Before you even place your order, warmth fills the dining room at Sultan Palace, along with enticing aromas. Families gather over platters of grilled meats and hummus while the scent of spices and charcoal drifts softly through the air.
On weekends, live music brings the comforting spirit of old Syrian evenings back to life. Soon, canopied, outdoor dining will open for the season; but for now the intimacy of the indoor dining room feels like an old Aleppo home.
For owner and chef Abdo Rahmoun, that feeling is deeply personal.
Rahman came to Paterson from Aleppo, where his family traded sheep and cattle. After arriving in New Jersey and working alongside his brother as a butcher, he opened AlQumma, one of Paterson’s first Middle Eastern fast-food restaurants, known for its shish kebabs and welcoming atmosphere.
Later came Mishwar Dajaj, named after the traditional, spicy, grilled chicken. Sultan Palace opened during COVID, as a tribute to the cuisine and traditions of his Syrian home.
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What Rahmoun remembers about Aleppo is not just the food — but the feeling around it.
Aleppo’s cuisine, shaped by Armenians, Circassians, Arabs, Aramaics, and Syriacs, Kurds and Turks, became known for its rich spices and layered traditions. Yet for Rahmoun, the strongest memories come from his mother’s kitchen.
“When guests came, my mother would spend the entire day preparing at least five kinds of kibbeh among other dishes,” he recalls softly. “The platters covered the table.”
He smiles gently before adding what many men say about their mothers’ cooking.
“Even today, I still say my mother’s was the best, which upsets my wife,” he smiles.
At Sultan Palace, dishes like summakia, safarjalia, kubbeh naye, kibbeh mishweye and kibbeh bisaniyeh continue those memories. At the same time, breakfasts of eggs with bastirma or soujouk and hummus with meat and nuts recall mornings once shared around crowded family tables.
For Rahmoun, the restaurant is more than a place to dine. It is a way of holding onto Aleppo — its warmth, its music, and the memories carried through food from one generation to the next.
Sultan Palace is located at
429 Crooks Ave, Clifton, NJ
