Pike Place Profile: Munir Qureshi of The Souk

Munir Qureshi, above, who grew up in Pakistan, co-owns The Souk, which offers food, jewelry and hand-embroidered clothing from the Middle East. (BETTY UDESEN / THE SEATTLE TIMES)

Who: Munir Qureshi, 62, co-owner of The Souk.

Where I live: Ballard, but grew up in Pakistan.

What I sell : Jewelry, hand-embroidered clothes and halal meats and other food from India, Pakistan and the Middle East. "But it has become a place to chat. [Longtime customers] come and talk about world events and their homeland."

How I got started: "Since the store's name means marketplace in Arabic, Pike Place Market made sense. It's one of first Muslim markets" in the city.

Most popular items sold: Curry and garam masala spices.

What makes them special: Secret family recipes passed on from their ancestors.

Sights and sounds I enjoy at the market: "The street musicians in front of Starbucks."

— Compiled by Tan Vinh, Seattle Times staff reporter

The Souk is located on the east side of Pike Place in the Soames Dunn Building and is next to the Mexican market. Phone 206-441-1666.