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ORAL HISTORY
Esmail Algahdari
Queen of Sheba
Esmail Algahdari was born in Sanaa, Yemen in 1992. Restaurants are a family affair for Algahdari. He learned to cook from his father and brother in his family’s restaurant in Yemen. He migrated to New York in 2015 and soon after, he moved to Memphis. He is co-owner of Queen of Sheba, a Yemeni restaurant which opened in 2016. He also cooks much of the food served in the restaurant. Queen of Sheba serves traditional Yemeni food, including dishes like lamb haneeth, saltah, and arikah.