What Nuba's chef says you should eat other than the cauliflower

If you're ever been to one of Vancouver'sNubarestaurants, you've probably tried or have heard of the much-lovedNajib'sSpecial.

The Lebanese-rootedrecipe calls for deep fryingcauliflower to a golden brown and tossing it withlemon and a sea salt.

Just thinking about it is saliva-inducing for some and by some, I mean this reporter who now has a serious cauliflower craving.

But Nuba chefBakhosMjallehwants usVancouverites to branch out and try something else.

He recommendsthe dish Mjadra.

"It tastes like a combination ofcaramelized onions, the slight heaviness of the lentils and the smoothness of the rice," saidMjalleh.

"We overcook the brown rice to give it the smoothness of risotto but we keep the firmness of the lentils."

The chef, who moved from Lebanon just three years ago,says he recognizes that diners in his new home tendto be healthconscious.

He believes his recommendation is both tasty and does the body well.

"Najib'sby itself is not a full meal," he said.

"You need protein."

Mjalleh says the "simple"dish ofMjadra, or as it's traditionally known in the Middle East asmujaddara, is often eaten as a meal after fasts or by thoseabstaining from meat.

Like deep-fried cauliflower, he says it's considered a staple.

"In each house in Lebanon,or inLevantinecuisine ...it's always available on the table," he said.

"It's widely widely famous and loved by the locals."

What he loves now, is sharing a piece of his traditions with those who make their way into Nuba's dining rooms.

Thisstory is part of thenewseries The Dish. Keep an eye on this site in the coming weeks to hear from other chefs who tell us what they think we should eat at their restaurants.