3SK Café

         

Shalom! I’m multicultural Mike and welcome to The Spice is Right! Seeing as how world cultures and food are two of my biggest interests, I decided to create a blog to document all my favourite authentic restaurants. That way, I get to enjoy and share all my favorite foods and I can help give great businesses and cultures some exposure! 

The first place I had the chance to visit is an amazing place, 3SK Café. This café is generally one of my favourite places to eat and additionally it also happens to be my favourite Jewish place. Let’s see why! Shall we?

3SK Cafe located on Eglinton Ave

The Café and the Owners

I always have a great experience at 3SK café. I always love going there, mostly on Fridays when I have their challah. I’m very happy I had the chance to interview them. The owners, a husband and wife team named Chanan Gans and Aharona Amanda Rose, are some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. Both are very nice and friendly and will always make sure you’re taken care of and looked after. Chanan, who is also a rabbi and a very smart man, runs the place with his wife Aharona who is a talented chef and baker. They work so well together and are truly a match made in heaven!

Michael interviewing Chanan

The café is very warm and hospitable. It’s a great place to just talk about things openly with people in a deep way, be it spiritual or otherwise. You’ll always find what you’re looking for there. Even their slogan, “Where We Gather” speaks a lot to the kind of community that surrounds this cafe.

"Where We Gather"

The Name and the Logo

This is also reflected in their name: 3SK Café. “3SK” stands for “Three Sisters Kitchen” and it was inspired by two things. The “three sisters” in the name actually represent Aharona and her two sisters. They all have a passion for cooking and baking and wanted to open their own restaurant which they were able to do! The sisters were the first inspiration for the name. The second inspiration for the name is a Native American tradition in which farmers plant corn, squash and beans together. According to this tradition, planting the three seeds together helps facilitate their growth. Chanan and Aharona wanted to capture the essence of good family and food with their name which I think they did. It fits so well! 

Aharona explains the meaning behind the name "3SK"

Their logo is also amazing! It’s a beautiful mosaic pattern with their name on it, with green and blue colours. It is very well designed and reminds me a bit of religious art and architecture. As soon as you walk into this cafe you can feel the warm and lively atmosphere. You can really feel at home there. The art on the wall is nice to look at and the vibe of the place is amazing.

The Food

The food is always very fresh and organic, all homemade, all real food. 3SK Café is proudly committed to providing healthy, nourishing foods while also being socially and environmentally conscious. They are inclusive to all kinds of diets and include vegan, kosher and gluten-free options.They also offer an "Empathy Meal" program in which a portion of the money spent on the food goes to paying for a free meal for anyone who is less fortunate.

Lots of food options available

For such high quality food, the price is actually very affordable. My favourite things to get are the challah, the soup of the week and the chai tea. The challah is a traditional Jewish bread that has a distinct appearance of braided dough. The soup of the week includes a diverse array of flavors which is always a delectable surprise. Lastly, the chai tea is specially spiced. I also enjoy the quiche, the muffins and the salads.The soup is sometimes topped with seeds, and the presentation is always very clean. They bake challahs every Friday, since this popular bread is often consumed for the sabbath in the Jewish faith. They have a different quiche every week too. My favourite quiche is a spinach and tomato quiche.While I was there, I ordered the cauliflower and cheddar quiche. It was very good. The soup of the week while I was there was actually sweet potato soup, but since I can’t have sweet potato, I had a carrot lemongrass soup instead. The soup always comes with an organic roll and I always like to dip it in the soup and eat it.

"Empathy Meal" Program

3SK Café is, overall, a very beautiful, healthy experience. You get quality food that is good for your mind, body and soul. Although Chanan and Aharona share their Jewish culture through their foods and values they also share a beautiful, unique and inclusive culture. They created a space where people have a chance to experience this rare inclusive culture where they are free to talk openly and honestly with the other people who are also very open and loving. I highly recommend this place if you want an organic, wholesome and spiritually fulfilling experience. Give them a try. You’ll love it here!

Enjoying the soup of the week and the chai tea

3SK Café located at 1054 Eglinton Ave West and is open Sunday to Friday.You can find them on their website at www.3skcafe.com and on Facebook and Instagram with the same name! Many thanks to Chanan and Aharona for being so open and sharing themselves and their culture with us and everyone they meet. 

Sara Elizabeth Centre is a proud mentor for the "Spice is Right" blog. For more information on our program visit blueveil.org or follow us on Instagram and Facebook for all the latest updates!

Paul Yuzyk Youth Initiative for Multiculturalism