I recently visited Neeman Persian cafe in Sheen, which has been open for almost a year, after hearing a multitude of  positive reviews to try their specialist, traditional homemade dishes.

As I am Persian myself, I had previously tried almost every delicacy on the menu and I have dined at nearly every persian restaurant in my area but i had never been to a persian cafe so I was excited to try the food!

Neeman offers a wide variety of delicacies, from homemade cakes and cookies, to fresh smoothies, stews and sandwiches. By recommendation from Roya, who runs Neeman with her husband, I opted for the historical ‘eshgene (Farsi) which is a soup made from a delicious blend of turmeric, fenugreek, potato and red onion. However, the star of this traditional dish is the surprising egg inside the soup, which combines beautifully with the soup when eaten and provides a sensation of different textures and flavours. The naan bread you could dip in also served as a further complement to the vivid flavours. ‘Eshghene’, which was was actually consumed by low income Iranian families 100 years ago, in a time when food absent of meat was considered cheap. Roya described how now, ‘’people have begun to realise how healthy and good it is because of the turmeric and fenugreek. It tastes great but isn’t high in calories.’’

Additionally, I tried Neeman’s colourful ‘raspberry heaven’ smoothie, which in my opinion was akin to ice cream due to its thick consistency and you could scoop it with a spoon. Every sip was a rollercoaster of vivacious fruitiness that I had not experienced from a drink in a cafe or restaurant in a long time.

I was curious to see what made Neeman stand out in the eyes of its owner and what made it unique and Roya told me, ‘’ There are a lot of Iranian restaurants in this area, but Neeman offers traditional foods that you can’t find anywhere else’’. I couldn’t agree more, for I had never even tried ‘esghene’ before or heard of anywhere else that makes it.

I also asked what Roya’s own favourite dish was, to which she replied ‘shirin polo’. This can be translated as ‘sweet rice’, which is served at Persian weddings and she said her customers call it the ‘wedding rice’.

Neeman’s warm, cosy atmosphere, unique dishes and desserts provide something for everyone to enjoy; you can discover new exciting foods or indulge in long-time favourites- Whatever your choice, this little cafe will pleasantly surprise you.

 

Written by Ariana Mokarrami, St Catherines School Twickenham