Chef Hisham Abdelfattah knows the test of a great restaurant is not how it prepares and plates its highest-end menu items, but the care it takes in its everyday foods and side dishes. And at El Halal Amigos, it all comes down to his magnificent rice and beans.
“People ask me what is my best thing,” Abdelfattah told San José Spotlight. “And it’s easy to point out the ribs. But when I started, I decided we would make the best beans and rice anywhere. I am sick of going to Mexican restaurants and being served lackluster food.”
The two dishes are a flavor revelation. The beans, black or pinto, are firm and mildly seasoned. The fluffy rice is infused with chicken broth and garlic, which might tempt you to finish it before you touch anything else on the plate.
Abdelfattah, 30, has been cooking since he was 13 years old. He started by helping his Filipino mother after school by boiling rice and meat. On weekends, while with his Palestinian father, he was tasked with making breakfast and dinner.