SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Fasting during Ramadan is especially difficult when you're making fresh baked pita, chicken shawarma, and Turkish coffee. But Osama Shabaik and Mahmoud Barkawi stay in the kitchen to make sure each dish is just right.
“Presenting our culture and our background in a way that really spoke to us was an important step in pushing Tahini forward,” Shabaik said.
Osama and Mahmoud own Finjan and Tahini: two popular spots attached to each other in Kearny Mesa, similar to the duo themselves.
“We’re the yin to each other’s yang,” Shabaik said.
They’ve been best friends since they were 17.
“All I remember is the summer moving here, hanging out with him every single day,” Barkawi said.
Osama is Egyptian and Mahmoud is Syrian. Their friendship and shared appreciation for Arabic street food made opening a business together easy. Most of their food comes from their families' recipes, but they’ve incorporated a lot of Californian aspects as well.”
“We had to throw in that sriracha tahini because people want that spice,” Barkawi said.
And it’s not just about the food.
“We really want the ethos of Tahini to be a way to give back to the community,” Shabaik said.
The two actively hire refugees to give them a similar chance at success.
“I think for them being able to find a place of employment where they felt comfortable and familiar with the food they’re working with provided some comfort and relief,” Shabaik said.
If you want to try a bite, the duo just opened a second Tahini location on the UCSD campus.
