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This article was published 17/7/2017 (1161 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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A taste of the Middle East graced Brandon’s downtown Global Market during its debut Illume Night evening market.

With Arabian Night its theme, chef Mohamed Masri joined a handful of assistants in treating people to a sneak peak of what they intend on offering people at the Shawarma Queen restaurant on Rosser Avenue when it opens this autumn.

Masri relocated to Brandon from Syria approximately seven months ago as a means of escaping ongoing conflict in that area of the world.

He spoke to The Brandon Sun through translator Ed Zreim. Although Masri is currently learning English at Westman Immigrant Services, his skills aren’t yet conversational.

He’d initially relocated to Lebanon as a refugee, where he applied and was successfully approved to come to Canada.

His story is shared by many in Brandon who relocated to Canada from Syria as refugees.

Shawarma Queen owner Kyle Kadirkoksal said they hope to hire as many Syrians as possible to help run the restaurant at 908 Rosser Ave. when it opens this October. The Wildflower Café operated at this space until recently.

TYLER CLARKE/THE BRANDON SUN Hasan Alhwsin grills up kebabs during the Global Market's evening events on Saturday.

On Saturday, the sweet smell of grilled kebab meats spread through the Global Market space. The dish utilizes a blend of Middle Eastern spices, Masri said.

Their Mediterranean-style food resulted in a long lineup early into the evening’s festivities, which Zreim said is a repeat of the positive reception they got during local Canada Day festivities, where they sold out.

"The food is so good, I love to share it with everybody," Masri said. "The taste is going to tell the whole story."

There are limited options in Brandon as it relates to ethnic food, and with a growing Syrian population, opening a restaurant at this time makes sense, Kadirkoksal said.

While kebab and shawarma places are popular in most other Canadian cities, Brandon doesn’t presently have one, he said, adding that this is a gap that needed to be filled.

"The most important part is helping out the newcomers; the Syrians," he said.

On Aug. 12 and Sept. 16, Illume Nights at the Global Market will showcase Filipino and Brazilian recipes, fashion and music from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

» tclarke@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @TylerClarkeMB