Minneapolis Is a Paradise of Somali Food

[Geeljire]

When Abdirahman Kahin immigrated to Minnesota in 1997 from Somalia, getting into the restaurant business was the furthest thing from his mind. He had no formal training as a chef and said he didn’t know the first thing about starting his own business. One thing Kahin did know was that he wanted to be an entrepreneur, and he was determined to do whatever it took to make his dream a reality.

Before opening up his wildly popular restaurant Afro Deli five years ago, Kahin owned a media production company, recording wedding ceremonies, parties, and events for the East African immigrants in Minnesota. After a while, though, he lost interest in that and says he wanted to “become a businessman in a bigger scale.”

“I never cooked and still now, I don’t know how to cook. I’m more of a entrepreneur and I’m into that side of my businesses,” Kahin tells me one November evening. We are sitting in a back office at his first location of Afro Deli. With its bright, orange-colored walls adorned with African art, the space is cozy and welcoming. The menu at Afro Deli spans the African continent and makes stops in South America and North America, too. Kahin says it was important for him to represent all foods of the continent, but also mix it up with some traditional American and South American options.

Kahin estimates that there are over 60 Somali restaurants in Minnesota, with 90 percent of them located in Minneapolis. Afro Deli stands out because of its eclectic menu, one that takes the customer around the globe with dishes with names like “Afro Steak Dinner” and “Chicken Fantastic.” On the particular night I go to talk to Kahin, I go with the Chicken Fantastic, an entrée that consists of cuts of white grilled chicken with sautéed vegetables and grated Parmesan cheese over Somali-seasoned basmati rice. For dessert, I go light and sip on a Somali sweet spiced tea.

About ten minutes away from Afro Deli’s main location sits Safari Restaurant, one of the first Somali restaurants in the state, which has been open for 15 years. Owners Abdirahman Ahmed and Sade Hashi are charismatic, funny, and passionate about their restaurant and their city. The original location of Safari was in downtown Minneapolis; in 2010 they decided to move it to the Central neighborhood of Minneapolis’s Powderhorn community, and added an event center that’s connected to the restaurant. They are surrounded by restaurants and markets owned by immigrants who hail from China and Mexico, all carving out their own slice of the American dream.

Safari’s cuisine is traditional in essence but also dabbles in some contemporary choices. “Our menu consists of three different themes,” says Ahmed. First is traditional Somali food like goat meat, rice, sambusas [Somali version of samosas]. Second is contemporary, which is items like burgers, fries, and chicken wings. And last there is something we call fusion. The fusion items are Safari specials, and in this area we play with what’s popular. These items have the texture, taste, and smell of Somali food, but have a lesser degree of spiciness.”

On this particular visit, I go with the Galcaio Steak Wrap, one of their fusion choices that’s named after the capital of the north-central Mudug region of Somalia. It consists of grilled marinated slices of beef and grilled vegetables, wrapped in homemade bread.

Ahmed and Hashi have been in the United States since the mid-1990s; before entering the restaurant business, they worked in the banking and IT industries. They both got tired of the 9-to-5 and wanted to build something from the ground up. “We like the lives we have right now—our destinies are in our hands. The outcome of our work depends on our efforts,” Ahmed says proudly. They also say they didn’t want to just open a restaurant, but a place of community, hence the addition of the event center that hosts weddings, parties, and even meetings for delegates from Africa.

For many Somali customers who frequent Safari, the food tastes like their homeland that they were forced to flee from due to decades of civil war. It satisfies their stomachs, but more importantly, it fills their hearts with memories. Ahmed tells me they are very proud of what they’ve built and are excited for the future and what they have planned for their restaurant. “We plan to expand and open new locations in the coming years, and also give back to our community by mentoring young entrepreneurs who want to enter the restaurant business. The future looks bright for Minnesota … and the Somali community here,” Ahmed says with a smile.

http://munchies.vice.com/articles/minneapolis-is-a-paradise-of-somali-food

@bandit @Idol @menace @The-Screw

 

[Reddington]

I ate at Afro Deli before, but S/o to Minneapolis Somalis, got nothing but love them.

 

[Geeljire]

I ate at Afro Deli before, but S/o to Minneapolis Somalis, got nothing but love them.

Yeah this is great news tho Somali Food is starting to make its mark in the west. A major win for somalis if we can sement our cultural global foot print on our food and make few key dishes become ambassador of Somali culture.

Imagine every bite into a samosa or laxoox is creating wealth back somewhere in Somalia. Heck imagine the food culture of Somalia becoming an aspect of globalization which makes a cultural deposit for Somalia, enhancing Somalia economically and socially.