Just before the pandemic hit, I spoke to artist Ifrah Mansour about the importance of Somali tea to her work. When she conducted interviews for her play How to Have Fun in a Civil War, she had her subjects clutch a cup of the warm liquid. “It gives you something tangible to anchor the moment,” she said. “It’s very Somali and very comforting.” But until last week, I had never actually tried Somali tea.
I didn’t go to Kulan Restaurant & Café in Skyline, at the junction of Falls Church and Alexandria, expecting to have it either. But that’s exactly how my meal began. My friendly server let me know that since it was my first time at the restaurant, I was entitled to a free cup, usually $2. The hot, milky tea hit first with cardamom, then ginger. Clover and cinnamon also contribute to the mixture that Mansour had been very right to call comforting. At Kulan, it’s also very sweet, almost forbiddingly so, but I couldn’t help but sip more while I waited for my meal.
Since it was my first time at the restaurant, I asked if I could try both pasta and rice with my lamb. “You can also mix and match meats,” the server offered. I’m glad I didn’t. I can’t fathom being able to do better than the silken lamb that melted at first bite, pillowy and just lamb-y enough, without an air of gaminess. The linguine? Baasto is the national dish of Somalia, a vestige of Italian colonialism. The light tomato sauce wasn’t quite the Bolognese-style strands I expected, but was hearty and enjoyably filling, especially when mixed with the banana provided on the side. It turns out, EVERYTHING is better with a little bit of banana, even rice topped with onions, peppers, and potatoes, as well as plump raisins.
But other than tea, the best reason to visit Kulan is for its homemade hot sauce. “It’s so fresh!” I exclaimed when I tasted it. “It should be,” said the server. “I made it today.” The green concoction known as basbaas isn’t too different from a cilantro-centered Mexican salsa verde, but with white vinegar to add a tart zip. It’s not terribly hot, but it is indubitably habit-forming. I took home more, but will plan on making my own.
And that’s when I know a place is worthy of a true obsession: Kulan inspired me not just to return for its well-prepared Somali food, but to make some of my own at home. And I’m convinced that many a moment will be anchored by my new favorite tea.
3821 S. George Mason Dr., Falls Church
Feature image by Alice Levitt
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