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Sami's Café

2/3/2022

Bassam Natour, Owner of Sami's Café, named for his father

Born in the Palestinian West Bank city of Ramallah in 1966, Bassam “Sam” Natour and his family left the area soon after he was born. Following the Six-Day War in 1967, Sam’s dad took the family to the United States where his dad and two uncles bought a house in Fairfax, Virginia. They lived there until 1973, when they moved to Knoxville.

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Sticky Rice Cafe

2/3/2022

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Nongkhan Sikarng, Owner of Sticky Rice Café

Sticky Rice Café believes food can be so much more than just a meal. It’s about flavors. It’s about culture. And it's about family.

Nongkhan ("Khan") and her mother, Phet, are originally from Laos. When Khan was born, the Vietnam war was ending, and the country was in turmoil. In order to join Khan's father, who was from Thailand, they had to escape from their homeland.

Phet's only choice was to cross the Mekong River with one-year-old Khan on her back. For some time the rest of the family did not know if they made it safely. Once they were reunited, their family was moved through many refugee camps in many countries. They dealt with the very worst conditions but were able to stay together. Finally, after many years, Khan's father found a sponsor and moved their family to the United States. At first, they lived in Louisiana.

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Tealicious

2/3/2022

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My Quyen Duong, Owner of Tealicious Bubble Tea Shop

Tealicious Bubble Tea shop opened in Hardin Valley September 2019. This Boba tea café is owned by My Quyen Duong, who came to Knoxville with her family from Vietnam when she was eight years old.

Processed through a program started under President Ford following the Vietnam War, My’s family qualified for entry due to her father’s prisoner of war (POW) status. Through the program, the US took in an estimated 125,000 Vietnamese people. My Quyen has been in Knoxville for 28 years.

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Yassin's Falafel House

2/2/2022

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Yassin Terou, Owner of Yassin's Falafel House

Yassin Terou came to Knoxville as a Syrian immigrant in 2011. He chose Knoxville because he was looking for “a nice city, and Knoxville wasn’t very expensive.” He also liked the climate and being near the University of Tennessee.

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Local Restaurants Owned by Internationals

Sami's Café

Sticky Rice Cafe

Tealicious

Yassin's Falafel House

Ethnic Restaurants

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