Egyptian Restaurant Opens at Dutch Square

Samy Tawfik wants to bring a taste of his home country to Columbia. 

Tawfik, who is originally from Egypt, opened a restaurant called Stuft-Stuff in the food court at . 

"I felt that there was a need to introduce Egyptian food to the Columbia market," Tawfik said.

A lot of traditional Egyptian dishes are stuffed, which is why he chose the name Stuft-Stuff.

One of the main menu items is pita pockets stuffed with lettuce, tomato, and cucumbers, and a choice of falafel, a beef burger called kofta, chicken or a hot dog. 

The pita bread is made fresh every day with a high-quality flour, Tawfik said, and each order is made fresh. 

The restaurant also offers vegeterain options, such as falafel — a patty made from fava beans and chickpeas. They also serve hummus (a dip made from chickpeas) and baba ghanoush (a dip made from eggplant) with pita chips.

Tawfik, who still works as a psychiatrist, is entering the restaurant business for the first time. He said his love for cooking and sharing his food inspired him to open his restaurant.

"I like to cook at gatherings with friends," Tawfik said, "and people would taste it and say 'Oh, this is good.'" 

Stuft Stuff is open from 12 to 4 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Find Stuft Stuff on Facebook.