Little Arabia might have recently received recognition with new freeway signs that direct communities to this rich cultural hub in Anaheim. However, the recognition has been in the works for over a decade. While they mark a milestone in the city, Little Arabia has long been the center of the Arab-American community in Orange County among locals.
“We saw how this area grew and developed over the years,” community organizer and founder of Latino Muslim Unity Rida Hamida told L.A TACO.
Hamida is one of the many Anaheim residents who have fought for the recognition of Little Arabia and the community. She also saw this strip long before it became what it is today.
“This was all empty,” Hamida said, as we drove down Brookhust Street.
Driving down this street reminds her of her childhood. One of her earliest memories was being driven down this street from Anaheim to Orange Crescent School, now considered one of the largest Islamic schools in Orange County.
On those car rides, she often heard the driver, Ahmad Alam, one of the area's first Arab developers, allude to how the empty lots she glimpsed outside her window would one day become "Little Arabia."
According to The Guardian, this nook in West Anaheim is now one of the first officially recognized Arab American enclaves in the US. It's a flourishing strip of small shopping centers with dozens of businesses selling traditional attire and food from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and surrounding countries. Some of these establishments' owners have been around for years, demonstrated by how they greet their customers.
"Little Arabia's official designation is not only a historical marker of our cultural heritage and economic contributions in Anaheim," said Hamida. "But it is a statement that Arab Americans belong in the OC and that our community is here to stay."
L.A. TACO headed to Little Arabia with Hamida to try food from one of the area's oldest restaurants and to speak with the businesses and families behind them.
Al Tayebat Market
Our first stop was at one of the first businesses to open in Little Arabia, Al Tayebat Market. Hamida remembers stepping foot into this market many times growing up. As she walks around looking for Romy Khouraki, the store's general manager and a close friend from childhood, she runs into a few people she knows, their eyes and faces smiling as they greet her.
“There he is,” she said, turning into the aisle of spices and Halal meat.
Romy, who went to school with Hamida, tells us about his father's business. His father, Sammy Khouraki, came to the United States from Syria in the 1960s when he was just 18. Once established here, he saw a need in the community, as his family and friends found it difficult to find Middle Eastern goods and spices nearby. In the late 1980s, his father opened the first international goods store in what would become Little Arabia. Since then, it has gone through four different expansions, including the addition of a halal meat market.
“This area grew significantly in the 90s, and I think in large part it was because, at the time, the mosque and Islamic school were started here, and it attracted more people,” said Romy, who not only helps his father at the market but is now the president of Orange Crescent School.
At Al Tayebat, you can find some of the freshest produce and items such as nuts and spices, which are packaged in-house. Zaatar, a Middle Eastern staple, teas, and a variety of olive oils are all where they should be. It also pulled all Coca-Cola products and other items currently on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) list from its shelves. The Palestinian BDS is described as a list that calls for a boycott of Israeli and international companies that are complicit in violations of Palestinian rights.
They replaced such popular items as Coca-Cola with what they consider to be more ethical, fizzy drinks that offer a similar taste, like Saalam Cola, a Turkish cola company that gives 10% of proceeds to charitable causes that impact Palestine, Yemen, and Syria.
“It’s been difficult this past year trying to find alternatives that are not on the list," Romy said. "Thankfully, being a family-owned business and a business that cares about fairness and equality for everyone, we really did our part to ensure that anything that’s on our shelves is free of any controversy or harming of others."
1217 S. Brookhurst St. Anaheim, CA 92804
Hours: Open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Sahara Falafel
You can’t visit Little Arabia without stopping by one of its oldest restaurants, Sahara Falafel. The restaurant opened in 1996 and was one of Anaheim's first shawarma and falafel establishments.
It is located in a shopping center and is relatively small, but its food packs so much love, history, and flavor. When you enter the restaurant, you are immediately greeted by the owner and chef, 70-year-old Mahmud Salem, who is often behind the counter. Salem, who is Palestinian and came to the U.S. in 1978, said he takes pride in serving all of his community and in being part of what is now a growing Little Arabia.
You can’t go wrong with any menu item you pick At Sahara's, but getting a hearty plate of grilled halal chicken or beef is a must. These servings include perfectly marinated and charred chicken or meat served over a bed of fluffy rice, plus a grilled tomato, pickles, a side salad, and a heaping scoop of hummus that comes with a drizzle of olive oil. The plate also includes pita bread and a tangy tahini sauce. If you’re on the go, we suggest getting their shawarma sandwiches or the perfectly crispy chickpea falafels.
Salem said that while he is happy about Little Arabia's recognition and freeway signage, he hopes it helps keep this little piece of Anaheim alive.
“We hope the recognition of this community in Anaheim will bring us the attention that we all need,” Salem said, disclosing that his business is struggling heavily for the first time in 29 years. “It’s not the community's fault. These are hard times. Not everyone has money, so I try to offer affordable prices. I hope this helps. I know I’m not the only one.”
590 S. Brookhurst St. Anaheim, CA 92804
Hours: Open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Note: When visiting, please be patient. Mahmoud is sometimes the only one behind the counter.
