Free lunch Friday ... here’s the lowdown

Yes, there is such a thing as a free lunch, but donations will be very welcome at the #CookForSyria lunch at the Tang by Yogism cafe in Dublin’s Dawson Street on Friday (November 25th).

From noon to 3pm, Tang, in association with family yoghurt firm Glenisk, will serve lunch from Taste the Middle East, a cookbook collaboration created by the two businesses. Lunchers will also receive a copy of the book (it can be downloaded here), as well as some Glenisk and Tang goodies to take home.

Donations from diners will be given to the #CookForSyria campaign, a month-long Unicef initiative to raise money for the charity's humanitarian efforts in Syria.

Moroccan lamb and Middle Eastern-style chicken wraps will be on the menu. Both come with hummus, red cabbage, carrot, pickle, mixed leaves, tomato salsa and tzatziki. A vegetarian bean wrap, and gluten-free bowl salads will also be on offer. Just 15 people at a time can be seated in the cafe, so lunch will also be available to takeaway.

The cookbook, which features recipes for Middle Eastern favourites such as shakshuka, beetroot and labneh salad and baba ghanoush, as well as sweet treats including yoghurt panna cotta and peanut butter brownies, can also be picked up free of charge from Tang. And yes, all of the recipes include some yoghurt.

Tang is the sister restaurant to Stephen O’Dwyer’s Yogism frozen yoghurt shop, and serves flatbreads, falafels, wraps, soups and salads in addition to breakfast.