FSR magazine April 2018

Wealthy families might slaughter a goat
once a month, but the majority of people
eat primarily vegetarian—vegetable
stews and a variety of hot and cold
mezze.
Massoud opened fine-dining ilili in
Manhattan’s Flatiron district in 2008
as an answer to the success of high-end
Japanese spots Nobu and Zuma. “What
they did to Asian cuisine, we hope to
achieve with Levantine cuisine,” he says.
Ilili’s herbaceous, lightly dressed tabbouleh
reflects the region’s abundance,
while the hummus is almost theological
in its ratios: “Just soft enough to
maintain the integrity of the chickpea,
just nutty enough to give the flavor of
tahini, and just lemony enough for a hint
of acidity when you drizzle it with olive
oil and scoop it up with pita,” Massoud
says. “It took a while for people to appreciate
what we consider the real deal.”
What’s pervasive across the menu is
a purposeful lightness to entice people
to come back, which Massoud achieved
through reducing the fat, oil, and salt.
“I wanted people to come and have an
orgy of food and still be able to go dancing,”
he says.
Tasting Tehrangeles
About half of the country’s Iranian population
lives in Los Angeles, according to
U.S. Census data. The region’s diaspora
has been lovingly dubbed Tehrangeles.
Yet for a long time, residents’ exposure
to the cuisine was largely via sandwich
shops and kebab houses, like shoeboxsized
Attari and beloved strip-mall storefront
It’s All Good House of Kabob.
“These days, more people are realizing
that Persian food is simple, healthy, and
delicious,” says Shawn Saloot, partner of
stalwart Darya Restaurant in Orange
County and West Los Angeles. “I think
that is why it is becoming popular.”
Iran is home to one of the world’s oldest
continuous major civilizations, with
historical and urban settlements dating
back to 7,000 B.C. Once a major empire,
the country has endured invasions by
the Greeks, Arabs, Turks, and Mongols—
though it’s reasserted its national identity
throughout the centuries. Historical
interactions with neighboring regions
have undoubtedly affected the cuisine,
though, with Caucasian, Levantine,
Greek, Central Asian, Russian, and Turkish
gastronomy all leaving their mark.
“Persian food originated from different
parts of Iran, each with their own
specific and unique culture and geography,
such as the Caspian Sea whitefish
with herb rice,” Saloot says. “But
let me tell you something, Persian food
is not spicy at all.” Rather, he says, it’s
more often tinged with aromatic saffron,
turmeric, and cinnamon. Grilled meat
is often the centerpiece, with rice and
bread being staples of every Persian table.
Saloot opened Darya with his brother
Ali Saloot in 1985, opting for old-school
elegance via chandeliers, Victorian décor,
and an ambitious menu of traditional
Persian meats, stews, and rice dishes.
They opened a second outpost in Santa
Monica 10 years later.
The Saloots draw from Southern
California’s agricultural abundance to
faithfully re-create classic dishes, such
as kashke bademjan, with sauteed eggplant
mixed with yogurt, fried garlic,
turmeric, fried onion, and topped with
sautéed mint, garlic, and kashk (whey
sauce). Their famous tahdig, or crispy
rice from the bottom of the pot, is
heaped with Fesenjan stew, made from
slow-boiled chicken in a sauce of evenslower-cooked
pomegranate and ground
walnuts. Homespun touches permeate
Juicy Chicken—a kebab made from
chicken-breast medallions marinated
overnight in lemon juice, saffron, corn
oil, salt, and pepper, then charbroiled—
which was so named by Saloot’s then-7-
year-old son.
Yet even as the landscape has grown
more crowded with spots like stylish
Flame and Iranian-American Cafe
Glacé doling out lamb tahchin—saffron
rice cakes—and Persian gyros, Darya
remains true to the Saloot’s Iran for 33
years and counting.
“I cannot change the traditional Iranian
food,” Saloot says. “We have only
tried to keep its standard the highest
possible by using fresh and quality ingredients.”
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