Welcome to Kebab House: Iranian Immigrants to Open Persian Restaurant Uptown
SAINT JOHN – Donya Khodadadi comes from a family that runs a restaurant in her native Iran. She values the tastes and social rituals around food – the time it takes to prepare and eat it, the way it brings family and friends together.
“In Iran, the most important place is in the kitchen,” says Khodadadi.
Khodadadi and her husband Afshin Ghanbari plan to bring that quality and communal spirit to their new restaurant, Kebab House, which will open soon on Prince William Street. “It’s the family business,” says Khodadadi.
Khodadadi and Ghanbari moved to Saint John from Iran in 2015. Ghanbari says they believed the opportunities would be better for themselves and their children – Arvin, 11, and Luna, just two months old. Ghanbari also loves the people and the pace of life here. “People are so nice and helpful,” he says. “I also love the quiet place to live.”
Ghanbari was a mechanical engineer with 15 years experience and he applied to come to Canada under the provincial nominee program with plans to start an engineering company. But he changed his mind when they arrived, realizing that they were better positioned to enter the food industry.
Khodadadi applied for a job at Mother Nature’s to familiarize herself with restaurant culture here. They also set up a booth at the Queen Square Farmers Market.
There are no Iranian restaurants in Saint John, so they were concerned people would have a hard time adjusting to the new tastes. They made lamb and beef kebabs, and chicken ones too, seasoned with saffron – a common spice in Persian cooking. They gave out samples as a way to introduce people to the food, but their concerns were unfounded. They would sell out 120 dishes over the lunch hour at the market.
We wanted to be sure Canadians liked the food we cooked,” said Khodadadi. “They loved it. We started at 11 a.m. and we had some customers ask us, ‘When are you going to start offering your kebabs at 9 am?’
“We had some customers come hug us because they had really liked it.”
At the new restaurant, they plan to take the same approach. For the first week, they will offer samples to customers to introduce them to the various dishes, which will include Persian stews, soups, salads, and of course kebabs – and not just the two kinds they sold at the market. They will have an array of choices that will include vegetarian options.
They will also serve desserts. One is a kind of rice pudding seasoned with saffron. “Some Canadian guys said to use some Maple syrup on it,” said Khodadadi, laughing.
“We know that Canadians, at first, like to be familiar with the taste of food, and the ingredients,” says Ghanbari. “If they’re satisfied they will buy it.”
Ghanbari and Khodadadi did not return to the Queen Square Market this year because they were preparing to open their restaurant and welcoming a new baby into the world. Ghanbari said they were missed.
“We had many people ask, ‘where is that guy who made the kebabs?’ “
Well, we have the answer: He’ll be at Kebab House with Khodadadi, who will be making kebabs on a daily basis, not just on Sunday mornings in Queen Square.