"The aromas from her mother's traditional Tigrayan stews would waft through the kitchen as a young Weyanti Ahmed learnrd her craft, experimenting with the spare tips of onions, bell peppers and jalepeños to "create my own little meals." Ahmed's mother, Hiwot, lived long enough to see her daughter, now 46, become a professional chef in downtown Oakland, with a much longer list of ingredients in her arsenal."
"Now, a mural facing the entrance of Ahmed's soul-food restaurant, Y's Choice, features a radiant portrait of Hiwot, beaming out at the customers shuffling into booths to feast on garlic noodles, grilled prawns, braised oxtails, turkey chops, deep-fried chicken and more. On another wall, there is a short family biography paying tribute to Ahmed's cultural history."
"Broadly promoted as a soul-food joint, Y's Choice is not limited to any one cuisine - an intentional choice by the chef, who was born in Sudan, grew up primarily in West Oakland and now commutes from her home in Fremont. The comfort food has some Habesha influences but also happens to include Halal burgers, inspired by the Ahmed'd late Turkish father."
Weyanti Ahmed learned cooking from her mother's traditional Tigrayan stews and experimented with onions, peppers and jalapeños to create her own meals. Ahmed runs Y's Choice in downtown Oakland, serving garlic noodles, grilled prawns, braised oxtails, turkey chops and fried chicken with Habesha influences and Halal options inspired by her late Turkish father. Two daughters help operate the restaurant, and Ahmed balances family and business while commuting from Fremont. Ahmed previously worked as a nurse, held desk jobs and ran a catering service before committing full-time to the restaurant, citing tenacity and consistency.
Read at The Mercury News
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