People had to say a sudden goodbye to Napul’è Pizza when owner Carmine Caso announced he was closing permanently last month, but there’s already a new tenant for the Bridge Street restaurant space.
Fener’s Place is all set to open on Monday, with special “Introduction to Kurdish Cuisine 101” seating for its opening days.
The $15 per person family-style seating features “a brief crash course in Kurdish food and culture, complete with your choice of menu items,” according to a social media post on Friday. Fener’s is asking people to call or text (506.871.3871) to reserve a spot, as seating is limited for the eat-in only event.
Anyone who frequents the Sackville Farmers’ Market may already be familiar with the food that will be served at Fener’s Place. Chef Soz Ibrahim has been preparing and selling her Kurdish dishes at the market since 2017.
CHMA caught up with Ibrahim and her family at the Sackville Farmers Market last week to find out a bit more about them and their new restaurant venture.
Ibrahim and her husband Nezar Hussein came to Sackville five years ago, and now have three young children, including three and a half year old twins, and almost six year old Fener, the namesake for the restaurant. Fener translates from the Kurdish to “sunshine”.
Ibrahim says she is excited to transition from her weekly market business to full time cooking. The family is aiming for longer open hours, but are starting out more modestly. “Introduction to Kurdish Cuisine 101” will happen Monday 4pm-7pm, Tuesday 3pm-7pm, and Wednesday 3pm-7pm. Eventually they will add a lunch service from 10am to 3pm, featuring sandwiches and drinks.
Ibrahim travels to Moncton to get specialty ingredients for her cooking, available at some Syrian stores there. Typical herbs for Kurdish dishes include coriander, mint, sumac, cumin and black pepper, says Ibrahim.
Soz and Nezar have been in Canada for five years now, but brother-in-law Nokar arrived just a year and a half ago. And yes, that puts his arrival right about the time that life turned upside down for many of us, as the pandemic ramped up.
“Me and COVID, actually, we came together,” jokes Nokar Hussein. He says he enjoys the quiet and the people in Sackville, and is looking forward to opening Fener’s Place so more people can try different kinds of food they will have on offer.
Ibrahim and the Hussein brothers are from Kurdistan, a region including parts of Syria, Iraq, Iran and Turkey. They were living and working in Lebanon together, unable to return to Syria because of the war. After several years in Lebanon, Nezar Hussein says they got a call from Canadian authorities offering them a place in Canada, and they jumped at it.
The Sackville Refugee Response Coalition played a key role in bringing the family to Sackville. The family is extremely expressive in their gratitude for the assistance.
“Canada and the people in Canada, and Sackville and the Sackville people, they give us lots of power,” says Nezar. “Each person they helped us for this big dream.”
