Journal
Armenian and Middle Eastern catering in the Fraser Valley, a plain guide to planning yours
Armenian and Middle Eastern catering means building a spread around grill items, mezze dips and fresh salads instead of a Western steam tray buffet. At Salma’s Kitchen it is Armenian food with a Middle Eastern infusion, cooked by our family, who came from Syria and settled here in the Fraser Valley.
The short version: instead of a carvery and two sides, you get a table people graze across. Grilled kabab and chicken, warm rice, bright parsley salads, and a row of dips made from scratch. It suits gatherings where food is meant to sit out and bring people together, not be plated and cleared.
How does it differ from a standard Western buffet?
A Western buffet usually centres on one protein with a couple of starchy sides. A Middle Eastern spread is built the other way around. There is no single centre. A few grilled mains share the table with several dips, salads and rice, so guests build their own plates from many small good things.
That shape is why this food works so well for a crowd. Vegetarians are looked after without a special request, because the dips, salads and grilled vegetables are already part of the meal, not an afterthought.
What kinds of events does it suit?
This style of food fits the gatherings that fill a Fraser Valley calendar:
- Church hall events and community lunches
- Graduations, birthdays and showers
- Workplace lunches and team meetings
- Memorial receptions and celebrations of life
- Small weddings and family milestones
If you are planning a quieter reception, we wrote a separate note on catering a celebration of life. For work gatherings there is office lunch catering that is not another sandwich platter. Weddings get their own wedding catering planning guide, and birthdays, graduations and showers are covered in birthday and family celebration catering.
What goes on a typical spread?
Think of the table in three parts: things from the grill, mezze dips, and salads, with fragrant rice tying it together.
From the grill we bring kabab, our seasoned grilled beef, and shish tawook, marinated grilled chicken breast. There is toshka, a Syrian grilled sandwich that is crispy outside with spiced minced meat in, and sujuk, Armenian spiced beef sausage. Grilled vegetables round it out for anyone skipping meat, and our signature kibbe, ground beef with bulgur wheat, onions and spices, is the dish people remember.
The dips are hummus, smoky baba ganoush and muhammara, our roasted red pepper dip. If you are not sure how they differ, we broke that down in hummus, baba ganoush and muhammara. The salads are tabouli, a bright parsley and lemon salad, and Armenian salad, and those two plus fattoush get compared in three salads people keep mixing up.
For a fuller picture of how a table of small dishes comes together, read what mezze is and how to order it.
How is Armenian food different from generic Middle Eastern?
Plenty of caterers offer a broadly Middle Eastern or Mediterranean menu. What we cook is a little more specific. It is Armenian food carried through generations, with a Middle Eastern infusion picked up along the way, cooked by a family who lived it in Syria before settling here.
You taste that in dishes like sujuk and kibbe, and in the seasoning across the grill. It is home cooking, rooted in Sunday after-church family lunches, rather than a menu assembled to look familiar. That is the difference no generalist valley caterer can copy.
What should you have ready before you get in touch?
You do not need every detail settled, but a few things make the conversation easy:
- Roughly how many people you are feeding
- The kind of event and its general feel, sit-down or grazing
- Any vegetarian or dietary needs in the group
- Whether you want mostly grill items, mostly mezze, or a balance
If you are unsure how much food to order for your headcount, our guide on how much Middle Eastern food you need per person walks through it, and catering for 20, 50 or 100 guests translates it into whole-event terms. It is also worth deciding whether you want drop off or full service, since that shapes the rest. For timing, see how far in advance to book a caterer, and if your event is soon, what is realistic on short notice. Dietary questions, from vegetarian to halal to gluten, are answered dish by dish in our dietary-friendly catering guide.
Asking about an event in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission or Langley
We are a family kitchen in the Fraser Valley, sourcing from local Abbotsford and Fraser Valley farms where we can. If your event is around Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, Langley or elsewhere in the Lower Mainland, we would be glad to hear about it. Rather than promise any fixed arrangement, we would rather hear about your day and talk through what works for it.
So the best first step is simply to get in touch. Tell us the occasion, the rough number of guests and where you are, and we will figure out the shape of it together.
Have a look at the full menu to see the grill items, salads and dips, read our menu guide for the lay of the land, or get in touch about catering your event. Each city has its own page too, with the drive and the local detail: catering in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission and the rest of the valley.
Frequently asked questions
Do you cater events outside Abbotsford?
Yes. We cook in Abbotsford and take catering orders across the Fraser Valley, including Chilliwack, Mission and Langley, and elsewhere in the Lower Mainland. Tell us where your event is when you call and we will talk through pickup or delivery for your order.
How much does Middle Eastern catering cost in the Fraser Valley?
It depends on your guest count, the balance of grill items and mezze, and the kind of event, so we discuss pricing on the phone rather than posting numbers that fit nobody. Call us with your headcount and occasion and we will shape a spread and walk you through it plainly.
How far ahead should I book catering?
Two to four weeks is comfortable for most parties, office lunches need a week or two, and weddings deserve a few months. Short-notice spreads are often still possible for drop off and pickup orders, so call even if your event is close.
Can a Middle Eastern spread feed vegetarians and guests with dietary needs?
Better than most menus can. The dips, salads, rice and grilled vegetables are already vegetarian and part of the normal spread, several dishes are vegan, and we will answer halal, gluten and allergy questions honestly for your specific order when you call.
Salma’s Kitchen cooks Armenian and Middle Eastern food in Abbotsford, BC. See the menu, our catering service areas, or how to order. Phone only: (819) 743-5953.