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Upon entering Arya,
one can marvel at the beautiful and elegant Persian
architecture of the restaurant’s interior, emanating
an atmosphere of nobility, symmetry and charm. Owned
by married couple Shin and Semira Karami, the
restaurant opened on January 7 just last year, but
its success shows no signs of slowing down. “My wife
and I are always here everyday. Arya is the
extension of our home,” shares Karami.
Old and new customers keep coming back for its
first-class, Persian cuisine which is scarce here in
the metro. When I asked Shin how diners discovered
Arya, he replies, “Their usual response is through a
friend, cousin, relative, brother-in-law, mother,
etc. Our new guests are often related to our
frequent customers. People are always connected to
those who have already dined here.”
From Vision to Reality
The couple actually considered putting up a clinic
since both are dentists. They eventually changed
their minds after talking to the management of
Promenade Mall in Greenhills. And since then,
everything started rolling—from conceptualizing the
restaurant, choosing a name, designing the interior
and exterior, creating the menu and the list goes
on. |
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“I have always
wanted to put up my own place and the thought has
been in my mind ever since, but it wasn’t shaping up
that fast. I was taking my time. But every journey
begins with a small step and every vision starts
with a glimpse of the goal,” says Karami.
A Taste of the Middle East
“Persian cuisine is very well-balanced. It gives you
everything you need. We have vegetables that supply
vitamins and fiber.
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The restaurant’s
dining area and its impressive
architecture
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fish,
chicken, lamb and beef for protein;
bread and rice for carbohydrates,”
Karami proudly shares. However, he also
emphasizes, “Our food is not spicy. This
is a common misconception people have.
But we do use spices therefore our food
does not lack taste. Arya’s food is
perhaps one of the best in the world.”
Indeed.
The appetizer Maze Sini which is a combination of hummus and
motabal,
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Arya, home of exquisite and
authentic Persian cuisine. |
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was served with three types of
bread: wheat, barbari (a long flat
bread sprinkled with sesame seeds)
and pita (round, wheat flatbread).
Hummus is puréed chick peas with
tahina (a thick paste made from
ground sesame seeds) and olive oil.
Motabal is puréed smoked eggplant
with tahina and olive oil.
At first, I didn’t want to get my hands messy so I used a
knife to spread the hummus and
motabal on the bread but a few
minutes later, I changed my mind and
completely forgot about the knife.
Eating this way was highly
enjoyable. The cold dip and warm
bread made a delightful combination.
The main courses served were Zeresh Polo & Mourgh, stewed tender
chicken thigh served with fluffy
basmati rice and Mahi Kabab, skewer
of tanigue (fish) marinated in
saffron, olive oil and lime and may
be served with basmati rice or
Persian bread. The chicken meat
easily slid off the bone and its
tomato stew was tasty. The
restaurant’s garlic sauce enhanced
the flavor of the Mahi Kabab so much
that I struggled not to pour the
entire bottle over my tanigue.
Arya’s basmati rice is fabulous: it is topped with raspberries,
pistachio and almonds.
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Basmati is
a variety of long grain rice known for its
delicate flavor and fragrance. It can only
be cultivated in the Indian subcontinent at
the Himalayan foothills. In Hindu, basmati
means “The Fragrant One” but it can also
mean “Soft Rice.”
Food and Friendship
Arya’s food was truly filling and comforting as both main courses were
served with basmati and the appetizer came
with three types of Persian bread. Talk
about carbohydrate overload but hey, I don’t
get to eat exquisite and authentic Persian
cuisine everyday.
Shin and Semira truly know how to take care of their
customers not only through their stomachs
but also by building relationships. The
couple would join their guests to talk,
drink and dine with them. “In this business,
we meet so many people. I never get tired of
building friendships. Everyday, I am blessed
to see new faces and meet more friends,”
Karami discloses.
Arya Persian Restaurant is located at Unit L-9 Promenade Mall,
Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila,
(02)727-5062. They are open daily from 11 am
to 12 midnight. |
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Turkish
Delights
at Café Jeepney
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InterContinental Manila’s
Café Jeepney adds popular
dishes from Turkey to its
lunch and dinner buffets.
Ongoing until September 15,
go on a delightful exotic
food trip with buffet
offerings such as Hummus
Salad, Madardara (Lentil
Salad), Lamb and Chicken
Curry, Okra Casserole,
Saffron and Cinnamon Rice
and succulent kebabs of
lamb, beef, |
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chicken and
fish. To cap it off, have a
fill of Baklava, a Turkish
dessert of filo pastry and
nuts, Zaarde (pumpkin
tartlets), Mahalibaya
(rose-flavored milk flan),
Karkade (fruits poached in
petal leaves and Omali
(spicy hot bread milk
pudding. Live belly dancing
on certain nights will keep
the whole Turkish ambiance
rolling. |
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