KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — Home food as comfort food is beautifully celebrated in Nooshe Jan, a weekend-only Persian dinner place, housed inside Plaza Damansara’s Fari & Ali’s Kitchen.
In the hands of Iranian Leily Amini, her daughter Sharifah Samira Syed Anwar (Samira) and niece, Sharifah Athirah Syed Azmin, we are invited to their Persian dining table, where each dish tells a story of their rich heritage.
Five years ago, we were introduced to their dreamy Noon Khamei cream puffs — Samira’s pandemic hobby — that organically grew into a proper cafe, named after her grandparents.
Encouraged by Samira’s success, Leily followed in her daughter’s footsteps to feed eager KL-lites soulful Persian food from her kitchen, which can now be appreciated in its full glory at Nooshe Jan, a place promising to, “nourish your soul”.
Take a page from their Persian household and build your own feast of dishes with robust and delicate flavours, where fresh herbs and caramelised onions enhance dishes, pomegranate molasses and dried lime lend some sourness, as rosewater and saffron perfume with their floral scent.
Break bread or in this case, traditional Persian flatbread called Noon with Caramelised Onion Hummus (RM28), a creamy chickpea and tahini dip liberally topped with sweet, fluffy slow-cooked caramelised onions, uplifted by a tinge of sourness from pomegranate molasses.
Don’t ignore their soup of the day thinking it may be a ho-hum item, especially if Barley Soup (RM25) is on the menu as it’s only found in Persian homes.
The soup may look modest and even slightly stodgy but it not only warmed our tummies with its creaminess from the slow cooked barley and sweetness from the carrots, it even had us fighting for the last spoonful.
Nourish your soul with their Barley Soup (left) as you break bread with the creamy Caramelised Onion Hummus (right) — Pictures by Lee Khang Yi
On the menu, the mighty eggplant is celebrated in many ways from dips where it is roasted in Mirza Ghasemi or sauteed in Kashk-e-Bademjan, to stews like the Khoreshte Gheyme Bademjan with lamb and Khoreshte Bademjan ba Morgh with chicken.
Move on to your main course and accompany it with a selection of their sides, balancing it to your preference.
Zereshk Polo ba Morgh (RM40) may look intimidating to finish but as you dive into that mountain of steamed rice, you will discover that it’s incredibly light and fluffy, gently perfumed with saffron and dotted with honey caramelised barberries.
The tomato and saffron infused chicken is moist and tears apart easily, as you eat it with the wonderful rice mixed with sweet caramelised onions.
It’s a dish that has been a personal favourite of mine since I first tasted Leily’s cooking many years ago.
As the food is served straight from the kitchen, the menu includes Mangal Paz or grilled items that require up to 20 minutes to prepare.
Joojeh Kebab is the traditional chicken kebab marinated with lemon juice and saffron that is often found on the Persian dining table but we went instead for the Kabab Chenjeh (RM58) to experience the marinated lamb.
Each cube of the grilled meat was tender and juicy, eaten with the bread, charred tomato, green chilli and pickled cabbage.
Fresh from the hot grill, enjoy Kabab Chenjeh with tender grilled lamb together with flatbread, charred tomato and green chilli — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Larger groups can go for the Lamb Shoulder (RM60) with crisp seared, tender meat.
Balance out the heavier elements with refreshing items from their Mokhalafat or side dishes selection, like the Salad Shirazi (RM18) and Zeytoon Parvarde (RM15).
The lemon and dried herbs dressing perks up the colourful salad of diced cucumber, capsicum, tomatoes and onions, cleansing your palate.
Side dishes like the tangy Zeytoon Parvarde (left) with pitted green olives mixed with garlic, walnuts, pomegranate molasses and herbs and a refreshing Salad Shirazi (right) with its lemon and dried herbs dressing, balances out the meat-heavy dishes — Pictures by Lee Khang Yi
Similarly, the tangy Zeytoon Parvarde works as an appetiser that combines pitted green olives with a tangy mixture of garlic, walnuts, herbs and pomegranate molasses.
A Persian meal is not complete without sweet treats and at Fari & Ali’s Kitchen, they are famous for their light, fluffy Rollet or roll cake flavoured with pistachio and their airy Noon Khamei or cream puffs with sweet whipped cream.
Cool down with Bastani (RM18) a childhood treat from yesteryears where ice cream is infused with saffron, rosewater, vanilla and topped with pistachios.
Cool down with Bastani (left) perfumed with saffron and keep your eyelids open with a shot of java from the Coffee Creme Brulee (right) — Pictures by Lee Khang Yi
Coffee lovers who must get a shot of java after dinner can experience it in a sweeter way with their Coffee Creme Brulee (RM25), featuring smooth custard infused with coffee.
As the cafe has limited seats, reservations are required for the dinner sessions.
The cosy Fari & Ali’s Kitchen will host Nooshe Jan, where diners can feast at the Persian dining table, from Thursday to Saturday nights — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Nooshe Jan at Fari & Ali’s Kitchen,
65G, Jalan Medan Setia 1,
Plaza Damansara, Damansara Heights,
Kuala Lumpur.
Open: 7pm to 10pm. Last call is 9.15pm. (Thursday to Saturday).
Tel:011-24089838.
Instagram: @nooshejan.kl
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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