Twenty people around a long table for someone's birthday, and the hummus arrives first, swirled in a dark bowl with a small pile of chickpeas in the middle. It doesn't stay put for long. Falafel and tabbouleh come next, then a red dip with a walnut on top, a tray of folded pastries and the kibbeh, one to a spoon, and soon every bowl is moving hand to hand while someone at the far end asks for the hummus back.
If a friend asked us where to find that table, we'd send them to Tayybeh in Mount Pleasant. What drew us to it is who's cooking.
Nihal Elwan, who came to Vancouver from a career in international development, founded Tayybeh as a social enterprise. Its chefs are Syrian and Middle Eastern newcomer women, and the business exists, as its website puts it, for their "employment, financial independence and social integration." The name means "kind" and "delicious" in Arabic. Today Tayybeh is a restaurant and a full-service caterer.
Pop-up dinners came first
Tayybeh began in October 2016 as pop-up dinners in community centres, schools and churches around Vancouver. The dinners brought in requests for the food, and Tayybeh became a full-service caterer. In 2017, Western Living named Nihal and Tayybeh among its Foodies of the Year, in the Community Builder category.
The first restaurant opened in Kitsilano in February 2024, after years of catering. In January 2026, the restaurant moved to a larger space in Mount Pleasant and celebrated its grand opening on February 1.
The food is made to be passed around
"Our food lends itself beautifully to family-style dining," Nihal says, "with colourful mezze and generous dishes shared around the table." For a celebration, the team works out a set menu with the host that brings together a variety of flavours and makes room for dietary needs. "Sharing food is such an important part of Syrian hospitality," she adds, "and it makes a group dinner feel especially warm and festive."
The dining room seats about seventy, so a celebration of ten to forty fits comfortably. Depending on the size of the group and the evening it has in mind, the team can talk through a dedicated section or a private event, and works out the seating with each host.
Sharing food is such an important part of Syrian hospitality, and it makes a group dinner feel especially warm and festive.
The kibbeh is shaped by hand
Nihal singled out one dish for us: "Kibbeh!" She calls it "a labour of love, requiring skill and patience to prepare and shape by hand," and says it holds a special place in Syrian cuisine.
"It's a dish that brings back memories of family gatherings and festive tables," she wrote to us, "so it feels especially meaningful to share it with guests celebrating their own special occasions."
When the party is somewhere else
For a celebration away from the restaurant, Nihal points to the sharing platters and buffet-style catering: a selection of dips, salads and hot dishes gives guests variety and lets them help themselves. For a working lunch or a more structured office gathering, she suggests individually packaged meals instead. Halal meats are standard, alongside vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, and Tayybeh's site lists central Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, the North Shore and Richmond among the places it caters.
Most catering orders need at least 48 hours' notice, but Nihal encourages holiday hosts to get in touch as soon as they have a date in mind. Ideally, that's two to four weeks ahead for catering and four to six for a group dinner at the restaurant, particularly a larger party or a private celebration. For something closer to the date, she says, the team is happy to check availability.
By the end of that birthday dinner, the spoons that held the kibbeh are empty, and the hummus has finally made it to the far end of the table.
Photos: Tayybeh.
The Spotlight is where the Journal writes about the Vancouver Event Pros we'd send a friend to, like Nihal and the women of Tayybeh.
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