Mamnoon owners, Racha and Wassef Haroun, have done it again with anar, a new vegetarian and juice bar! anar means pomegranate in Farsi and the pomegranate is often referred to as the Tree of Life. Aptly named because your body, your taste buds, and your soul seem full of life after indulging in their robust and intricate layered flavors. But this time, rather than a cool restaurant on Capitol Hill, Amazonian and downtown inhabitants are benefiting from their healthy, vegetarian Middle Eastern blend of foods in the Regrade district at Amazon’s Doppler campus.
The unassuming, but chic little hole in the wall is anything but unassuming. With only 5 juices to choose from, you can make some simple but delicious choices and can’t go wrong with any of them. I took my son to the media event and for a relatively picky eater, after the first tasting of only the juices, he was already planning our next visit. We were presented with a colorful array of their five, vibrant and flavorful juices on a silver platter. I had two definite favorites, but I could easily drink any of them on a daily basis. The primary colors made you wonder how fresh fruit and vegetables along with some natural spices could create such a delightful merriment to the eyes and still be good for you and taste amazing. Among my favorites were anar (red beets, orange and pomegranate) that had a tangy but sweet taste that was the best combination of beet juice I’ve ever had. The red juice (not as red as the anar, but still red), made of roma tomato, red bell pepper, cantaloupe, ginger, tarragon, and Aleppo, was my favorite…refreshing with the bite of the ginger…mmmm, great on a hot summer day or when you are feeling under the weather. My other favorites were the refresh, made of coconut water, carrot, ginger, orange and orange blossom, and the yellow no. 5, made of pineapple, sweet pepper, lemon and rose water. And you can add ellenos yogurt or cashew milk to any of the freshly made juices and have an entirely different drink.
We tried a few of the big plates including the quinoa and the fatteh, which I am still craving and can’t wait for them to open on Monday, January 18, 2016, so I can get a big batch of deliciousness. Many of the dishes come with gluten-free crackers that are incredible and freshly made at their sister location at Mamnoon.
Wassef said it best as he looks forward to the first of their two projects in the Doppler Campus, saying, “We are excited to adapt juicing and vegetarian preparations found in the Middle East to bring uncommon, delicious flavors and treats to Seattle that have been tested by sophisticated culinary palates. anar will an oasis of color, texture, and unique tastes where you can treat yourself without compromise.”
anar will be an ideal destination to get energized for the day, starting with a breakfast yogurt blend, Persian mint tea, or a specially blended kombucha. My son and I tried the yogurt blend – mine with a blend of savory dried fruit mix and banana with granola with pumpkin seeds and his with just the granola and pumpkin seeds and banana. The big and small plates can be punctuated by late afternoon mocktails, Turkish ice coffees, and teas. The brightly colorful, simple décor is a pleasure to sit and eat or take and go. The prep work is right in front of you so that you are aware of what goes in to each delicious dish. It’s a place you will try once and keep on going back.
WHERE: 2040 6th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122 located in the new Amazon Doppler campus in Seattle’s Regrade district, adjacent to the Denny triangle.
HOURS: Monday-Saturday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
