Muslim restaurant owners and chefs in the Seattle area navigate work in unique ways during the holy month of Ramadan.
Ramadan, which began on March 10, is a time of prayer, spiritual connection and reflection. Muslims traditionally begin fasting at dawn and break their fasts at iftar, an evening meal held each day at sunset. To observe Ramadan, some restaurant owners and chefs reduce hours while others stay open late to accommodate an influx of evening customers after iftar, and until suhoor, the predawn meal.
For some Muslim restaurant owners and chefs, Ramadan is also a time to savor their favorite cultural dishes for iftar and predawn meals, as well as Eid-al Fitr celebrations that mark the end of the holy month, which is slated around April 9 (dates vary based on moonsighting).
We talked to four Seattle-area restaurant owners and chefs about the challenges of being in the fast-paced food industry during Ramadan, how not being able to taste food while fasting affects their jobs, and how they all try to give back to the community to honor the spirit of Ramadan.
Aisha Ibrahim, executive chef at Canlis in Seattle
Aisha Ibrahim, the first female executive chef at Canlis in Seattle, breaks her fast with a vegetarian Canlis salad alongside her partner, Samantha Beaird while sitting in the back of a busy kitchen.
“I like to be in the space, so I can help whenever needed,” Ibrahim said. “I usually have my meal while watching service so everyone knows I’m still there.”
Ibrahim, whose family is Muslim, said Ramadan is a tradition she observes to stay connected to her beliefs. Ibrahim was born in the southern Philippines before moving to West Virginia as a child.
“Ramadan is the one part of my religion, of Islam, that I try to hang onto,” Ibrahim said, adding that her partner, who is not Muslim, also observes Ramadan.
During Ramadan, Ibrahim said her grandmother makes a special Maranao-style meal called piaparan, which is usually prepared for Eid al-Fitr celebrations. The dish is cooked in coconut milk and made with a sweet and spicy paste called palapa.
“It’s such a special dish in our family,” Ibrahim said. “My wife and I had it at our wedding.”
During Ramadan, Ibrahim abstains from eating pork or tasting alcoholic beverages for her job. Islam prohibits pork and alcohol at all times. Ibrahim said she experiences spiritual and physical changes.
“Because I consider it a pretty significant period of the year, it requires a whole lot more focus,” Ibrahim said. “When you’re not eating for that long period of time my palate develops in a very strange way. I’m looking for more salt in dishes.”
While Ramadan is a time of reflection, Ibrahim said this year is particularly stressful due to the Israel-Hamas war, “I’m thinking about other Muslim communities in the world who are suffering.”
“As I’m reacting to what this period brings. It’s most important this year to be present in mind, in body and spirit,” Ibrahim added. “I’m looking forward to that reset, particularly in such a difficult time for Muslims around the world.”
Honey Mohammed, executive chef at Mama Sambusa Kitchen in Rainier Beach
For five years, the late hours at Mama Sambusa Kitchen, a Black, woman-owned Muslim restaurant in Rainier Beach, have been a boon for Muslim patrons during Ramadan.
“We wanted the Muslim brothers and sisters in the community to have access to freshly made delicious halal food,” said Honey Mohammed, chef and co-owner of Mama Sambusa Kitchen, which operates from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. year-round. “We’re very grateful to still be around for many more Ramadans to come, and [for] the ones that we’ve been able to help people.”
Mohammed and her mother, Marian Ahmed (also known as Mama Sambusa), run Mama Sambusa Kitchen, a Somali street foods business that serves halal food, including sambusa, a stuffed pastry with meat or vegetables, date cheesecake and fried chicken sandwiches.
The term “halal” describes foods that follow Islamic dietary restrictions, including how animals and birds are slaughtered.
Mohammed and Ahmed break their fast for iftar with water, sambusa and dates around 7:15 p.m. daily, and then begin to season batches of meats and make sauces for the following day.
