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JUNE 2 0 1 8 I BOROMAG.COM 33
While the kadayif was delicious, as
the cookies were, the kunafa of Al-Sham
remained the star. It simply cannot be
outshined. With a single bite, I was transported
to a restaurant, two hours outside
of Istanbul, where I first indulged in this
cheese-based dessert, bathed in butter
and coated in a combination of pastry
and crushed pistachios. Following my trip
to Turkey, I sought out kunafa in West Berlin
(where there are good contenders in
the neighborhoods of Wedding and Neukolln),
in London and New York.
This is, hands down, from Istanbul to
Berlin, London to New York, the best kunafa
I have ever eaten.
It is sublime.
I am not the only one who thinks so.
Maryam, a young woman from the neighborhood,
arrives with her 3-year-old
daughter to indulge in “the best of the
best” kunafa, baked from a family recipe,
history of crossings and new beginnings,
each morning in Astoria.
AL-SHAM SWEETS & PASTRIES
24-39 STEINWAY ST.,
ASTORIA
718-777-0876
Photos: Marie Torio/BORO