by Jas Keimig
On a recent Tuesday evening, the inside of Mtier Brewing Company smelled of spice and beer.
Dozens of people packed out the space for Chef Tarik Abdullah's weekly pop-up ahead of the opening of his first brick-and-mortar space, Amin, in late August or early September. Guests were sipping drinks and eating lovingly crafted dishes off paper plates. Abdullah labored in the back corner over the stove, coordinated with his front-of-house staff, and delivered orders to customers with a smile.
Over the past two decades, celebrated Seattle-born-and-raised chef Abdullah has been known for his pop-ups, youth mentorship, Cooka T's vegan concession stand at Lumen Field, and community work, serving as a culinary emissary of the flavors and cultures of South Seattle. And with Amin, Abdullah finally has space for exploring concepts that bring together his life experiences, interests, and communities in the form of food.
"I really like the idea of showcasing not only what I love through spice, but the idea of what amazing ingredients and cultures we have here and how I can actually combine those on a plate," said Abdullah in a recent interview. "I've been in the industry for 20-plus years between here and L.A. I've learned a lot, and now I feel this is the opportunity for me to showcase what I think food looks like through my eyes with a unique take on a menu. You pretty much will not get this anywhere else."
For years, Abdullah didn't really think he'd open a restaurant. After trying a couple of times, he finally struck gold at Small Box Retail on Cherry Street, nestled in between other micro-businesses. Amin means "blessed" in Arabic and is also Abdullah's father's middle name. The chef was inspired by his father, Yahya — who owned Tasty's, an all-beef sausage and hot link business in the Central District — for his business know-how and leadership within the local Muslim community.
"Because of how he was with folks, I felt like it only made sense to carry on his name and his legacy through food," said Abdullah.
The Journey to Amin Restaurant's residency at Mtier every Tuesday night is a chance for people to get a sneak peek of what will come this fall. The evening I attended, I tried the mung bean falafel wrap replete with pita bread, masala crema, jackfruit hot sauce, and pickled onions. I also sampled "1st Meal," a curry chicken and rice dish composed of tenderly roasted chicken leg, South African curry, black rice, Thai basil cashew cream, and pickles. Flavorful and warmly spiced, eating the dish feels like a big hug. That might be because it's the chef's take on a foundational memory from his parents.
"I randomly asked my mom one day, 'Do you remember the first meal Dad made for you?' She was like, 'Yeah, it was curry chicken and rice,'" he remembered. "She didn't go into detail, but a green light came on, and I was just like, oh, this is perfect."
Limited to just 360 square feet, Amin is going to be a walk-up concept. Abdullah came up with a small but high-volume menu that will allow him to use the space as efficiently as possible. He plans to do in-house butchery, run a bread program, and work with small farmers to bring in unique ingredients grown locally in Washington State.
Abdullah is a youth mentor, so his kitchen staff will consist of chefs under the age of 25 who are training in Seattle Central's culinary program. "I've always said that if I did open up a space I wanted, I wanna offer youth opportunities," said Abdullah. (Amin will also offer a specially priced lunch menu for high school students.) He's put much of his other community work on pause to open the restaurant, but once Amin is up and running, he plans to use the space also for events, workshops, and classes. Until then, you can get a taste of Amin for the next few Tuesdays at Mtier.
Jas Keimig is a writer and critic based in Seattle. They previously worked on staff at The Stranger, covering visual art, film, music, and stickers. Their work has also appeared in Crosscut, South Seattle Emerald, i-D, Netflix, and The Ticket. They also co-write Unstreamable for Scarecrow Video, a column and screening series highlighting films you can't find on streaming services. They won a game show once.
Featured Image: Chef Tarik Abdullah (in maroon shirt) at a recent Amin pop-up at Mtier Brewing Company. (Photo: Jas Keimig)
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