NEW VENTURES: African fusion eatery celebrates flavors of many cultures

Don’t call Zanzibar Kababs & Grill in Kuhnsville a Mediterranean restaurant.

Ed Sumar, one of three brothers who opened the restaurant May 11, said that is a common mischaracterization he’s heard from others talking about the new eatery.

While there is a certain Mediterranean style to Zanzibar – kababs are a staple of Mediterranean restaurants – the restaurant would best be described as African fusion, he said.

That is because he and his brothers, Shabir and Rizwan Sumar, are from the East African nation of Tanzania and are of Indian heritage.

“We decided to try and serve the food that we eat at home,” Ed Sumar said.

That means combining flavors from their home country, ethnic heritage and personal tastes, including ingredients from East African, Indian and Mediterranean recipes.

Kababs are a central part of the menu, while the restaurant also serves items such as fried cassava, which is lightly fried yucca with chili pepper. Curried vegetables are on the menu, as are creations such as Zanzibar masala fries, which are French fries coated in a spicy Zanzibar flavoring.

Zanzibar Kababs & Grill is at 5924 Tilghman St. For more information, call 610-366-4100.

The Markward Group of Upper Macungie Township helped arrange the lease for the restaurant.

Bank cuts ribbon on new branch

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