RENTON, Wash. — On Renton's iconic Sunset Boulevard, stands a Turkish restaurant that opened its doors just last year. Cafe Sabah opened after Hasan Ari, who immigrated from Turkey in 2004, noticed a lack of Turkish options nearby.
"I don’t see Turkish restaurants here, especially in this area, and that’s why I open,” he said.
The name of the cafe has a special meaning to Hasan too.
“Sabah is my wife's name and Sabah means morning in English,” he told us.
The translation is fitting, as the cafe opens early at 10 a.m. and has an all-day breakfast menu, which includes a Turkish breakfast platter.
We also asked Hasan what he would say to someone trying Turkish food for the first time.
“I tell them, just try it. You don’t like it, you don’t pay. But people love it. Next time they bring two or three friends, honestly,” he laughed.
One of the dishes he recommended is the adana kebab, which is a lamb plate popular with customers.
What keeps people coming back are the fresh ingredients and the huge halal menu, which had waitress Aylar Muhammed walk us through.
She highlighted the iskender kebab, which features homemade bread and beef gyro, topped with a tomato and butter sauce. On the side, sits a healthy serving of plain yogurt to be eaten with the dish.
The ground beef pide is the Turkish version of pizza but on a flatbread. Finally, the star of the show is the mixed grill plate, which includes everything from lamb chops (Aylar's favorite) to beef kofta and chicken shish kebab.
"The difference is that they make it fresh here every day, I’m coming at like 10 but our chefs are coming in at 7 a.m. morning," Aylar said.
Even the bread is made fresh, as the cafe bakes them in house. Cafe Sabah stands out because it not only sells Turkish dishes but desserts as well. Hasan’s wife Sabah used to be a baker in Turkey and now bakes everything sold at the restaurant.
Aylar recommends her Turkish custard, which is her favorite dessert at the cafe.
Her desserts have become popular at the cafe.
"People from Vancouver, [Canada,]" Hasan said. "They heard about her dessert, they come to eat, try her desserts."
You can’t go wrong with either sweet or savory foods at Cafe Sabah.
Cafe Sabah is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. They are located at 4201 N.E. Sunset Blv. Renton, WA 98059.
KING 5's Evening celebrates the Northwest. Contact us: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email.