A new full-service Yemeni restaurant has officially opened in Renton.
Cafe Yemen, owned by Tawfik Maudah, aims to create a welcoming community space with high-quality food and drinks, inspired by a black tea tradition reminding him of home.
“When I was in school, there was a restaurant in the small city I used to live in. They were offering free black tea. This is unheard of back home because nobody really gives anything for free. Everybody is poor. It’s hard for a small business to give out free items,” Maudah told What Now Seattle
He continued, “This guy decided to give out free tea. He said he’d take the risk. What happened is everybody went there to eat at his restaurant because he was offering free tea. He earned a lot of customers and followers. The experience still stuck in my head and mind until now. I’m going to offer the same thing in my restaurant.”
Aside from the honorable black tea, Cafe Yemen will serve a traditional cuisine.
The menu features traditional Yemeni dishes, including oven-baked fish infused with a signature spice blend and served with Sahoug Jubn, a local Yemeni cheese mix, and Khubz Tawah flatbread.
Guests can also enjoy Thamool, a buttery, lightly savory bread with black nigella seeds or Khubz Mulawah, a large, flaky flatbread. For dessert or a sweet treat, Arika combines mashed dates, crumbled bread, honey and homemade ghee. Yemeni coffee completes the experience.
“My vision is to create a place for people to really want to come in, for anybody wanting to taste good authentic Yemeni food and drink,” Maudah said.
The cafe’s atmosphere is designed to feel picturesque, while its logo reflects Yemeni culture. The colorful belt beneath the logo is a traditional garment commonly worn in Yemen.
“I’m planning on turning the restaurant into a visiting spot where people want to come and look at the inside and outside of the restaurant, how beautiful the design and artifacts are,” he said. “Outside, I’m going to turn it into a beautiful garden because we have a big front yard.”
Maudah said he envisions Cafe Yemen as more than a restaurant—a place for people to connect and enjoy each other’s company. The cafe is currently open 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. He plans to open earlier soon to introduce a breakfast menu.
For the latest on menu updates and extended hours, follow Cafe Yemen on Instagram and Facebook.
