A Persian Rose
A warning to menu fashion victims: the ubiquitous sun-dried tomato is off the menu at Rose's Persian restaurant in Finchley Road, north London. Instead, sun-dried buttermilk mixed with puréed aubergine is the latest flavour combination.
Rose Lang opened the restaurant five years ago as a modern British eaterie. But owing to the outstanding success of her Persian themed evenings, enthusiastic customers persuaded her to revert to the cooking of her homeland for good.
A self-taught chef, Lang has developed and refined classic Persian dishes, as well as introducing family recipes which have been handed down by her mother. She has also experimented with preparation and cooking techniques, devising ways of producing dishes "à la minute" restaurant-style, that would otherwise take hours of slow-cooking home-style.
"This retains all the fresh flavours and dispenses with the risks of keeping food over heat for long periods of time, which is standard practice in many other Persian restaurants," she explains.
Lang's version of crispy topped potato rice (£6), uses basmati soaked in water and salt for at least a day. The rice is boiled in lots of water, rinsed in cold water, and steamed to order with a row of oiled, sliced, raw potatoes for 15 minutes before turning out for service.
Speciality rice dishes for two or more diners include morasa polow (rice with chicken, pistachios, almonds, orange zest and carrots, £16) and gymeh polow (spicy rice with lamb, sun-dried lamb and split peas, £12). Other main courses from the selection of 17 currently available include koofteh tabrizi (dumplings of minced lamb, stuffed with apricots, £4.50) and khoresht-e fesenjan (whole quail with walnut and pomegranate paste, £5).
Lang uses indigenous Persian ingredients, such as barberries (elongated, dried red berries with a sharp, lemony flavour), sun-dried buttermilk (chalk-like, which becomes creamy when blended), and sun-dried fresh herbs imported directly from Iran.
Lang makes her own version of Persian cheese, which has a creamy consistency. Bread, which is crisper than pitta, is also made on the premises.
She encourages customers to start with nan-o panir-o sabzi (£3.50), as Persians traditionally eat bread, cheese and fresh herbs such as coriander, mint, chive and tarragon, at the beginning of a meal to "cleanse the system". Fresh herbs are nibbled throughout the meal as a side-salad - sabzi khordan (£2.20) - which is said to aid digestion.
Other starters include kaleh joosh (spicy meatballs in a walnut and yogurt sauce, £3), dolmeh sib (stuffed apple with minced turkey, mushrooms, herbs, saffron and cinnamon, £3). Main dishes can be accompanied with mast-o khiyar (cucumber, yogurt and raisins, £2.40) or makhloot shoor (mixed pickles, £2.30).
Desserts, all £3.50, include pistachio tart, rose mousse and stuffed dates. The restaurant offers a short, predominantly French, wine list and meals conclude with fresh mint tea (£1.50), served with honey, almond and saffron sweetmeats.
The restaurant is on two floors, maximum capacity 75 seats. The non-smoking upper floor, reached by climbing a wrought-iron spiral staircase, is filled with Persian rugs and risqué 1920s prints to complete the authentic Persian atmosphere.
Rose's, 515 Finchley Road, London NW3.
Tel: 0171-431 2199.
