Yemeni-Ethiopian coffee + Portuguese pork belly
Tuesday, July 28 — Happy Tuesday! Welcome to the table.
I’m still not over Sarra’s thorough report last week on why the James Beard Awards should be held in Atlanta.
Local chefs and restaurateurs weighed in, making a solid case for Atlanta becoming the next host of the annual culinary awards, known as the “Oscars of the food world.” (See the Olympics, World Cup, Michelin, and three, about to be four, Super Bowls.)
🏅 But beyond our obvious stellar hosting abilities, the Beards would provide Atlanta’s restaurant industry members with access to resources and experts without the need for travel. It would also inject our restaurant scene with a serious influx of cash. The awards typically descend upon Chicago for three whole days and nights, with the foundation, its organizers, and attendees spending millions at hotels and restaurants in the city.
Speaking of spending hard-earned money at local restaurants, if you attended one of our Rough Draft DNNR evenings over the past two months, I would love to hear about your experience. Feedback helps fine-tune future dinners and the restaurants in which they’re held. You can email me at beth@roughdraftatlanta.com.
On to this week’s “Family Meal,” which features a story from Rough Draft reporter Hayden Sumlin on Yemeni-Ethiopian coffee shop and cafe Mokhaport in Tucker. Its owner, who opened Mokhaport on Mountain Industrial Boulevard in 2021, plans to close the popular coffee shop and cafe later this year and pivot to an online business. Hayden spoke to owner Hesham Abdulla about the decision and the inspiration behind Mokhaport.
For my “Editor’s Pick,” I tell you why the new shrimp manti at Bey Mediterranean is now a must-order for me at the Roswell Lebanese restaurant.
Finally, Fork & Vine Social in Decatur shared its recipe for Portuguese pork belly – a dish with roots that can be traced to Portugal’s 450-year presence in Goa, India.
Cheers!
🍸 Beth
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Mokhaport Coffee & Smoothie in Tucker
🇾🇪🇪🇹 Five years after opening on Mountain Industrial Boulevard in Tucker, Hesham Abdulla will close his popular Yemeni-Ethiopian coffee shop, Mokhaport, before December.
But rather than shut down the business completely, Abdulla told Rough Draft Atlanta he wants to focus on online sales.
“After much reflection, we have made the decision to scale back our operations and close our physical location in the months to come,” Abdulla wrote in a social media post. “This decision wasn’t easy, but it allows us to slow down, refocus our energy, and prepare for our next chapter … We aren’t gone just yet! We still have a few months left.”
Abdulla said he’s still brainstorming for the future of Mokhaport Coffee & Smoothie, but believes a more scalable model will help him get his organic, health-focused food and drinks to more people.
✈️ Yemen to Atlanta to GSU to Tucker
The Abdulla family immigrated from Yemen to Atlanta in 2008 when Abdulla was 14. He attended Sequoyah Middle School in Doraville, then Riverwood International Charter School in Sandy Springs.
During a Georgia State University (GSU) internship, part of the J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Abdulla began consulting with coffee shops and local businesses at the International Trade Mall in Stone Mountain. He soon found himself focused on one particular coffee shop at the mall.
“The business was all God’s will, if that makes sense,” Abdulla said. “Everything is, but it was not planned for … I stumbled on it.”
👨🎓Having earned his bachelor’s degree in 2020 – and as the coffee shop started to expand – Abdulla offered to buy into the business, operating under a different name, and entering into a 50/50 partnership.
The current address on Mountain Industrial Boulevard was supposed to be the coffee shop’s third location. By this time, however, Abdulla said the business partnership was strained.
“I decided to let go, reopen this in June 2021, and revamp the entire menu … change everything up,” he said. “We were more sugary, junk, just give the people what they want. [At Mokhaport,] I’ll give you what you want, but let me help you consume less garbage, especially sugar.”
☕ The Mokhaport mission
The name, Mokhaport, harkens back to one of Yemen’s ports near the strait connecting the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea on the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Abdulla’s goal with Mokhaport is to introduce people to the story of how coffee spread globally.
“I’m selling Yemeni and Ethiopian coffee … how do they connect?” Abdulla said. “It’s the origin of coffee beans … Based on my research, the Yemenis, who were Muslims and business people, went to Ethiopia, took the bean to Yemen, and started growing it there. From there, it spread from the Port of Mokha to the world because it was occupied by the British at the time.”
The British originally called high-quality Yemeni coffee “mocha.” Today, it’s a distinct cafe beverage with milk and chocolate.
Along with coffee, Mokhaport specializes in smoothies, as well as vegan and halal dishes and sweets, made mostly in-house with organic and wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour.
🧑🍳 Abdulla said he learned to cook by observing family members and taking note of their different styles. His grandparents on both sides of the family are Yemeni-Ethiopian couples. Abdulla uses their cooking methods to recreate vegetarian, egg-free, sugar-free, and gluten-free dishes and desserts.
Some dishes and drinks are specific to one country, whether that’s traditional Ethiopian black coffee, or Yemeni honeycomb bread. Many of Mokhaport’s entrees, smoothies, and desserts, including the shop’s tres leches cake, are not specifically inspired by Abdulla’s family heritage, but rather his passion for healthier eating.
“I don’t consider our stuff to be uniquely Yemeni, nor uniquely Ethiopian,” Abdulla said. “It’s just a Yemeni guy creating stuff.”
Even after he transitions Mokhaport to an online business later this year, Abdulla said he has no plans to leave Georgia. His immediate family still lives in metro Atlanta, and his whole life is here.
🍑 “I don’t think I’ll go anywhere else,” Abdulla said. “I like Georgia. The weather is perfect, and [the] people are diverse, too. Everything is here.”
👉 Follow Mokhaport Coffee & Smoothie on Instagram to keep updated on the closing and Abdulla’s online business plan.
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Editor’s Pick: Shrimp Manti
🥟 Y’all, don’t skip the shrimp manti on the menu right now at Bey Mediterranean in Roswell. Wait, what? Shrimp dumplings at a Lebanese restaurant? Yes, and a new must-order at Bey.
While typically a meat-filled dumpling found in countries like Armenia, Uzbekistan, and Turkey, Bey chef and co-owner Marc Mansour packs these dough pockets plump with savory minced shrimp and fresh herbs. Five fat manti arrive atop the restaurant’s creamy, house-made tahini, each garnished with zesty, aromatic Aleppo tomato ragout with just a touch of heat.
🦐 This dish may have surpassed the lamb rice pilaf as my new favorite at Bey Mediterranean.
Recipe: Portuguese Pork Belly
🇵🇹 This week, we’re sharing a recipe for Portuguese pork belly from Fork & Vine Social in Decatur.
The restaurant, which opened earlier this spring on West College Avenue, explores flavor influences from around the world on its menu. For example, the roots for Fork & Vine Social’s pork belly dish can be traced to Portugal’s four-centuries-long presence in Goa, India.
🐖 Get the Portuguese pork belly recipe here.
➡️ Get double the Atlanta food and dining coverage with “Family Meal,” edited by Beth McKibben, on Tuesdays at 5 p.m., and “Side Dish,” edited by Sarra Sedghi, on Thursdays at noon. Subscribe to both here.
