My Taste of the Past Columns CambridgeToday.ca
The Ali Baba was one of Waterloo’s premier restaurants and gave many of us a dining experience like no other.
In 1964 Henry Krebs wowed the hospitality industry with his unique cuisine style when he opened the original Ali Baba Steak House in Waterloo on King Street.
The signature dishes included a full, dry-aged charbroiled steak and tenderloins served on Ali Baba-embossed cast-pewter platters, chef-inspired delicacies like sauced coquille seafood, fresh and salt water fish plates grilled, steamed or sauteed, along with offerings like orange roughy, arctic char, tiger shrimp, Dolly Varden trout and butter-poached rock lobster with tableside-prepared caesar salads.Flambe-basted beef kebab skewers with peppers, onion and mushrooms were served with a choice of sides.
Creative entrees, prime cuts of beef and flavourful side dishes filled the menu. The pepper steak, barbecued ribs, and chicken cordon bleu topped it all off.
A very talented kitchen and front-of-house staff made you feel comfortable and well tended.I loved the veal parmesan and the orange and raspberry, sauced crispy duck.At twilight, the restaurant building was illuminated by that large-as-life, Iconic neon Ali Baba signage.
Around the mid 1980s, manager Blair Bender was at Krebs’ side when he decided to build on the Ali Baba’s popularity by creating the newly-renamed eatery Krebs Restaurant on Hespeler Road and at four other locations.The menu reflected Waterloo region’s changing dining habits. There were more family-friendly offerings, a lunch children’s menu and a Sunday brunch service, along with a hot buffet and full salad bar.Krebs was located on Hespeler Road along with the other eateries like the Swiss Chalet, Celine Dion’s Nickels, Tien Sun, Dallas Steak House and Mother’s Pizza.When it eventually closed, Blair Bender took his talents downtown, operating the most excellent Cafe13 and later opening L A Frank’s. My most liked entree was the tender delicious beef kebab, basted with a zesty barbecue sauce along with your choice of side dishes.
Barbecue basted beef kebab
You will need:
- 550 grams of sirloin beef
- 1 green bell sweet pepper.
- 1 Spanish onion
- 1 firm beefsteak tomato
- 3 button mushrooms per skewer.
I like barbecue-grilled new potatoes tossed in olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. I use melted butter mixed with tomato ketchup, dijon mustard, cider vinegar, dark soya sauce as the marinade and basting sauce.
Cube the chosen beef cut into one-inch chunks and place in the sauce marinade for at least six hours. Cut the pepper, onion, tomato and mushrooms into a large knife cut square.
Thread the skewer starting with onion pepper, beef cube, mushroom and tomato repeating till you have a full skewer. I like to cap the end with a raw potato end to hold all the kebab ingredients firmly and make a nice cradle rest.
Season with salt and pepper garlic powder and drizzle some olive oil.
Grill and char turning on high heat basting with the sauce marinade.
On a serving dish remove the skewer and place with potatoes or rice and a cob of corn. Great recipe for a backyard alfresco barbecue.
Chef Wayne Conrad Serbu writes monthly for CambridgeToday.ca and Spaces The former executive chef also shares recipes and memories from his more than five decades in the hospitality industry on his blog, thekitchenman.