Rami Al-Jebori is originally from Baghdad where he graduated with a degree in Petroleum Engineering. But he later discovered a love of food and cooking and put himself through culinary school. His long career has taken him through several high profile cooking jobs but he's finally doing what he loves most.
Rami Al-Jebori whose Mawadda Cafe is currently being built in the former Museum Quality Framing space in the Admiral Junction at 2352 California Ave. s.w. has an amazing story. It's an American success story in fact and the cafe, set to be open by October 1 is just the latest chapter in a life marked by challenges he has met. The restaurant will join an existing Mawadda Cafe in Rainier Beach.
Al-Jebori was born in Iraq and lived there through his young adult life getting a good education and eventually graduating from Baghdad University. His degree? Petroleum Engineering.
Political upheaval and a desire to make his life better brought him to America in 1986 but upon his arrival he found his degree carried less weight than he expected. He was told he would have to study another 2 years at a cost of $25,000. Faced with the choice of going back to Iraq or finding a job, he had a friend suggest that he take any job he could find.
Al-Jebori took a $4 per hour dishwashing job in a restaurant. He worked hard and saved, and what he saw of the restaurant business appealed to him so he put himself through culinary school. "Everything I don't know I wrote it down in my language. I still have that book. 'This is Manicotti' and that's how I learned the names. I had never heard of Mexican food or Chinese food in my life. So I always asked, 'What is that? How do you make it?' "
His first job preparing food was as a sous chef, a friend who was a general manager for Sheraton brought him here.
Seven months later in May of 1995 he was promoted to Head Chef at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Seattle, but the job was a pressure cooker, so to speak, so after a year he chose to leave and worked as a sous chef at Claim Jumper in Redmond Town Center, followed by some time in other restaurants, notably eight years as a kitchen manager at Olive Garden, until he chose to start his own restaurant and be his own boss in 2006. He began the Mawadda Cafe in Rainier Valley with a focus on very fresh middle eastern/Meditteranean food, "cooked to order," he emphasized to counter the idea of gyros and falafel sometimes perceived as fast food.
The restaurant was successful pretty quickly and began earning rave reviews in local media. It has been voted "Best Falafel in Seattle" in several local competitions.
The restaurant will seat more than 25 people and will be decorated with Iraqi art, drop lighting and the walls and furniture will both be in light green, "the color of life," said Al-Jebori. It will be open seven days a week from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm "or later depending on what the theater business does."
The Mawadda Cafe will serve sandwiches like Gyros, Lamb Shawarma, Chicken Shwarma, main dishes such as Meso Kebob which is
ground beef and lamb mixed with onion, parsley and 'Mawadda spices' and charbroiled. Traditional Shish-Kebob, combination entrees like Sultani, which they describe as "A royal combination of char-broiled mess kebob, lamb kebob and chicken kebob," plus italian, vegetarian dishes and salads. The full menu is available on their website at www.mawaddacafe.com .
You can get food to go, but you will need to call ahead. It's not fast food after all, and the restaurant will also offer catering for special events.
"I'm doing what I love now. I'm the boss and I get to meet people and get to know them and they become friends. I love to make good food and have people really enjoy it."
You can like them on Facebook here.
