Koshari — Restaurant in Seattle

This place is absolutely amazing, and absolutely deserving of five stars - I would give more if I could! The food is delicious and effortlessly vegetarian - many vegetarian restaurants in the U.S. will attempt to make faux meat dishes, but this place has a smaller menu of dishes that are genuinely made vegetarian - not because of people lacking meat, but just because they taste great that way. The food is full of flavor - my friend had the Koshari bowl and I had lentil soup and sahlab. I had never had sahlab before, and I'm so glad I tried it. Not only was it warm, comforting and delicious, but the cashier asked a number of specific preparation questions and it was served hot right as I was finishing my meal. It was clear to me that the chefs handmade the sahlab - rather than, say, having an old batch they pulled from - and even kept an eye on where I was in my meal so they could time the presentation perfectly. The sahlab was absolutely delicious (I would get it every day if I lived closer!) but I was especially moved by how much care the people working here put into making it for me. I don't live close, but if I did, this would be a new staple I'd be visiting again and again. I'll be thinking about that sahlab for...

Sugar & Salt / Koshary is one of my favorite third places in the neighborhood. It's a cozy coffee shop during the day and an Egyptian cafe at night. Their signature dish is koshary - this hearty dish combines rice, pasta, lentils, chickpeas, caramelized onions, garlic, and tomato sauce into a comforting, carby bowl of goodness. Having recently spent three weeks in Egypt, where my friend and I sampled koshary from various restaurants (including the renowned Koshary Abou Tarek), I can confidently say the koshary here is better than what I had in Egypt! What sets them apart is their commitment to quality ingredients. They use dried garbanzo beans, soaked overnight and cooked daily, ensuring the perfect texture. The crispy onions are freshly fried in-house, adding a delightful crunch. The tomato sauce, simmered with a variety of spices, ties everything together with its rich, complex flavor. Each bowl is made to order, with every ingredient layered in perfect proportion. If you're in Ballard, I highly recommend stopping by...

We came by for dinner last week and I can’t stop thinking about it. This is truly a small family business and it shows in the warmth of the service and the atmosphere.

I chuckled out loud when I read one of the reviews here that said they don’t recommend this place to people looking for vegetarian options. What?! Not only is all the food vegetarian but you can get a vegan version of almost everything including the baklava and the Fattit Hummus Bowl which is a yogurt bowl. Fattit Hummus Bowl was absolutely incredible. I’ve never had anything like it. I don’t know what type of vegan yogurt they use or if they make it there but I don’t think I’ve ever had vegan yogurt so tasty. The karkadeh (hibiscus tea) was also delicious!

Absolutely wonderful food and lovely people. The only downside for us is that it’s far enough away we can’t go all the time. But perhaps it’s good for our wallet that we’re not in their free...