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Ramsi’s Cafe on the World Louisville, KY
October 20, 2006 · 5 Comments
Where can you go in Louisville KY and choose a dish off a menu with options from around the world? Ramsis Café on the World of course. This is my kind of eclectic place. It sits in a hip, urban and diverse neighborhood while delivering freshly cooked food from around the world.

Right when you walk in you know you are in for a treat. The décor is international. There is a Jamaican wall hanging next to an African picture with a beautiful British painting in between. There is a huge (12 foot) door leaning on a wall, a great water fountain in the outdoor covered seating area and many unique statues and trinkets on the wall. I bet there is a story behind each item. I would love to hear about each one of them. Every table in the restaurant is different, each with their own table cloth and many of them are handmade or imported. Even the chairs are different. But that is not all, each table setting is unique as well – plates, forks, knives, spoons and glasses.

The food is great. I enjoyed it so much on the first night of my trip that I went back on the second. I started the night with the Tuna Tartare (Fresh marinated Yellow fin tuna with red onions, peppers, green onions, avocado & cilantro). It had such a fresh, light and tangy flavor. For my entrée I tried the Coconut Scallops served with spinach Alfredo and fried plantains. What a great combination. The scallops were perfect, crisp on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside. On the second night I tried the 1001 Arabian lentils. It was served with caramelized onion marmalade, yogurt and cucumber-tomato relish. Again, quite a unique combo that my taste buds couldn’t get enough of. I also had the soup of day, which unfortunately I cannot remember what it was. All I know is I finished it off.

I recommended the place to a couple of co-workers (Vishal & Hooman) who went toLouisville a week after I had gone in September. Guys, please tell us what you thought.

This place earns a 4 page rating for the story. The owners are both Arabs who grew up inJerusalem and their Mother is Catholic. Their Mother owns a small grocery store and they both have engineering degrees. In 1994 they decided to start a unique restaurant that would provide a place for people to feel at home, enjoy international food while they engage in great conversation. What a fascinating story.

It started out very small and every few years has had to expand in order to keep up with the demand due to the tremendous popularity. So, it is actually quite large and therefore only has a 1 hole in the wall rating.

I must mention the wait staff. I have never seen a more eclectic collection of folks – some very young, some with pink hair, others more middle aged, but all were totally into serving their customers. One of the hostesses spent a little time with me and gave me the pieces of the story that I shared above. If anyone has more information on the story, I would love to hear it.

Next time I am in Louisville, I will definitely go back to one of my kind of places, Ramsi’s Café on the World.