Serving frontline healthcare workers one Persian dish at a time
When Nasim Alikhani opened Sofreh in 2018, she created a true cultural sensation. For her, the restaurant was not just about serving “Iranian food”, but about inviting her guests for an exciting, authentic & warm Persian experience. In this episode, I speak to the chef & owner of Sofreh - a critically acclaimed Brookly-based Iranian restaurant that is now changing the focus of their upscale dining by cooking meals for the frontline responders in the hardest hit state in the US grappling with COVID19.
Sofreh literally translates to a “spread” or a “tablecloth” in Farsi; but for Nasim, it’s a reflection of her rich Iranian culture that represents the values of “hospitality”, “love for guests” & “generosity”. “In Iran guests are everything, guests are a priority in our culture," says Nasim. As we talk and cook a delicious zucchini dish, Nasim describes several traditional uses of Sofreh(s), including a wedding Sofreh, the Nowruz Sofreh for the Persian New Year, or even a traditional “giving away of food” that is called “Sofreh e Nazri”.
“They all have the components of what Sofreh means. It’s celebration, it’s community, it’s gathering.” These days instead of hosting her guests at Sofreh, Nasim spends her time expressing her gratitude & love toward those fighting the pandemic on the frontline. “When I cook for the hospital workers, I care about deliciousness & comfort, just to be yummy and fill their hearts...I have been through war and immigration. I have never witnessed anything like what we are witnessing now.”
And like many other immigrants, Nasim has created a beautiful melange of her past & present - one that gives us an intimate insight into a warm culture and its loving traditions. “I was born in Iran so everything I know and I do comes from that foundation of Iran and my background, but I have been here since I was 23 so I don’t know how much Iranian or American, or New Yorker I am; but for me just practicing this, allows me to find my roots here as well.”
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