 meals to Eagle Ridge Hospital,” says Sadat Noori, chef and son of the restaurant owner.

“Its staff is working hard and their lives were also in danger, so we wanted to help them.”

The gesture was in part a thank you to the community that has embraced the Noori family since they immigrated to Canada from Afghanistan six years ago to start a new life without fear of constant armed conflict.

“Port Coquitlam is a very beautiful city with lots of local people who have helped us,” Noori says.

“When we came to Canada, we decided to open a business to help each other and have the whole family work together.”

In addition to Noori’s chef role, his sister manages the front of house, his two brothers are line cooks and his mother does the kitchen prep work. His father owns the restaurant and handles its business affairs.

While COVID-19 scuttled plans for a 10-year anniversary party, Dinakis has ensured that it has the highest standards of health and safety protocols in place so its diners can continue to enjoy eating at the restaurant.

Tables have been separated to ensure appropriate social distancing and plexiglass dividers have been installed to maximize safety and separation. The restaurant collects information from all its diners to ensure it can facilitate any contact tracing should it be required. And the entire restaurant is disinfected top to bottom continually throughout the day.

“We want people to feel safe eating here and for them to know we are doing everything we can to protect them,” Noori says.

For the dine-in menu and catering options, visit Dinakis online at www.dinakis.com. They also offer a 25 per cent discount for all front line workers.