Don’t forget a banana

By Tim Krohn
The Free Press

MANKATO February 12, 2006 11:44 pm

— Abdul Alasow wears his new nickname — Mr. Goat — with pride.
The Somali native is excited to introduce goat meat dishes and other African and Middle Eastern fare at the new International House of Sambuusa restaurant.
“In Somalia, no matter what you’re served, it’s not a good meal unless there’s goat,” Alasow said.
He and Ahmed Barkhadle opened the small restaurant at 412 Park Lane, a few blocks from the entrance to Sibley Park, three months ago. Word of mouth has boosted business already.
“We hold 27 people here. Friday night it was full, and five people waited outside,” Alasow said.
The restaurant’s menu is a combination of Somali favorites with other African and Middle Eastern dishes included.
The restaurant’s namesake, Sambuusa, refers to a spicy ground meat, folded in a wrap and fried.
Other offerings include pita sandwiches, gyros, shawarma and kabobs. Most meals are served with basmati rice, a fragrant rice with a nutty taste.
And everyone who eats at the Sambuusa gets a banana. “In Somalia the bananas, you don’t plant them, they just shoot up everywhere. Every meal except breakfast, we eat bananas,” Asalow said.
Alasow, who previously owned a restaurant and grocery in San Diego, and Barkhadle, who owns an African grocery store on Front Street across from the Law Enforcement Center, brought in Hicham Thaha to manage the Mankato restaurant.
A Lebanon native, whose family has a long history in the restaurant business, Thaha said he wanted to ensure the cooking at the Sambuusa stayed true to its roots.
“The gyros, the other dishes, I do it the original way,” he said. “Americans always add the cheese and lettuce to everything. That’s OK, but I want them to taste how it’s originally done in Lebanon.”
Asalow has emerged as a leader in the Somali community, mentoring refugees arriving in the area. He said there are about 800 Somalis in the area and another 200 Somali college students.


If You Go
What
International House
of Sambuusa
Where
412 Park Lane, Mankato
(a few blocks from the Sibley Park entrance.)
Hours
10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day (later on weekends) Closed 1-2 p.m. Fridays for prayers.
Information
Phone 345-5996. Free
delivery in Mankato/North Mankato. Prices range from $1 for a Sambuusa to $6-$8 for entrees.

Menu sampling
— Bariis & Hilib (goat): roasted goat and Somali style rice ($6.99)
— Pita sandwiches: topped with Middle Eastern salad, hummus or tahini (a thick paste made of ground sesame seed)
— Falafel (ground chickpea patties)
— Gyros
— Sambuusa: Spicy ground meat, rolled in a wrap and fried. ($1)
— Pasta Saldatto & Hilib: spaghetti with ground beef and tomato sauce and choice of beef steak or chicken.
— Baklawa (baklava) dessert ($2)
Asalow is an adjunct professor at Minnesota State University’s geography and ethnic studies department. He came to the United States 20 years ago, first in California, and for the past five years in Mankato.
He said the restaurant is serving as a comfortable meeting place for Somalis who’ve lived here for years and those just arriving.
“The newcomers who sit here with their eyes big, they feel the culture shock. I advise them because I’ve been here longer.”
But he’s working hard to ensure it isn’t a restaurant just for Somalis. “At first there were more Somalis, now there is more local people who are customers.”
That, he said, is just what he hopes the restaurant will become — a place where different people can enjoy the food and bridge cultural gaps.
To that end, Asalow made sure one of their menu offerings was called the Mankato Combo. “We want to be part of the community.”
He said the area has been a welcoming place for those escaping a poor and war-torn country. “I tell Somali newcomers this is a good place, the community has been very, very good to us. I tell them this is a good home.”
Asalow said the common dream for Somali refugees is to begin their own small business — a philosophy they grew up with in their homeland. “Everyone in Somalia has a business, a shop or something they run from their homes. Everyone grows up in a family business.”
Asalow said he’s been looking for a site for a restaurant for a couple of years. He saw the building on Park Lane, which had been a Mexican restaurant, as he drove by one day and soon had a deal to move in.
He wants to grow the business and save money during the next year or two with hopes of moving into a higher-profile spot in downtown or near the MSU campus.

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.