“As a chef, I was always taught I need to taste my food,” Mohammed said. “And so, during Ramadan, we’re regrettably at a disadvantage. When we break our fast, the first thing we do after we pray is start seasoning all of our proteins for the next day, so that we can get that 12-hour marinade.”
For Mohammed’s predawn meal, she kicks off her day with a velvety date or mango smoothie. Mohammed’s favorite Ramadan tradition is eating a sambusa, a dish that is a testament to her Somali culture.
“It’s very fundamental,” Mohammed said. “Kids learn how to make a bowl of cereal; I learned how to make puff dough for my mother’s homemade sambusa recipe.”
It’s not always easy for community members to access halal foods in the U.S. While living in Texas in the mid-1990s, Mohammed said her mother often ate fruits and nuts as a restaurant server during Ramadan because there were no halal options available. Today, the restaurant hopes to remove those barriers for Muslims observing Ramadan.
“She didn’t want people to struggle to have access to 100% halal [foods],” Mohammed said of her mother. “It’s a fundamental part of our religion.”
Asari Mohamath, co-owner of Salima Specialties in Skyway
During Ramadan, Asari Mohamath, who owns Salima Specialties with his wife, Salima in Skyway, loves to eat congee, a traditional Cham dish with savory rice porridge. Mohamath, who grew up in Chau Doc, Vietnam, said the dish brings him comfort.
“Rice is in abundance,” said Mohamath, referring to his upbringing in Vietnam before he moved to Seattle in 1980, when he was 10 years old. “You can share it with the whole family.”
Salima Specialties serves halal pan-Asian street foods such as chicken satay skewers, taro fries and banh mi sandwiches. During Ramadan, the restaurant offers iftar boxes, which include samosa, a fried pastry with a savory filling, chicken katsu, rice, salad and bandung, a drink made with rose syrup and milk. Having a large kitchen staff to cook and prep those meals allows the married couple to focus on fasting during regular business hours.
“When you don’t have staff, it’s very tough. For us, we’re very fortunate that we have the staff to be able to navigate through Ramadan,” Mohamath said. “A lot of restaurant owners are also operators in the kitchen as well. For them to fast and [cook] at the same time, it’s a lot on them in terms of energy and sometimes they can’t taste the food.”
Mohamath added that some Muslim restaurants may experience less foot traffic during the daytime because “the consumptions during Ramadan naturally reduce and that can hurt the sales.” Mohamath underscored the importance of community members supporting small businesses during the holy month.
“Any support, whether the restaurant [is] in Skyway, Seattle or Bellevue would be very beneficial not just for the restaurant, but for you,” Mohamath said. “Because Ramadan is all about giving, it’s all about sharing, it’s all about helping each other out.”
Naseer Chishti, co-owner and chef at Maza Grill in Kent
Naseer and Tina Chishti, owners of Maza Grill, a Pakistani halal steakhouse in Kent, temporarily closed their restaurant for the holy month of Ramadan. The business keeps their expenses low throughout the year to afford the break, Chishti said.
Chishti said it’s difficult to juggle working in the kitchen while fasting, which causes lower energy levels. Because of this, Chishti said it’s important to give his small team of mostly Muslim employees time to focus on their prayers and spend quality time with their families during the holy month.
“We would like to give our hardworking team and ourselves a little rest,” Chishti said. “We have to recharge our batteries. We have to pray for ourselves and our communities.”
As a Muslim-owned business, customers align with the restaurant’s values of rest, Chishti said. Maza Grill, which opened in 2011, serves dishes such as Punjabi boti chicken tikka, samosas and tempered dal. The restaurant also has a prayer room that’s open to people of all faiths.
Maza Grill also provides discounted catering to support iftar meals at mosques and nonprofit Muslim organizations during Ramadan. Chishti hopes the restaurant can continue to build bridges among diverse communities.
“The food has a lot of power,” Chishti said. “So far, we’re very successful and everyone respects us and in return, we give our respect and love to them.”
Tat Bellamy-Walker
Tat Bellamy-Walker covers communities for The Seattle Times.
