Afandi Cafe's Knafeh: Sydney's Best Middle Eastern Dessert

0:00A Fandy Cafe in Punchbowl serves up what many call Sidney's best nafe that iconic Middle Eastern dessert with shredded pastry, molten cheese, and sweet syrup. Ono Muhammad Ismayu, a Palestinian migrant who trained as a pharmacist in Jordan, switched to hospitality when his credentials weren't recognized. Here, he started with a street cart in La Kemba, two years back, tweaking his uncle's traditional recipe from Nablus to nail about 85 percent. Authenticity. Nafe's roots go deep. A favorite among medieval elites in Arabia, predating modern trends like Dubai chocolate. Ismayu crafts his version from scratch using cow's milk cheese he makes weekly, since the original sheep's milk con is too hard and pricey to source. Down under. He also whips up his own ghee to coat the catafi pastry for that perfect golden crunch, serving it fresh with pistachios and syrup on the side. Locals flock to the spot, turning it into a cozy date night hub, even on weeknights, pairing nafe with spice black tea or a tie-up dumpling stuffed with nuts or cream.

1:06Ismayu's story highlights the grid of migrants building lives through food, probably showcasing Palestinian culture beyond headlines, brains, passion, and killer flavors. He's been at it for almost 10 years now, with a family and big plans to add a courtyard and savoury dishes. Meanwhile, spots like yummy yummy nafe at markets, connoffondi and laquemba, and nafe house and haverfield keep the nafe game strong across Sydney. Next time you're craving that stretchy cheese pull, hit up a fondi or one of these gyms. It's the taste of tradition alive and thriving right here. That's the story for today, Sydney News Today, driven by AI. I'm Cory with the story.