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The halal food craze has made its way to North Patchogue with the opening of Flame Halal Gyro earlier this month.
Sonny Ehooja of Deer Park runs the restaurant in the corner of Gateway Plaza with his wife.
She helps make all the meals fresh and in-house.
Ehooja ran a coffee and newspaper stand in at the Cold Spring Harbor train station for about 12 years, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to temporarily shut it down, he told GreaterPatchogue.
“I had to do something to support my family,” he said. “It’s tough, nobody thought it was going to be this bad.”
For Ehooja, the quality of the food is what matters most, he said, and customer satisfaction comes first, which is why he offers samples for patrons to try before ordering a meal.
The menu offers chicken, tomato chicken, lamb, falafel, kofta (which is like a meatball), and fish — all served on rice, salad, or as a gyro.
There’s also a chicken and lamb combo meal, priced at $6.49 or $7.49.
“We marinate everything the day before and cook it the next day,” Ehooja said. “We try to give good quality food to our customers, and that’s my goal.”
Ehooja is a recognizable face in Cold Spring Harbor, and was even once featured in Cold Spring Harbor Living Magazine. He hopes to continue to form that same connection with the lager Patchogue community.
Next thing on Ehooja’s agenda is to put up a permanent sign.
