At La’ Shukran, Michael Rafidi Delivers the Full Levantine Experience

Resy: Where did the name La’ Shukran come from, and why the secret alley entrance?

Michael Rafidi: La’ Shukran is a name that came about in part because we liked the playful nature of it. But there are a couple of other aspects to it as well. In English, the phrase can have a completely different meaning, depending on how you emphasize the phrase: “No, thank you.” Changing it from a refusal to actually being a way of saying ‘thank you’ instead. There’s also a phrase in Arabic, “La’ Shukran ala wajib,” which means essentially “there is no thanks necessary for a duty,” and we see hospitality as kind of an obligation in a sense.

As for the alley entrance, we always wanted La’ Shukran to have a little bit of a gritty feel to it. It wouldn’t have made sense in a glass and steel modern building. We wanted people to feel like they were in on something. And for the space to feel simultaneously new and fresh, but also like something that had been around for a long time and evolved over the years.

This restaurant is equal parts restaurant bistro, bar, and lounge. Describe the vibe for a first-time visitor, and when can we expect more musical acts?

It’s all part of the whole. The drinks are a big part of it, which is why we seat guests with cocktail books, then bring them the dinner menu. If you go to a friend’s house for a dinner party, they don’t go straight into the menu as soon as you walk in the door. They get you comfortable, and get you a drink first, then you get into the food.

In terms of performances, we’re planning to have regular – possibly monthly – DJ sets. We ran our first last week, and the turnout was great. The feel of each night will vary depending on who’s spinning records, but the core identity of the space, and that tension between being a bar and a bistro, will always be a part of it.

What is your top cocktail and dish of choice that people must order?

There are a few [dishes] which have become emblematic of the concept, and must-trys. Specifically, the escargot hummus with poppyseed sourdough, the falafel jibne, and the foie gras. Those combine the kind of elevated and eclectic spirit that we’re trying to capture.

The cocktail side starts with a selection of drinks using arak as a principal ingredient. It definitely speaks to what we’re doing with the bar program, trying to incorporate a spirit which is so prevalent in the Levant region and highlighting it while still making it approachable. The Filfil (‘pepper’ in Arabic) is among our top cocktails, and the idea for the Bedouin coffee (and the name) came directly from our travels in Jordan and Wadi Rum.

Arabic spirits and wine appear on the drinks menu. Why was it important to feature these?

Working with spirits and wines from the Levant region made sense. This was part of why we traveled to Palestine and Jordan in 2023 to spend time with producers, distillers, winemakers, beverage directors, and chefs over there.

There is a huge variety of flavors, ingredients, and even grape varieties which aren’t really found elsewhere, so we always knew that incorporating them into La’ Shukran was an essential part of the experience.

Can you speak to a dish that pays tribute to your family or a specific place in the Levant?

There are a few different ways to look at this through the hummus and sourdough section. The crab ‘msabaha hummus combines the flavors of the foods I grew up eating along with the fact that I grew up here in the Mid-Atlantic.

Anytime I can combine those elements it’s really personally significant because that is truest to my own experience. Similarly, the escargot hummus brings in elements of my cooking career before opening Albi. For a chef, French cuisine is almost inescapable, and I really wanted to be able to present something of those experiences in an unexpected way. The beef tongue hummus is loaded with shawarma spices and includes the herbs, tahini, and pickles that you would find in a classic shawarma in Ramallah or elsewhere in the region but repackaged as a hummus.

Dessert is serious business at La’ Shukran. Who created these dishes?

Alicia Wang is our executive pastry chef. She’s in charge of all the desserts for our restaurants and the pastry program at Yellow. She’s brilliant at taking traditional Arabic desserts and presenting them in unexpected ways, or with little surprises hidden inside.

Not to reveal too much, but … the late-night menu. Why was it important to have one?

We wanted La’ Shukran to have a definite late-night feel to it, and part of that meant keeping the kitchen open late rather than just switching gears to being an all-out bar. One thing the District could use more of, in our opinion, is late-night options, and we wanted to provide one. On school nights, we offer the dinner menu straight through until the kitchen closes at 11 p.m. But we start offering the Big Jibne, our keft burger, at 9 p.m. Then, on Friday and Saturday nights we switch to the late-night menu at 10 p.m. It’s still a pretty robust menu and definitely includes the burger, and we offer that until midnight.

Finally, any other surprises ahead?

We’re always looking for something new that we can offer. Updating playlists, bringing a new selection of cocktails and wines to the menu, constantly experimenting in the kitchen, so in terms of surprises and changes, there will be plenty ahead. They’ll keep coming on a pretty regular basis.

It’s too early to get into specifics, but we’re also looking at a number of different ways to collaborate with other bar programs, chefs, and beverage people in general both locally, nationally, and abroad, so that’ll be something to look out for as we go.

La’ Shukran is open for dinner now. Reservations are released Monday at 10:00 AM for Thursday – Monday of the following week.

Tim Ebner is an award-winning food and travel writer. He has contributed to The Washington Post, Eater, Thrillist, Travel & Leisure, and Edible DC. Follow him on Instagram. Follow Resy, too.