Most São Paulo residents are already used to Arabic food: kibbeh, tabbouleh and kebab, for example, have become recurrent in Brazilian daily life. But have you ever tried Arab sweets? If not, the tip of the day is Rafih Moema, a café serving Middle Eastern flavors in São Paulo.
There you’ll find not only typical Arab dishes and sweets, but also Turkish dishes and sweets from other countries in the region. There is also an emporium with typical products, from food to beautiful dishes to take home!
So if you want to take a trip to the Middle East without leaving São Paulo, check out more details and delights of Rafih Moema below.
Rafih Moema: typical Arab dishes and sweets
The highlight of the café is the sweets, which will take you on a true gastronomic journey! The menu includes Halawi, a typical Middle Eastern sweet made with honey, sugar and sesame paste. There are also options such as cocoa with coconut, pomegranate with pistachios and saffron, and even pistachios with rose petals.
In the emporium, you’ll find products imported from the Middle East, such as Hallab 1881, a typical Lebanese brand of puff pastry. As well as Arabic spices, artisanal olive oil, Arabic coffee and Turkish tableware that will certainly embellish your tea table!
In addition, the café serves traditional Arabic and Turkish dishes such as grape cigars, esfihas, hummus and kibbeh, which come with typical rose juices or even jallab (dates). All produced by refugees from the region, who share the best of their culture with the São Paulo public.
How to find out?
Rafih Moema is located at Alameda Iráe, 405. The coffee shop is open from Monday to Saturday, from 11am to 8pm. In addition to the physical store, you can order through iFood or through the official website, which delivers all over Brazil.