Afrin Restaurant – Red Rock

From Syria to Red Rock (via Iraq)

In 2011, the war in Syria forced the Ebo family to flee to Iraq. Mum - Marklin, Dad - Fwze, and their two sons Jay and John.

Marklin was a lawyer in Syria, and had to re-study her degree in Iraq. But after two years of studying, she was told that she couldn’t practice law in Iraq as she was not a citizen. The family spent almost four years there before they were offered an opportunity to move to Australia and be safe from Isis. They knew nothing about the country, except its shape on the map. In 2014, they arrived in Coffs as the first Kurdish family, and now there are around 200 Kurdish families settled in our area.

Not wanting to study law all over again, Marklin, with her family, has taken over the bistro at the Red Rock Bowling Club, where they offer delicious Kurdish meals with lots of dips, salads and Syrian recipes. The restaurant is named Afrin, which is the city where Marklin lived in Syria. All of their dishes are cooked on a charcoal grill and are usually served with garlic sauce, hummus, lovely fresh Biwaz salad and Lebanese bread. You can choose from lamb and chicken or vegetarian. Everything is all made in-house has a delicious fresh taste to it.

It’s hard to imagine the challenges and difficulties Marklin and her family have faced. But their resilience has led them to create a thriving business and become a valued part of our community. You should enjoy a meal with them soon.