Queen Mama’s Kitchen, Portland’s Only Dedicated Saudi Arabian Restaurant, Celebrates the Country’s Culinary Influences | Eater Portland
"Next door, the Cheesecake Boutique offers cheesecake slices smothered in sauces like velvety pistachio, a generously spiced pumpkin, and a thinner caramel-y sauce with sliced almonds, alongside saffron cakes, small pineapple cakes, and date cakes; the case sits beneath a row of small ceramic cups and brass dallahs used for Arabic coffee (qahwa) brewed with cardamom and roasted so lightly it still appears green in the cup, served without cream or sugar and accompanied by syrupy dried dates to nibble between sips — a ritual Hadwa Alshammari performs with her left hand, invoking tradition — making the boutique feel like an extension of the restaurant’s cultural hospitality rather than just a dessert counter." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden
