By Meg Peters
Review Co-Editor
Pur Cuisine Caf? at 1081 S. Lapeer is ready and rearing to serve the community food to make them healthier.
Just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean it’s not tasty.
The business officially opened to the community in December, and celebrated with a ribbon cutting last Friday with free food to taste and an announcement: Pur Cuisine Caf? is now offering call-ahead ordering. Customers can simply place their order online and sit down to eat as soon as they arrive.
From lamb gyro style sandwiches to vegetarian grape leaves, Jerusalem salad and falafel to fresh made guacamole’don’t forget their to die for sweet potato chips? Pur Cuisine Caf? is offering something to the community it has not yet had the privilege of tasting in a sit down restaurant. Plus they have Turkish coffee to wash it all down. ?
Ahmed Zubi, director of operations and head chef, convinced his mother Nahida Zubi to help him start the business after their Pur Cuisine Catering Company which originally started in 2014 took off.
‘We got so busy with the business that we decided to get our own kitchen and add a restaurant too, it just all kind of snowballed together,? Ahmed Zubi said.
Nahida, the creator of many of Pur Cuisine’s tasty selections, invested in her son’s business because he could prove himself in the kitchen.
‘He’s good, everything has to be from scratch,? she said.
The Zubis try and offer unique items that no restaurants around her are creating.
‘People think they have to add fat for flavor, but that’s not true. You can get fresh vegetables and good herbs, good oils and seasonings to actually bring those flavors out. So we’ve done some different combinations of things like quinoa cakes and zaatar crusted tofu for the vegans, and they have such flavor.?
Ahmed has also developed a gluten-free pita wrap, which gluten-free customers are in love with, he said, because they can have a piece of bread with their food.
Meat eaters can get excited too. Looking at the online menu, they can scroll over the gluten free, vegan and vegetarian options and add roasted lamb, chicken, garlic shrimp, Cajun shrimp, Cajun chicken and steak.
‘You can add those items as a meat eater and still get the freshness and those great vegetables, and add their meat to it.?
Fresh herbs, no butters, fats or heavy creams, the Zubi’s want to show people they can eat a little bit healthier without losing the flavor.
The store is open’Monday’through’Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 9:30’at night,’Saturday?11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and’Sunday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Check out their website at’http://purcuisinecafe.com/’for the online ordering option and menu, the events calendar including cooking classes throughout the week, and tasty options in Lake Orion.
‘It’s something that nobody else is doing around here, and I’m happy to do it because the community has come by and thanked me for bringing this type of food here,? he said. ‘We want to help the community, bring that healthy aspect to the community, and we want to give back. We do this for the community, they’re our business, and they’re our livelihood.?