Amir Mumin’s restaurant Taste of Africa is celebrating its first birthday.
By Shaun Inguanzo
TASTE of Africa is exactly as its name suggests.
The Walker Street restaurant is celebrating its first year in business, and owner Amir Mumin could not be happier with how his first business has blossomed.
The 30-year-old is most proud of not just the quality of the food he prepares, but the fact that his clientele is mix of Sudanese migrants and Australian citizens from a variety of other cultures.
Mr Mumin has made the restaurant Australian-friendly by taking photographs of the oddly named meals, which include kofta, mashee and bamia, and posting them on the wall for people to see before they take the plunge and eat.
Even more impressive is his service.
When people are unsure what to try, Mr Mumin simply folds the menu, explains he will give them two dishes to share, and within minutes produces hot, delicious plates of Sudanese cuisine with rice and bread on the side.
Mr Mumin migrated to Australia after leaving Sudan’s Darfur region of his own will.
At the time, the Darfur conflict, which is currently raging, was yet to escalate.
“It was beautiful, peaceful, friendly and everyone was happy,” Mr Mumin said.
“We really had no problems, but now is everything is destroyed.”
Mr Mumin has no regrets about coming to Australia – which he labelled “the best country on Earth”.
In fact, Mr Mumin is well-versed in Aussie slang, and Taste of Africa is perhaps the only Sudanese restaurant where one is likely to be greeted with a ‘G’day, mate’ from its Sudanese-born owner.
But the passion to share his customs with Australians is what makes Mr Mumin’s restaurant a success.
“I work from 10am to 10pm, Monday to Sunday,” Mr Mumin said. “I am a hard worker.”
How does he survive?
“Mate, I eat good food, drink milk, and train every day for 20 minutes.”
Mr Mumin was formerly a diesel mechanic with a burning desire to cook.
He opened Taste of Africa in September 2006 but had been planning for it since 2003.
The menu is, like the food, simple but satisfying, and also ensures customers new to the cuisine aren’t overloaded with choices.
The three most popular dishes include mashee – vegetables mixed with rice, mince meat, zucchini, eggplant and fresh coriander stuffed in a capsicum, kofta – mince meat, onion, garlic and fresh coriander, and bamia – lamb, onion, tomato, garlic, black pepper, coriander and fresh dill.
“The food is just wonderful – it’s healthier than most food,” Mr Mumin said.
“It is similar to middle eastern food such as Lebanese, Syrian and Egyptian.”
Contact Taste of Africa on 9793 9942, or drop in and say g’day to Amir by visiting the business at 34 Walker Street, Dandenong.
