By McKenna Sweet, The Seattle Medium
When Mo Nooreldin moved from Dubai to Seattle over 15 years ago, he wanted fresh baklava but could only find the frozen and thawed versions of the layered pastry.
”My belief is food carries more than a lot of people think,” Nooreldin said. “ Dessert is not something we eat because it’s sweet. It carries meanings with family gatherings, memories, holidays, home. So that’s the reason why I started thinking about it.”
Baklava is a pastry rooted in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures. It often has either syrup or honey as a sweetener, and is filled with crumbled nuts, such as walnuts and pistachios. According to Nooreldin, recipes for the dessert vary across countries and even among families.
To fill the baklava void in the Seattle area, Nooreldin began working with his mother and mother-in-law to create a baklava family recipe that they could bake and sell to the public. After a few years of developing, flavoring, and testing, Nooreldin founded Moklava in 2018.
”My philosophy is start with whatever you have. I started my business with $100 if you believe it or not,” Nooreldin said.
Since opening, Nooreldin has become known as “the baklava guy” and “Mr. Baklava” to the people with whom he shares his desert. He has also appeared as a contestant on “Worst Cooks in America” and done voice acting for an animated movie after a group of people in Los Angeles tried his baklava and invited him to the city.
It is clear from one conversation that Nooreldin is passionate about his work. Brendan Hellar, vendor manager at the Fremont Sunday Market, talked about meeting Nooreldin for the first time at the first Fremont Bridge Night Bazaar.
”I had one spot available and it was a spot I was avoiding putting anyone in because it’s a really bad spot … and he was just happy to do it,” Hellar said. ”He sold out on his first night here even though I was like, ‘OK that’s the worst spot’, still sold out – it’s amazing – so I wanted to have him back as much as possible.”
Hellar also described how Nooreldin’s extroverted personality is a great addition to the Fremont Sunday Market.
”A lot of people aren’t so vibrant and inviting,” Hellar said. “A lot of people kind of just show up and they wait for people to come. He’s very much a person who will talk to people as they walk by. It’s very exciting.”
Nooreldin said that talking to people about baklava and sharing his dessert brings him immense joy, which helps him balance his busy schedule of also working as a dentist operation manager and getting his degrees in health science and psychology.
Cooking fresh food for his kids is also a pleasure for Nooreldin, who said they brag to their teachers and friends about how their dad makes them pizza from scratch. Eva Younes, Nooreldin’s wife, said her favorite dish he makes is his lamb tagine.
Nooreldin used to work in a restaurant that left him smelling like fries and oil, so he said he now loves smelling like vanilla and home-cooked food instead.
Nooreldin hopes to purchase a food truck for the multiple markets he attends, and he’s working out the logistics of adding ice cream to his menu. Part of the reason he chose the name “Moklava” was because he didn’t want to be confined to baklava.
Nooreldin’s logo was also carefully crafted, reflecting his appearance at the time with his circular glasses, bowtie and mustache.
“Creating it was a labor of love; I hand-drew and refined it myself,” Nooreldin said in an email. “I wanted a logo that not only represented my product and brand but was also instantly recognizable. Branding is crucial, and I needed something memorable.”
Since starting his business, Nooreldin said the biggest lesson he has learned is the paramount importance of quality, which he believes is exemplified through his fresh baklava.
”The expression on people when I give them the baklava to taste the first time, they express it in their faces … When people just eating the dessert and putting their hand and trying to cover their mouth because they feel like they are drooling because it’s so delicious,” Nooreldin said.
Younes elaborated on the work ethic Nooreldin brings to Moklava every day.
“People should know that Mo pours his heart and soul into every piece of baklava he makes,” Younes said in a text. “Moklava isn’t just a business for him; it’s a way to share a piece of his heritage and love for food with the world. His attention to detail and commitment to quality are what make Moklava truly special.”
