Tahini Brings Turkish Coffee and Middle Eastern Desserts to Kearny Mesa

Popular Middle Eastern street food spot Tahini, which moved into a larger location last fall and recently launched an outpost on the UCSD campus, has just opened a new cafe in its original Kearny Mesa storefront that gives owners Osama Shabaik and Mahmoud “Moody” Barkawi, who are Egyptian and Syrian, the opportunity to share more of the food and culture with San Diego.

Called Finjan after the Arabic word for “coffee cup”, the cafe is starting with a menu of standard and specialty espresso drinks using James Coffee, like cortados, cappuccinos, and iced sparkling orange espressos as well as cold brew coffee, tea, and daytime snacks ranging from yogurt parfaits to toasts topped with za’atar-spiced labne or mashed fava beans and tahini.

More of the Middle Eastern side of the menu should be introduced by early 2023, with a selection of desserts based on homemade phyllo dough, including knafeh, a
a sugar syrup-soaked pastry with shredded phyllo dough and cheese filling, and baklawa layered with nuts and honey.

Finjan

Open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Finjan will also serve real Turkish coffee, brewed in a traditional Turkish sand coffee machine, along with Arabic coffee and Moroccan mint tea.