Castro Courier

From Algeria to the Castro: Queen Malika Dishes Out Crepes, Coffee and
Wi-Fi to Regulars on 18th St.

Queen Malika owner Hamid Otsmane stands outside his crepery on 18th Street. A
native of Algeria, Otsmane opened up his restaurant three years ago in the space
formerly occupied by It’s Delectable.

While there are a few crepe restaurants in the Castro, Queen Malika easily gives them a run for their money.

The small award-winning neighborhood cafe, located on 18th Street in between Douglass and Diamond streets, boasts a wide selection of savory healthy crepes made with a minimum of oil (only a spoonful for every hundred crepes!), as well as sandwiches, salad, soups, coffee, and pastries.

Although Queen Malika has only been a Castro staple for three years, its owner, Hamid Otsmane, has lived down the street with his wife and children for 12 years (Malika is the name of his daughter and is Arabic for “queen”). An Algerian native, Otsmane lived in London for a year beginning in 1988 before returning to his homeland and then moving again to New York City. He worked in the hospitality industry there for some time while saving up to move to California and eventually the Castro.

“It’s a quiet neighborhood, friendly with kids. It’s quiet, it’s nice, it’s out of the sun,” said Otsmane of his adopted home. “The people in this neighborhood, they love it here. They never want to leave.”

It’s no surprise that Queen Malika generates similar feelings from its patrons, most of whom are regulars. Otsmane makes sure to provide each of his customers with exactly what they need. For the businessmen who frequent the crepery on the weekdays, often holding meetings in Queen Malika, there is free wi-fi and five available outlets to charge laptops.

Families will be pleased to find a child-friendly environment with a kids’ table and toys to keep youngsters occupied. Those in a rush can phone in orders for pickup and social movers and shakers can choose to host private parties in the venue or have food catered – Otsmane will work with them to ensure they get the best spread while staying within their budget.

Otsmane also enjoys chatting with his customers and, if he finds someone has left food behind, he has a policy of always ensuring that their experience went well.

“We try to make everybody (at) home,” said Otsmane.

Of course, the food itself is more than enough of a draw to keep coming back. The crepes are thin and crispy with just a hint of sweetness. They come big enough to fill the plate and are loaded with fresh – never frozen – ingredients that are offered at the same price year-round.

Otsmane’s personal favorite – baked salmon, cucumber, tomato, red onion, olives, cheese (jack or swiss), and spinach – is, at eight dollars, the most expensive item on the menu, but well worth the extra change. The coffee is made from freshly roasted beans and is very popular with customers, even though there is a Starbucks only a few blocks away.

The salad and soups, added a few months after opening, are also well-liked and are often featured in the daily specials Otsmane posts on a board outside the restaurant. The soups, which change on a daily basis, are always vegetarian, a change Otsmane made after a vegetarian customer complained she was never able to find soup she could eat.

“My ideal – it’s not expensive and it’s good food and all the staff here are friendly,” he said.
Otsmane developed a sense of what makes a business successful from working in the hospitality industry. In addition to working as a waiter, a manager, and in the kitchen of numerous establishments, Otsmane had helped many friends set up their own businesses, all the while being asked by friends and family why he did not open his own restaurant.

While helping a friend ready his crepery for coffee sales, Otsmane, who grew up eating crepes, got the idea for his own business. However, it was not until a spot down the street from his house in the Castro became vacant (the space formerly occupied by It’s Delectable) that he made his move.

“The most important thing,” said Otsmane, “people who come here don’t pick on you. Doesn’t matter if you’re straight or if you’re gay or... Here, everybody respects you for who you are. So far, thank God, we don’t have any problems with that.”



	San Francisco, California September 2008