AL HAMRA_Win19_Ed-final.qxp_Road Trip_Cinci.qxd 11/29/19 11:03 AM Page 38
profile | al hamra
F
or Louisville-area diners who’ve come to enjoy Arabic cuisine via
the menus served at gracious din-
ing venues like The Grape Leaf and wel-
coming,
reliably
fine
eateries
like
Jerusalem Kitchen, Alwatan, Safier, and others too numerous to count, the recent opening of Al Hamra in the MidCity Mall feels like a major reset. Many of us have been exploring this rich and varied culinary tradition one menu listing per meal, torn between the familiar delights of already known dishes and the allure of a new discovery. That dilemma will never arise at Al Hamra, which describes itself as a “Halal Buffet.” Before we go on, let’s note that this word buffet needs a bit of a reset, too. In standard American usage, “buffet” has come to signal cheap dining with an emphasis on quantity over quality. But the idea of offering diners a wide array of food and inviting them to graze at will is actually rooted in the history of opulent courtly buffets in Europe, generous smorgasbords of Sweden, and the gracious hospitality traditions of the Middle East. And it’s that latter tradition that drives the offerings at Al Hamra, where the rich, colorful array of offerings smacks of what you might expect to find at a celebratory feast in the Palestinian homeland of ChefOwner Ibrahim Qasim and his brother and Co-Chef Ayed Quasim. BY MARTY ROSEN PHOTOS BY DAN DRY
38 Winter 2019 www.foodanddine.com
(from left) Chef/Owner Ibrahim Qasim with his brother Chef Ayed Qasim