"Let's meet for coffee!" is a normal outing to suggest to a friend, family member or even a date, but why not try something different and make it a cultural experience at the same time? That is is where Qahwah House, located on Schaefer Road in Dearborn, comes in.
Qahwah House is an authentic Yemeni coffeehouse, serving up drinks most have not had a chance to try before. The owner, Ibrahim Al-Habsani, says his coffeehouse blends Arabic-style and American-style coffee, meaning you can get both a traditional latte as well as their special Yemeni latte.
We tried the Jubani, an authentic Yemeni drink. It features Yemeni coffee, which is blended with cardamom, ginger and cinnamon. They boil the mixture in a pot with water and once it is thoroughly combined they pour it through a strainer into a clear glass teapot to be enjoyed. The combination of coffee and spices makes for a very aromatic drink that almost tastes like a cross between a chai and coffee.
"This is not like coffee you drink every day," said Al-Habsani
Speaking of chai, they do their own take on a chai latte called Adoni chai. It is made using a similar process, combining water, sugar, cardamom, a little nutmeg, black tea and sweet and condensed milk.
For snacks, they have a delicious pastry called sabaya. Made with of layers of buttery, flaky, phyllo dough and drizzled with honey, it is the perfect complement to their tea and coffee.
Qahwah House is at 6655 Schaefer Road, Dearborn, MI 48126.