House of Sambus brings “premium” taste to West Broadway
Abdi Qani pulls fresh sambusas out of the fryer at House of Sambus. Photo by Azhae’la Hanson
By Azhae’la Hanson, Reporter
A cell phone rings, and Abdi Qani picks up the phone. Before he hangs up, he thanks the customer and heads to the kitchen, where he drops sambusas into a fryer.
It was a large, but easy order to fill. The night before, he triple-wrapped dozens of sambusas so oil wouldn’t leak in, handmade the dough, and stuffed them with beef and vegetables so they could be fried to order the next day. It takes hours, he said, folding, stuffing, and repeating. But it also brings him comfort.
“I’ve been eating sambusa for as long as I've been alive,” he said. “It is a part of our tradition.”
While filling the order, the smell of fried food wafted through the dining area, which was what Qani had smelled his whole life. The scent of home. A smell that meant people coming together.
He opened House of Sambus in January at 527 West Broadway Ave. in the Broadway Center in hopes of bringing that feeling to the Northside. The restaurant sells beef sambusas, various pastries, and a favorite Black tea with cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves.
East African food in the community is scarce, Qani said. He jumped at the opportunity to bring the option into the community. With every order, he enthusiastically reminds customers that what they’re eating is the best of the best.
Or “premium,” as he puts it.
“We don't have a lot of East African food or varieties here, especially sambusa,” he said. “Most of them are located in South Minneapolis. So we branched out to North Minneapolis to bring sambusas that are premium, fresh, and also great quality.”
Family and community are the foundation of the restaurant, Quani said. It’s the result of a dream he and his wife crafted. The sambusa recipe comes from his mother-in-law. Customers who came through the door that day say they were sold on the person before trying the food.
“When I found out the location, I was pretty happy,” Aisha Mukhtar, a recurring customer, said. “It's great that there will be more people to invest in the community. We need more restaurants.”
Mukhtar and her co-worker, Mezmure Mauleusew, made it a habit to travel from their jobs at MSP Airport during their breaks just to pick up lunch from Qani for the second time. Mauleusew said he frequently calls people he knows to recommend Qani’s sambusas.
Tyshawn Williams, another customer, became a regular before the fryers were even running. Williams saw Qani struggling with moving supplies into the restaurant and offered a hand.
“The food is great, and he's a good guy, so I spend my money with him,” Williams said.
“Every time I come in, we’re talking.”
Relationships are what Qani said he prides himself on. He says he doesn't just want to serve people, but he wants to know their names.
He also wants the community to know: “Come to House of Sambus for premium sambusas!” he said with a smile.