OUR STORY
About KetKoot Iraqi Chargrilled Chicken
Ket·koot noun
The word for a baby chick in Iraq, and the name over our door.
Our Story
The KetKoot story starts with a little boy in a chicken shop in Iraq.
Growing up there, our founder, Karar Awady, loved walking into the local chicken shops and spotting the baby chicks in soft shades of yellow, baby blue, and white. In Iraq, a baby chick is called a ketkoot. To a kid, they were the most cheerful thing in the whole shop.
He never forgot them. Years later, that small memory became the name over our door, and those soft colours became ours.
Soft yellow, baby blue, and white, just like the chicks Karar remembers.
YELLOW
The yellow is the warmth and joy Karar remembers from childhood.
BABY BLUE
The baby blue is calm, with a little room for imagination.
WHITE
The white is simplicity and freshness, the clean foundation under everything we make.
Together, they're how we want KetKoot to feel the moment you walk in: welcoming and young at heart, with real thought behind every detail.
Today, KetKoot serves Iraqi chargrilled chicken from Ridgeway Plaza in Mississauga. It’s rooted in the flavours Karar grew up with and shared with neighbours from every background.
Meet the Owner
As Karar grew older, his connection to food grew too. Chicken stopped being something he simply enjoyed eating. It became tied to family, to culture, to comfort, and to the flavours of home. Somewhere along the way, that childhood memory of the little chicks started turning into an idea.
That idea became KetKoot.
Karar wanted to build something that felt familiar but came across fresh and modern, a place inspired by where he came from that could belong to anyone who walked in. To him, KetKoot is a piece of his childhood and his culture, and a dream he carried for years before it ever had an address.
Most of all, he wanted to take something deeply personal and turn it into “a place where other people can create memories of their own.” Families tearing into a whole chicken on a Friday night. Friends splitting a box of sliders after a late shift. Every one of those moments is part of the story now.
“A piece of my childhood, my culture, and a dream I carried with me for years.”
- KARAR AWADY, Founder
Authentic Iraqi Chargrilled Chicken
Some of it gets pulled by hand while it’s still warm, tossed hot or mild, and tucked into our Musahab wraps, sliders, and bowls. The rest lands on the plate whole, next to seasoned rice, pickles, warm pita, and our two sauces, both made in-house. KetKoot sauce brings a heat that builds slowly, and the cool garlic sauce is there to calm it down.
Every piece is 100% halal. KetKoot is Muslim-owned, and all of our chicken is hand-slaughtered under the zabiha method, never mechanically processed. Our whole kitchen is halal, our menu is completely alcohol-free, and there’s no pork or lard anywhere on the premises. For Muslim families, halal is part of how they live their faith, and we treat it with that same care. And the flavours are for everyone, so there’s always a seat at our table for anyone who loves good food.
Visit KetKoot
Karar will tell you we’re only at the beginning of this story. The best way to be part of it is to pull up a chair.
Come by Ridgeway Plaza, order a Musahab or a Family Feast, and taste what 36 hours in a marinade does to a piece of chicken. If you’d rather eat at home, order online, or get delivery through Uber Eats and other delivery apps.
Feeding a crowd? Take a look at our catering.
KetKoot Char Grilled Chicken & Sliders
Hours
Monday to Thursday: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Hours can shift around holidays and Ramadan, so call ahead or check our Google listing before you come by.