Saskatchewan·Saskatoon BitesStar of Ishtar features food from Assyrian culture, which has a history that stretches back thousands of years in the Middle East. The owner says their success is due to certain recipes having a distinct flavour that isn’t replicated elsewhere in Saskatoon.Family cooking forms the heart of menuNaomi Hansen · CBC News · Posted: Dec 10, 2025 6:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Saskatoon’s Star of Ishtar restaurant was constructed to resemble one of the historic gates from the ancient city of Babylon, as homage to the Assyrian culture at the heart of the restaurant’s menu. (Naomi Hansen)If you’re driving down Gray Avenue in Saskatoon — a road sandwiched between the city’s Sutherland and Forest Grove neighbourhoods — you’re sure to notice a tall, imposing blue building. Constructed to resemble one of the historic gates from the ancient city of Babylon, it’s home to Star of Ishtar Restaurant, located at 507 Gray Ave.“Ishtar is one of the gates — it’s called Ishtar Gate,” said Montaha Istifo, who owns and operates the restaurant alongside family members. She said the name comes from the family’s Assyrian background, an ancient culture rooted in the Middle East region.Montaha Istifo owns and operates Star of Ishtar Restaurant alongside family members. (Naomi Hansen)Although there is also Western, Greek and Italian food on the menu, Istifo said Assyrian cuisine is the focus. From lamb kebab to dolma, the menu is based on recipes that have been in her family for years. The dolma in particular is a family favourite: grape leaves stuffed with rice, vegetables, and herbs, cooked to perfection in a lemon-based broth.“The people who make it, they have to make it with love,” Istifo said, adding that her mom makes the best dolma, having learned the recipe from her own mother.The dolmas are a family favourite: grape leaves stuffed with rice, vegetables, and herbs, cooked to perfection in a lemon-based broth. (Naomi Hansen)A family business at heartOriginally from Iraq, Istifo came to Saskatchewan in 2000. She initially settled in Kindersley and then moved to Saskatoon five years later.At the time, she did not know how to cook Assyrian food.“After I [had] my daughter, I started learning,” Istifo said. “I talked to my mom on the phone, and my sister, and they teach me how to cook through the phone. And then, when my sister came [here] two years later, she started cooking for me.”Istifo has spent years in the restaurant industry, working her way up from a dishwasher to owning restaurants, including the Rail Side Cafe at the CN Curling Club in Saskatoon, which she still operates seasonally.In the fall of 2023, Istifo took over Star of Ishtar from previous ownership. She reopened it in January of 2024, complete with a brand-new menu featuring Assyrian culture at the heart of the menu.The baba ganoush, which is a roasted eggplant dip, is one of many vegetarian items on the Star of Ishtar menu. (Naomi Hansen)Istifo’s mom now also lives in Saskatoon and helps out at Star of Ishtar, cooking and showing others how to prepare traditional dishes.“We’re not gonna make those foods if it wasn’t for her,” Istifo said. “Our food is really fresh — and we do good food. We want to bring something to Saskatoon.”Tried-and-true recipesMany of the menu items also bear the Ishtar name, including the Ishtar Plate. Featuring three different types of meat alongside bread, soup, rice and salad, the Ishtar Plate is both a customer favourite and a great option for trying a little bit of everything.“A lot of people like [the] Ishtar Plate because it comes with lamb kebab, and then chicken and beef,” Istifo said.Star of Ishtar Restaurant is located at 507 Gray Ave in Saskatoon. Although they also offer Western, Greek and Italian food, Assyrian cuisine forms the heart of the menu. (Naomi Hansen)Their Ishtar combos are also popular for groups, and feature a variety of dishes served family- style. Many of the menu items are also vegetarian, like the falafel and baba ganoush, which is a fresh and creamy roasted eggplant dip served alongside bread or chips for dipping.They also offer plenty of gluten-free options too, including kubba halab, which are “football shaped balls.” Stuffed with a seasoned ground beef filling that’s surrounded by a shell made from rice and potatoes, kubba halab has a perfect crunch.Burek are egg rolls stuffed with ground beef, served at Star of Ishtar. (Naomi Hansen)Istifo said the dolma remains the most popular item overall.“Nobody can make our dolma,” she said, noting that the flavour makes it distinct.Read more Saskatoon Bites features. ‘Cornerstone of the community’: Five Corners Cafe continues a Saskatoon coffee legacy SULU offers Asian-style tapas, with food fired on an authentic Japanese grill While customers might order the pizza or chicken tenders, it’s the Assyrian food that’s close to Istifo’s heart. She said she’s happy to see people order it the most.“We just want to get people here,” she said. “Come try something different.”ABOUT THE AUTHORNaomi Hansen is an author and editor based in Saskatoon. Her first book, Only in Saskatchewan: Recipes & Stories from the Province’s Best-Loved Eateries, was published by Touchwood Editions in 2022. Find her on Instagram @naomihansenwrites or online at www.naomihansen.ca.
Recipes from Assyrian culture shine at Star of Ishtar
