Interested in trying out western region favorites with a modern twist? Look no further than Alkushk Alhejazi (the western kiosk) in Jeddah’s Al-Shatie market, where Eyad Kurdi and his team are serving up classic favorites and modern delicacies.
Kurdi has always had a passion for cooking and was inspired by his mother’s recipes to develop his skills. He credits the idea of the kiosk with three important traditional recipes.
“My mother makes the best kabab miro in the family,” he told Arab News, referring to a traditional meatball-like delicacy in the western region, “I took her recipe, tweaked it a little, and perfected it, and that was when the suggestions that I open my restaurant began,” he said.
As his skill grew, so did his repertoire. On family camping trips, he would serve baleelah (boiled chickpeas with cumin and pickles) with pickles he had made himself.
“My relatives were crazy for the pickles. Everyone asked me for the recipe. That was recipe number two,” he said.
The third recipe was a concoction known as “Hejazi fries,” a staple in most food trucks around Jeddah. However, when Jeddah’s municipality shut most of the trucks down, Kurdi’s mother encouraged him to finally open up shop and serve his own.
“She told me she wouldn’t eat Hejazi fries anywhere else. She promised to be my first customer. It felt like it was time to take the leap,” he said.
Kurdi carefully chose the items that would make up the menu before its launch. His mother’s kabab miro, his famous baleelah, and the revamped Hejazi fries all made the cut, along with more modern street food favorites like Nutella-drenched mini pancakes, grilled beef burgers and cheesy chicken fries.
He also designed the kiosk, taking inspiration from traditional Hejazi buildings, like those in the historic Al-Balad district. “My uncle owns a house in Al-Balad, which is almost 600 years old and is opening as a museum, so I designed the kiosk with that building in mind,” he said.
Kurdi chose Al-Shatie market because he liked the idea of an open-air environment, and he knew that he would find plenty of customers who wanted a quick and easy meal there. “No one is going to go into an actual restaurant to get fries and baleelah, so a place like Al-Shatie is the obvious choice,” he said.
The kiosk has enjoyed great success, with Kurdi telling Arab News that a second location is already in the works. “It just goes to show you that if you have the resolve, you can do anything you put your mind to,” he said.
He advised anyone interested in opening their own business to study. “Do your market research! It’s the most important advice I can give you. You can have a great idea, but your business can still fail if you don’t prepare,” he said.