Bilqis Coffee, a new specialty coffee shop in Bay Ridge, is all about giving Yemeni coffee the credit it deserves.
Nestled among other locally-owned businesses, Bilqis offers coffee with rich, smooth flavors — and an even richer history — paired with freshly baked pastries and served in a warm, inviting atmosphere.
“You can find all the types of coffee in the world in Yemen, but there are some Yemeni types [of coffee] that you will not get in any other place,” Salah Al-Abdali, Bilqis’ general manager, told Brooklyn Paper.
Those beans are available at Bilqis, Al-Abdali said. The cafe sources its coffee exclusively from smaller farmers in Yemen. Salah Al-Abdali and Bilqis’ founder, Arafat Tagaddin, have personally established a supply chain that sources their beans mainly from women growers, ensuring only high-quality coffee reaches the store.
“Yemeni coffee is very complex. You can sometimes taste the coffee from the same mountain just from east to west; the flavor is something different,” Al-Abdali said. “We have a few examples from East Haraz and West Haraz. It’s something definitely different — one is winey and fruity, and the other one is dark chocolate and a little bit vanilla.”
Yemen’s climate and the altitude of its coffee farms help cultivate beans that produce a light, flavorful cup. While many specialty coffee shops boast bold flavors, the coffee at Bilqis stands out for its low acidity and smooth finish — a surprising quality for coffee that packs such a flavorful punch.
From espresso to pour-over, Bilqis coffee pairs perfectly with the decadent desserts on offer, including gelato, pistachio-flavored treats, and Sabaya, a traditional Yemeni flaky pastry topped with honey.
Co-founder Arafat Tagaddin says he designed the café to make customers feel like they are visiting Yemen. Every painting on the walls is hand-drawn, showcasing different geographical or historical locations tied to the country’s long history of coffee production.
There is debate over the origin of coffee. While many experts trace the coffee bean’s origin to Ethiopia, Yemen holds a significant place in the early history and international distribution of coffee. Coffee cultivation in Yemen dates back more than 500 years.
Tagaddin and Al-Abdali are determined to share the history of Yemeni coffee, which has led to the rich cups they serve today.
“Everyone has heard of Mocha, but what is Mocha?” Tagaddin asked, gesturing to a hand-painted drawing of merchants on a beach. “Mocha is a seaport in Yemen where they started shipping coffee all over the world. Yemen is the birthplace of coffee cultivation all over the world, and it is the first international source of coffee historically.”
Zaid Nagi, CEO of the Yemeni American Group, supports Bilqis in sourcing their coffee beans and agrees that Yemen’s connection to the history of coffee has not been properly recognized in the U.S.
“We Yemeni-Americans feel a sense of injustice. Everyone knows the word Mocha, but nobody knows that it means a port in Yemen, which in turn means the story of coffee,” Nagi told Brooklyn Paper. “So we feel like stores and businesses like this can bring justice.”
Nagi believes that efforts like Bilqis’ are just the beginning.
“We’re just starting,” he said. “We’re not there yet, but America will fall in love with Yemeni coffee.”
Bilqis Coffee is located at 8018 Fifth Ave. in Bay Ridge. The shop, which celebrated its grand opening this month, is open Sunday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. For more information, visit bilqiscoffee.co.
