(Image: Mamnoon)
Wassef and Racha Haroun opened Mamnoon with its modern mesh of Middle Eastern cuisines as first time restaurateurs back in 2012. Ten years and six restaurants later, the couple and the staff at the Melrose Ave location will celebrate their milestone this week.
“Every parent feels that their kids are very special — same exact here,” said Wassef Haroun.
Wassef and Racha are originally from Syria and are long-time Seattle residents. Wassef has a background in technology, while Racha is a trained psychologist. After working on several projects, the couple decided they wanted to do something together, which led to the birth of Mamnoon.
“We saw Middle Eastern food, particularly Lebanese and Syrian food, are very badly represented in this part of the world,” said Haroun.
“We wanted to bring it here in a modern fashion–make it accessible but also give people the possibility of experiencing either a fine dining level, more casual, or even a sandwich coming out the window.”
CHS reported here on the late November 2012 debut of Mamnoon in an adaptive reuse redevelopment of an old auto row-era building. At the time, Haroun was a local tech entrepreneur who served as chief technology officer at the Capitol Hill-headquartered King of the Web.
Mamnoon was born as two restaurants in one. There is a front kitchen which serves dishes through a window on the street, while fine dining carries on inside. Racha and Wassef started with a menu that was inspired by the foods they grew up eating.
“Our food is not traditional Lebanese or Syrian cuisine,” said Nicco Muratore, executive chef at Mamnoon.
Muratore said the philosophy of Mamnoon’s dishes is to take inspiration from traditional Middle Eastern dishes while catering to a modern setting. Muratore highlighted how the restaurant sources local ingredients, which allows Mamnoon to substitute traditional products for local ones. On the other hand, the majority of spices, olives and olive oils are brought in from the Middle East, Morocco, Turkey and Spain, and is distributed by Villa Jerada
A special menu will be offered at a 10 year anniversary event that will feature classic and new dishes, and includes King Salmon Kibbeh Nayeh. Kibbeh Nayeh is traditionally made with cuts of lamb that are minced and cooked in bolgar and spices, but the swapping of lamb for king salmon allows for a Pacific Northwestern twist on the dish.
“That’s a fun way to take a traditional dish and use something we have locally,” said Muratore.
Looking towards the anniversary, Haroun said it’s an important milestone because Mamnoon did not only survive, but it also grew into something very different from the original concept. At the event, the special menu will be served in the traditional family-style way.
“I’m really excited about the progression of the meal,” said Muratore. “There’s going to be a lot of different flavors and a lot of different bites. Basically, we’re going to have people eat how we want them to.”
The dishes will be paired with four wines from Lebanese winemaker, Ixsir Wines.
The past 10 year years have also included opening locations in the Nadi Mama food and drink family including Hanoon in Kirkland, Manna on Terry Avenue N, Mbar on Fairview Avenue N, Anar on 6th Avenue, and Mamnoon Street on 6th Avenue.
Haroun said challenges rose with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. “People are tired. They’re burnt out. They’re stressed out,” said Haroun. “A lot of the factors that gave us a bit of a breather in the pandemic in terms of giving them some room, now the demand is back and customers are demanding as they ever were.”
But growth continues. Mamnoon products are now sold at PCC and Met Market and can be found at 40 locations.
“For us, we’re so incredibly proud to be in both of these local superstar markets,” said Haroun. “The feedback is phenomenal. The product that’s made to go to the supermarkets, that’s exactly the same products our restaurants serve here.”
Mamnoon is celebrating 10 years Saturday, November 19th, with a $75 per person family style tasting menu. The restaurant is located at 1508 Melrose Ave. Learn more at nadimama.com/mamnoon.
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