When it comes to trying new cuisines, I am the craziest among my friends. No matter how unfamiliar I am with the ingredients and cuisines of a country, I am always ready to try new things. However, among all the international food I have tried up to now, I have never tried Persian food, though I heard it tastes amazing.

I was just wondering something! Is there any good Iranian restaurant in the middle of London? I have heard about a few restaurant names earlier like Iran Zamin, Bamanoosh, Bibigol, etc. but didn’t know which one of them has the best quality with offering the most dish variety. So, I started surfing on google to find the best Persian restaurant in London.

Unwantedly, through the online searches I registered on a website which was a recommender for different issues. In a way that an admin would contact me through email and guide me the best way possible. Well, even though I didn’t need and want it, an admin started sending me emails called Samantha.

The email went like this:

“Dear Michel;

Hi! It is such a pleasure that you browsed on our website. I am always ready to help you find the best things in your region, anytime. Please keep in touch and explain what you are looking for?

Regards,

Samantha”

And I replied back like this:

“Dear Samantha;

Thanks for your consideration. To be honest, I registered on your website by chance! But now, I feel it was my good luck! I am crazy about trying new menus and cuisines of different countries. Recently, as I have heard about Persian food, I wanted to try it somewhere in London which offers quality dishes.

It would be great if you offer me a good Iranian restaurant in London to have Persian food in my tried list.

Thanks again,

Michel”

It took about 2 hours before I received another email from her.

“Wow! That sounds great. Sorry I responded late, I was a little busy.

Can you believe that I am originally Iranian? My parents are both Persian who lived in the UK and married together. Although I was born here and never met Iran, I consider myself to have Iranian roots. Anyway, I guess I am the best person who can guide you in this way.

My Mom is great at cooking, but anytime she is not in the mood of preparing Persian food, we try to order it from a restaurant called Iran Zamin. In this restaurant you can find a vast variety of Persian dishes, from different kebabs to the most traditional stews. In addition, perfect starters and desserts are found in the Iran Zamin menu. I can email you the full menu and where to learn more about this Persian restaurant, online.”

That seems great! I found the best Persian restaurant and this is what a Persian girl told me. She is definitely much better in this case than me. So I replied like this:

“It would be a great idea if you send me the menu and mention what dish is the best in your opinion. I actually have heard about this restaurant but as you know, a picture is worth a thousand words and a taste worth a thousand pictures!

It is also interesting that you are originally Persian. If you like and you are free for this week, I would be happy to invite you to Iran Zamin to guide me better about your local food.”

I think I finally found a Persian friend and can add her to my international friends. If I haven’t mentioned it earlier, I have to say that as well as liking different country’s cuisine, I am interested to learn more about the people of a special nationality and up to now, I have never had a Persian friend. My phone notification showed I have a new email from Samantha!

“well, I guess I am free this weekend. But you need to be my guest cause we Persian people are like this! We invite foreigners to try our cuisine as our guests for the first time. So, I will send you the menu and set a time to meet each other in Iran Zamin restaurant.

Here is the location: 225-227 Regents Park Road Finchley London N3 3LD

And the menu includes: Tahchin, Shirin Polo, Fesenjoon, Ghormeh Sabzi, Gheymeh, etc.

I know the names might be quite confusing, but believe me, they are all delicious. And the best thing is that Iran Zamin is really a quality Iranian restaurant here in London.

Tell me, what time is the best time for you to meet each other?”

I could hardly read the dish's name!

“If the restaurant is open on Saturday at 6 p.m. it would be a great time for me, though if you have nothing to do.”

And she immediately replied like this:

“sure, I am free at that time. And the restaurant is open from Friday to Wednesday from 12 to 22:30. We can have a great time then!”

Then we had a little more conversations about routines to get to know each other a bit more and said goodbye to meeting each other at Iran Zamin restaurant.

After I had the meal at Iran Zamin restaurant

Not only was the food perfect, but also the staff and the location was good. Oh and about Samantha, she is a great friend. So kind and lovely. I guess I need to meet her more than any other friends I have. She didn’t let me pay for any dishes as well as offering to try everything on the menu. Although I was full, I couldn’t say no to those delicious dishes. Generally, I suggest Iran Zamin to everyone in the UK who is looking for a good Iranian restaurant. Thanks to the internet and technology, I not only found a great hangout, but also met a great girl who is one of my best friends now. Don’t underestimate the power of technology and Google at all.