“Iran was mind-blowing. My crew has never been treated so well-by total strangers everywhere. We had heard that Persians were nice. But Nicest? Didn’t see that coming.”
—Anthony Bourdain
It’s always a pleasure to go out to dinner with our dear friends, Simin Malek and Mohssen (Mo) Rastegar, successful real estate professionals with Coldwell Banker.
They decided to treat us to Negeen Restaurant in Campbell, CA. Negeen in Persian means “precious gem.” It was our first time there. Mo recommended we sit at a cozy corner table near the entrance so we can view the entire room with ease. The place was bubbling with so much joy and excitement we felt we were at a private reception.
Negeen is considered one of Silicon Valley’s finest and authentic Persian restaurants. I love good Persian food and I can say Negeen did not disappoint. Meals come with a complimentary basket of lavash bread accompanied by fresh mint and basil leaves, half of raw onion and feta cheese. Then we had Kashk-e-Bademjan which is cooked pureed eggplant topped mint and creamy yogurt sauce. We also had stewed meat and kidney beans atop of crispy rice.
At the heart of Persian cooking are kabobs and there are many options to choose from. Mo and Simin ordered a tender, juicy platter of kabobs (without the skewers) to share. It included chicken breast, lamb, ground beef (Koobideh), filet of beef, salmon fillet, accompanied by grilled tomatoes and a platter of fluffy, fragrant basmati rice.
For dessert, we shared Bastani, a flavored Persian ice cream with saffron, rose water, chunks of pistachios and a cold Persian noodle dish called Faloodeh: tiny thin, Vermicelli rice noodles mixed with a semi-frozen syrup of sugar, lemon and rose water with optional cherry juice on the side.
The room looks like a medium size banquet hall, with gold chandeliers, heavy upholstered chairs and mint green tablecloths. It also has a fine looking chest with decorative Persian art, a full-bar and dance floor. On the weekends, there is a live entertainment with Soroosh and his band, and exotic belly dancers that roam around the tables entertaining guests. Mo and Simin invited one of them to our table and I got to dance with her. All I can say is thank God for yoga to help me keep those hips moving.
There are misconceptions about belly dancers being of a lower social standing. Nothing can be further than the truth. Most women have studied the art of belly dancing for years, and are software developers, lawyers, mothers, barristers, etc. They love what they do and love to share their performance art with others. Of course it is customary to tip the dancer by gently slipping dollar bills into their waist band which can be challenging at times when their hips are bouncing up and down, and moving to and fro, and its enough to make one blush. Once the band played Cecile, Simin, Mo and I made our way to the dance floor.
During dinner, Mo and Simin shared photos of their recent trip to Iran. Simin always dreamed of opening an orphanage for young girls in her native country that she left in her mid-teens to pursue the American Dream. This past year she realized that dream when she attended the grand opening of the orphanage that was covered by local Iranian TV. She gave a speech to the 200 plus people who attended and greeted each child as if they were her own-letting them know they were loved. The orphanage named after her, was built one-hour away from where she was born in Isfahan, considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It is not easy opening an orphanage in a country thousands of miles away. But with a deep passion, and an open heart, the generosity of donors and the help of friends with contacts in the building trade, she persevered.
The late Maya Angelou once wrote: “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” Being a deeply compassionate and loving person, Simin has given hope to young girls with the desire to provide them with a better future. Like her loving husband Mo, son Navid and daughter Mozhdeh, Cecile and I are proud of Simin’s desire to “give back” and we are happy and honored to have played a part in assisting her to realize her dream. Though her name in Persian means "Silver," we know her as the woman with a golden heart.
Fun Belly Dancing Video Clip link to Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dennis.augustine.18/posts/10155975183631668?comment_id=10155979272731668¬if_id=1516667274540550¬if_t=feed_comment&ref=notif
