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Hamid Noori of The Mantu and the forthcoming Mantu Market. (Photo by Jay Paul)
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The Mantu Market is located at 7510 W. Broad St. (Photo by Hamid Noori)
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Noori and his nephew, Ali Karimi, who is co-owner of The Mantu Market. (Photo by Hamid Noori)
Afghan native and refugee Hamidullah Noori, owner and chef of The Mantu, will debut a second concept at 7510 W. Broad St. Set to open in mid-August, The Mantu Market will operate as a multifaceted casual eatery that will include a bakery, cafe and grocer. Noori and his co-owner and nephew, Ali Karimi, hope that the forthcoming project will serve as a respite for fellow refugees to purchase authentic Afghani meals, spices and herbs, drinks and naan bread, while helping them feel more connected to their native country.
“If people want to do fine dining, the locations are about 10 minutes away from each other, so they can have fine dining in the restaurant and have a good experience of authentic organic cuisine, or if they want to try the ingredients that we use in our food, they can pick them up from our marketplace,” says Noori, who opened his original restaurant in 2019. “When somebody needs stuff for their home, they can come and have lunch or dinner, and then they can pick up what they need from their shopping lists. I'm trying to do a one-stop shop.”
If an ingredient is found in a dish on Noori's menu, chances are it will be stocked at the soon-to-open market. From kidney beans, chickpeas and yellow split peas to dried fruits and nuts, the neighborhood store will provide the opportunity for refugees to purchase and re-create a taste of home. Working with local company Maharajah Coffee, the market will also serve a custom-made Turkish-Afghani style coffee that's exclusive to the shop and bursting with hints of pomegranate and saffron.
Food options at The Mantu Market will be similar to those at its Carytown counterpart, with a larger focus on appetizers such as bolani, half-moon-shaped fried pastries that are served with the chef's special sauce and stuffed with potatoes, onions, cilantro, green chile and Afghan spices. The selection of housemade naan will include roghani, a sweet, rich bread often paired with breakfast; parakai; tandoori, which is baked in a tandoori clay oven and paired with a creamy white sauce; and a garlic-tandoori variety served with chutney.
For newcomers to Afghan cuisine, Noori leads them to the mantu dumplings — the restaurant's namesake menu item — or Afghani chicken, lamb, beef or vegetarian rolls. For dinner, he suggests lamb and chicken kabobs. Other options include mahyeecha pallow, a braised lamb shank cooked with carrots, raisins, cardamom, cumin and coriander that's served with chickpeas qourma, or chicken and vegetable karahi cooked in a creamy, rich sauce of garlic, ginger, tomatoes, bell pepper, yogurt, cilantro and spices.
Noori says that The Mantu Market has partnered with Commonwealth Catholic Charities for an effort on Tuesdays and Sundays in which 10% of all proceeds will be used to support local refugees. The restaurateur adds that he was intentional with choosing the Henrico location for his second outpost, noting that its close proximity to apartment complexes and communities that are known to house a high volume of refugee families can provide a positive reminder of their homeland's cuisine.
“The more I serve people in my restaurant and bakery, the more I can serve homeless people around me and in my country,” Noori says. “I wish for people to support me in just having lunch or dinner at my restaurant or if they want to try the marketplace. So any penny that I make from these two places, a portion of that, of course, will go towards refugees as I try to support humanity.”
Noori found a job through the International Rescue Committee upon his family's arrival to the states in 2015. Today, he prepares and delivers naan bread to refugees upon their arrival and resettlement into their new homes.
“We do not differentiate which refugee we are supporting,” Noori says. “We always [support] any refugees from any part of the world who come to the United States, to Richmond. The Mantu Market and also The Mantu Restaurant are here to support them.”
The Mantu Market will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
