I am going to come right out of the gate and acknowledge that I am a huge fan of Foodhini. I love the food, I love the concept and I especially love the story behind the business.
What the story behind Foodhini?
Founder Noobtsaa Philip Vang grew up watching his mother, a refugee from Laos, struggle to make ends meet without being able to use her greatest talent, her culinary skills. One day when living in D.C. and homesick for his mother’s cooking, he came up with a genius idea to create Foodhini. Foodhini is a business where immigrants with existing culinary skills can work in a central kitchen to create dishes for a food delivery program. By doing so, Vang created not only sustainable employment for immigrants who often face challenges in finding work, but he also developed a platform for such refugees to share their culture through a medium that everyone loves: food.
How does Foodhini Work?
Like any other online food delivery program: you go to the Foodhini website and place an order. The dishes you can choose from are made by the eight chefs currently employed at Foodhini, which include Chef Yebralem, who came to the US from Eritrea due to political instability, Chef Mina from Iran, Chef Mam from Laos, Chef Majed and Chef Gousoun who are both refugees from Syria, Chef Dorjee a refugee from Tibet, Chef Wing from the Phillippines and Chef Tausif from Bangladesh.
What is the Food Like?
Being such a fan of Foodhini I have sampled items from several different chefs. Chef Yebralem is one of my favorites; her Eritrean food is a mix of less common Eritrean dishes and some familiar Ethiopian-inspired dishes. Recently, I sampled her specitini, a dish where veggies such as carrots, broccoli, and green beans are sautéed in a super garlicky tomato sauce. Served with injera (bread), the dish is really substantial and hearty. She also makes shiro, a classic Eritrean and Ethiopian spicy mashed chickpea dish that is ideal for mopping up with the injera.
I love all Asian food therefore I find Chef Mam’s food to be especially delicious, and a great variation from Thai food, which is so prevalent in D.C. Her pumpkin curry is rich and silky smooth, laden with tofu and veggies, while her lettuce wraps are addictive. Coconut and red curry marinated rice and then tossed with tofu, lemongrass, red onions, and peanuts. It is a little sweet, a little salty, a little chewy and a little crispy. I don’t even need the lettuce wrap, I can just eat the filling on its own.
Meanwhile, Chef Mina makes some of the best-stuffed grape leaves I have ever had. I tend to find most grape leaves too sour, but these are stuffed with split yellow peas and dried leeks making them really tender and slightly sweet. I am obsessed with her adas polo, a traditional Iranian dish where rice is cooked with green lentils and then topped with raisins and almonds. The lentils have a filling, meaty texture and the marriage of sweet and savory is super satisfying. The perfect main for a vegetarian.
How are the Foodnini Prices?
Prices at Foodhini are totally reasonable – ranging from $7-15 for each dish. You can mix and match from different chefs too if you want to try a variety of their offerings.
What’s the Verdict?
Foodhini is fun, delicious and a great way to support immigrants in your local community. If there was ever a good time to support immigrants and diversity in our country, today is it. Also, what better way to learn about new cultures than through food?
