Wardah | |
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Restaurant information | |
Established | November 7, 2018 |
Food type | Yemeni cuisine |
Street address | 24-1 Gwandeok-ro 8-gil, Jeju City, Jeju Province, South Korea |
Coordinates | 33°30′40″N 126°31′23″E / 33.5110°N 126.5231°E |
Wardah (Korean: 와르다; Arabic: وردة, lit. 'flower'[1]) is a Yemeni restaurant in Jeju City, South Korea.[2] It first opened on November 7, 2018.[3] It was reported in 2019 that the restaurant is one of very few halal restaurants in Jeju Province. The restaurant is owned and operated by a couple: South Korean Ha Min-gyeong and Yemeni refugee Mohammad Al-Mamari ("Amin"). The restaurant is named for a nickname given to Ha by the local Yemeni community.[2][3]
Al-Mamari arrived in South Korea in May 2018, fleeing the Yemeni civil war. Ha became involved in the refugee community after she offered to provide shelter for refugees; she would end up sheltering 100 over the course of a year.[2][4] Ha decided to open a halal restaurant to help feed the community; it soon reportedly became a local Muslim community center.[3] The two were married in April 2019.[2]
The restaurant serves Yemeni cuisine as well as other Arab cuisine dishes. Yemenis were reportedly allowed to eat at half price.[5] The restaurant has reportedly become popular amongst Korean locals and tourists as well.[6][5]