Is it spelled/pronounced as Kunafa, Kinafeh, Kanafe? I’ll call it Kunafa, as in the menu of Amalfi Restaurant in Dublin, CA. Did I say that it is one of the best tasting Kunafas I’ve ever had!
What is Kunafa? It’s a middle eastern dessert made of noodle like pastry topped with sweet sugary syrup baked with layer of creamy cheese! Did I say it is yumm?
My love for Kunafa started in Chicago where I frequented a Mediterranean restaurant during weekends. Me and my friend would slurp up Kunafas like candies. That’s right, you guessed it — we were like kids in a candy store. Sometimes we’d have 4 to 6 Kunafas during an evening. Just like the dessert doc ordered — 2 before meal, 2 after meal, and 2 for later at home!
When I moved to SF Bay Area, California, my quest to find decent/good Kinafa went unsatisfied until couple of weeks ago. My adorable wife who had tried her best to find me the elusive dessert finally hit the jackpot! She told me that Amalfi, a Middle Eastern restaurant based in Dublin, CA got the Kunafa that I’ve been searching for.
The wait for a good Kunafa has come to and end. I made a trip to Dublin around lunch and went to Amalfi. The restaurant looked very welcoming and warm — great ambience. The people at the restaurant were very nice and friendly. I had my lunch platter, which by the way was very yummy. I also ordered Kunafa as the dessert that followed the meal.
At Amalfi, they make Kunafa on site giving it the freshness and taste that melts in your mouth. The Kunafa portion must I say is generous. I dug in and finished it, savoring every bite. I was elated to find one of the best tasting Kunafa at least in the Western Hemisphere.
What I love about this place and their Kunafa is that it had the right amount of sweetness (not drenched), the perfect crunch (noodle layer on top), and melt in your mouth layered cheese!
Snap — I had taken pictures before and after devouring the Kunafa and sent out to my friend who lives hundreds of miles away. His message read “I hate you” (in a fun way though!). Not every fairy tale has to come to end. Like the saying goes “…..happily ever after”.
