Zaré at Fly Trap bills itself as “Mediterranean cuisine with modern Persian influences.” While that’s true, much of the menu is also a refreshing take on Iranian cuisine, light years apart from the home-cooked (but equally delicious) fare that I grew up with. Located in San Francisco’s SOMA district, the restaurant’s interior oozes a swank, warm vibe that compliments the high-end Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fare.
When I visited with a group of friends, I was told we had to try the Minted Memory cocktail, composed of Bombay gin, Pim’s No. 1, lemon and minted vinegar syrup (or sekanjebin, in Persian). Deliciously not too sweet and not too sour, I made a mental note to revisit Zaré’s list of Mediterranean cocktails on my next visit.
Next came our appetizers. We started with a smoked salmon amuse-bouche, garnished with a tiny dab of crème fraiche and fresh dill.
Our next dish was the pistachio meatballs.
Served with a harissa, honey and pomegranate glaze, Iranians may recognize this as kofteh. Ordinarily I’m not a huge kofteh fan, but this was wonderful. The meatballs were hearty but moist on the inside, and the glaze was more tangy than sweet, which I prefer.
Next came our yogurt-marinated flatiron steak kabob.
This was served alongside a radish-flecked herb salad (a modern take on the Iranian sabzi that is served with most meals), mast-o khiyar (or minted yogurt and cucumbers) and lavash flatbread. Kabob is comfort food to me, so this kind of presentation was such a departure from what I typically associate it with. Not that I minded, though. The steak was tender and marinated to perfection.
I had the morel and spring pea risotto as my entree. I’m not sure if it was because I was already stuffed from incredible appetizers, but this was my least favorite dish of the meal.
I loved the morel mushrooms, but the risotto wasn’t warm enough and the consistency was thicker than what I’m used to. Still, the flavors were good.
I couldn’t really eat anymore past this point, but we ordered a plate of profiteroles for dessert.
Rich and decadent, these chocolate ice cream-filled babies are totally worth it if you can spare a little extra room in your stomach.
Zaré at Fly Trap is a refreshingly unique take on an ancient and delicious cuisine that isn’t innovated nearly often enough. The thought and heart put into these dishes is evident in the way they’re served and if you happen to see the owner and chef, Hoss Zaré, while you’re there, you’ll know what I mean. His sense of hospitality and the menu full of surprises means there is always something new to look forward to at Zaré.
that cocktail sounds goood! it’s terribly english of me i know, but i do so enjoy getting pissed on a good pimms cocktail in the summer. teehee. 🙂
iranian food is so meaty. am i gonna have to eat meat when i go (like i did in uzbekistan), or are there plenty of veggie options in situ? what about fish? will it depend on a regional basis?
(not that i have the cash for a plane ticket… :'( )
This place sounds awesome! Interesting departure from the standard kabab-y restaurant. A lot of persians foods are quite complex in flavor and definitely “slow food.” And, our vegetarian dishes are pretty interesting as well. I’ve often wondered why you don’t see more of it on the Food Network/Top Chef, or see more modern-ized Persian restaurants.
hey roya, since mariam is ignoring me (teehee) what good vege dishes will i find in iran? got any links? i’ve had aash and umm, i forgot what they’re called but they were fried squares of delicious greenness (spinach maybe?). what else? 🙂
Tank – I’m here, I’m here! 😉 I haven’t been to Iran for quite a few years now, but I hear there are lots of vegetarian options in restaurants now, especially in Tehran. Aside from that, there are quite a few veggie options (though I’m not sure if you can order them in restaurants; I always go for the kabob!): aash-e reshteh as you mentioned, kuku sabzi is the herb frittata that you’re referring to, there’s also kuku sibzamini (potato frittata), mirza ghasemi (a smoked and garlicy eggplant and tomato dish), baghali polo (fava bean and dill pilaf), and possibly some of the khoreshes can be made without meat.
Roya – I’m surprised too, although little by little I’m beginning to see Iranian food featured in magazines and tv shows here and there. It’ll take time, but who knows, it could be the next big thing as far as ethnic cuisines go!
mmm, mirza ghasemi sounds nomalicious. i’ll definitely look out for that. i needs to get myself to glasgow and see what the iranian restaurants have on offer there.
tank – Sorry, I’m so slow to respond! I have to add, if you can try a good “adassee” or lentil soup, it is phenomenal. Also “kookoo” is a leek and egg quiche of sorts, which is absolutely delicious with Persian pickles. Woops, I just saw Mariam mentioned that one!
Cosign on the adassee! That’s one of my favorite comfort foods. Add a little golpar and lime juice in it and it’s just bliss.
i’m so looking forward to the trip i have absolutely no way of affording! 😀
btw, did i tell you i have a jar of seer torshi on the make? since the minimum pickling time is 2 years, it’ll be ready just in time for my graduation from my masters (nov 2011). ha! 🙂
Seer torshi? Be still my heart! Crack that baby open in a couple of years and it’ll be the perfect way to celebrate your graduation. 😀
(I’ve had 20-year old seer torshi before; the garlic was black and was almost like the thickness of jam. It tasted incredible, but I don’t know how anyone can stand to wait that long!)
i’m so excited! there was this really nice iranian travel and food documentary on channel 4 (i think) a while back and they showed big canisters of seer torshi for sale. there were different ages of it and it just looked so delicious and the presenter couldn’t stop himself from noming it. ha! i had to try to make it after that. i’m so excited! 😀
i bet it was amazing after a 20yr pickle though. but i agree – i couldn’t wait that long either!
This is a wonderful review, Mariam! I can’t wait to try it!