Knafeh Cafe
Little Arabia is also known for being the home of various Middle Eastern sweets at venerated places like Knafeh Cafe. Owner Asem Abusir came to the United States in 1980 from Nablus, a historic city on the West Bank of Palestine. You'll see a painting of Abusir's hometown on the wall as you walk in.
Abusir worked as an engineer for decades before finally opening his own bakery in Anaheim in 2012. Quickly, he became famous for serving what could be some of the best soft knafeh that you will find in Orange County. The art of making knafeh is in his blood. Back home, his family owned bakeries specializing in knafeh throughout the Middle East.
“My family has been in the knafeh-making business since the 1920s, so we pride ourselves on serving the best,” Abusir told L.A. TACO. “We have adapted over the years and added new items here and there, but our tradition is knafeh.”
For those unfamiliar with the dessert, it is a traditional Middle Eastern treat often served at weddings, engagements, graduations, and other celebrations. In Anaheim, you can have a slice any day.
The dessert is made of shredded dough, which Abusir makes from scratch, along with a sweet white cheese, a nice pour of white sugar syrup, and a sprinkle of crushed pistachios. It is crispy, gooey, and nutty; the sweetness surprisingly not overpowering. Abusir said one of the best ways to enjoy it is with a hot Turkish coffee.
Knafeh Cafe has other sweets like pistachio balourieh, baklava, and riz bi haleeb (rice pudding). He also occasionally caters to online viral sensations like Dubai chocolate, a trending chocolate bar filled with pistachio cream and kataifi (shredded crispy phyllo dough).
Still, his knafeh is the top seller. For people like Abusir and his customers, a warm slice of this sweet dessert makes them feel like they have a little piece of home in Anaheim.
866 S. Brookhurst St. Anaheim, CA 92804
Hours: Open seven days a week from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Kareem's Mediterranean
Another long beloved restaurant, recognized as the first to open in Little Arabia, is Kareem's Mediterranean. The restaurant was opened in 1996 by Nesrine Omari and her late husband, Mike Hawari, who came to the United States from Nazareth in the 1990s. They have been a part of the Anaheim community ever since, serving their falafel and traditional Arab breakfast meals.
In 2012, the family lost Hawari, who was battling lung cancer at the time. As a result, the restaurant closed temporarily for the first time. Despite continuing to grieve, Omari and her kids continued his legacy by opening back up in time.
Kareem's beautiful outdoor patio is the perfect place to enjoy a home-cooked meal. From its jalapeño falafels, which you can also find in select grocery stores (and even buy full bags to take home and freeze), to their steak-infused hummus topped with seared almonds, everything is equally mouthwatering. But while some come for the falafels, vegan dishes, bowls, Omari points to the traditional breakfast as something you need to try.
We tried the satue-steak, which came with small pieces of sauteed steak, tomatoes, onion, and garlic, all mixed to create almost a stew or guisado-like texture, and served with rice. When eating it, you will want to order the spicy potatoes on the side, which add crunch and spice. (Tip: Ask for some of their salsa verde. You won’t regret it.)
While it's hard to focus on anything but the food, we fell in love with Omari’s family and infectious personality, too. She might show you her plants or reminisce about the times when her kids would do their homework at the restaurant's corner table. Or talk about how she taught her children how to properly cook each recipe on her menu. Her attention to customers, who she treats like family, will keep you coming back.
“You have to love what you do, and I love this," Omari said, in between greeting customers. "It’s not easy running a restaurant, but I love talking to everyone who walks in here to support."
1208 S Brookhurst St. Anaheim, CA 92804
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Le Mirage Pastries
Have you ever tried a dessert that has been enjoyed for over 500 years? Either way you answer, you need to make your way to Le Mirage Pastries. Owner and pastry chef Maher Nakhal is a master at sweet treats, offering pastries, beautiful cakes, and naturally, Middle Eastern desserts.
Nakhal has been a baker since he can remember, his earliest memories involve baking in his teens. Originally from Damascus, Syria, he left in the 1990s and opened his Anaheim bakery in 2003. One of his most popular desserts is his bouza ice cream, known for its stretchy and slightly chewy, taffy-like texture. It is traditionally made with mastic, which Nakhal tells us is a tree resin. Other ingredients include milk, sahlab, sugar, salt, rose water, and pistachios.
Bouza ice cream is made similarly to nieve de garafa, by hand churning a liquid base into a texture like sorbet. The ingredients are put in a large bowl that sits over ice, and the sweet mixture of liquids is poured inside for a brutal beating with a large wooden stick until it reaches a stretchy texture.
Once it’s ready, the sides of the pot are scraped with a spatula that creates handfuls of perfect ice cream rolls. The taste is milky, nutty, delicious, and not too sweet. The pistachios and strawberries on your rolled ice cream provide a refreshing spoonful.
100 S. Brookhurst St. Anaheim, CA 92804
Hours: Open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
To view all the businesses in Little Arabia, click here.
