I don’t get to Pyrmont much, the parking situation means that I often stay away but when I do go there I am often rewarded with good food. On the recent public holiday weekend I was meeting up with Reem and looking for somewhere to go. Many of the usual suspects were closed, who could blame them, a public holiday weekend is nothing to sniff at. And I consulted my list of “to eat” places and gave The Persian Room a call.
A female voice answered and when I asked her whether they were open over the weekend she said that indeed they were open every single day. She added for good measure that the food that they make takes so long to cook that they’re open from the early morning. So with that little bit of a sales pitch we booked in for lunch at The Persian Room.
A jug of rosewater flavoured water is brought to the table and the woman who answered the phone is very hospitable. In fact although we want to order a bit of everything she discourages us from ordering too much. She tells another table that they can’t have a drink because it’s too late in the day.
Kufteh $12
Our first dish is brought to us and it’s a single meatball. But don’t think that it’s a golf ball sized meatball it’s more a softball sized one and one that we both have trouble finishing. “It has a plum inside” she tells us and sure enough once you burrow inside the enormous orb there is a plum inside. The meat is soft and the meatball sits in a rich tomato based sauce and it comes to the table steam rising off it.
Eggplant dip with Persian home baked bread $9
The eggplant dip full of soft ripples of eggplant and a serve of thick yogurt and crushed walnuts on top is moreish and smokey. The bread is similar to a flattened, thin naan bread with sesame seeds which is oven toasted and sturdy enough to scoop the dip out of with although I mostly spread it on top.
Fig salad with persian feta dressing $12
We ordered the fig salad as it has figs and Persian feta which we both adore. When it is first put down we don’t see any Persian feta so the owner brings us more. I would have enjoyed the salad with more of the Persian feta and less of the tinned beetroot slices which didn’t really seem to suit the rest of the food or the restaurant. The dressing was a very tangy vinaigrette which I also didn’t really go for.
Fesenjun and rice $22
One of their signature dishes is the Fesenjun which is an 8 hour cooked chicken drumsticks with pomegranate and walnuts so dark that the sauce looks almost black. The chicken is wondrously soft and the sauce, which is quite thin is slightly tangy from the pomegranate and rich from ground walnuts. It is served with a plain saffron rice. I see some of the exotic Persian rices coming past and coo as I’ve had these before and they’re wonderful. But the owner tells us that they would be all wrong for this dish as there would be too many flavours. She adds that if a diner comes here for the first time and they’re not Persian she will give them advice on what to eat but if they are Persian or with a Persian friend she doesn’t say anything.
Majoon $8
This is a drink that she tells us is popular with early morning runners. It’s so packed with energy that it is the drink that she refused to serve it to another table as it was too late in the day for them to burn off the energy. Since Reem is going out she consents to serving it to us. It is a frothy, rich concoction with fig, sultana, walnut and pistachio blended with ice cream to make a milkshake. It has a definite oaty flavour from the walnuts and is just the right amount of sweetness. It is as she says, a meal in itself.
Saffron and Rosewater ice cream $7
The saffron and rosewater ice cream is made in house and comes out in three scoops. They’re both good although the saffron is not particularly saffrony flavoured whilst the rosewater one has a good rose flavour.
Persian Delight $4.50
The Persian Delight is a gift from the owner as she wants us to try it. She makes it with Tasmanian honey and it is a rosewater flavoured. Without thinking I say “Oh Turkish Delight!” but am corrected “No, Persian Delight” although the two are the same in concept. It is sticky and sweet and moreish. Perhaps it’s the richness of the majoon but we can’t finish it try as we might and sadly we have to leave a bit of it behind. Perhaps we should have listened to her advice and paced ourselves!
So tell me Dear Reader, do you ask for recommendations on what to order?
The Persian Room
52 Harris Street, Pyrmont NSW
Tel: +61 (02) 9692 9299
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50 Comments | Add your own
tinned beetroot belongs on a burger. Thats it. How you are not the size of Parramatta jail with all this food, I will never know!
Gorgeous ice-cream!
T x
Home-made turkish delight is the best! I love it much more than the nasty stuff you get in the boxes at the supermarket! I always ask for recommendations if I can’t decide what to have at a restaurant because it all looks so good!
Such a find, Lorraine! Thank you, we’ll have to get together with friends and try this out, as it would be good to order a whole stack of dishes to try!
Yes i do ask for recommendations but often, i just stick with my instincts.
I have dined here before and I remember the friendly lady you have mentioned. i love all the sweets! Delicious
Agree whole-heartedly re the tinned burger, I really don’t like it at all. And maybe a pmegranate molasses based dressing would have worked better with that salad.
I love Persian food and am a bit jealous that we don’t have anything similar here.
If I am unsure what I feel like eating I always ask the person attending for their suggestions. Although I will give them guidance, ie: I want something light, healthy, warming, stodgy or sweet and delicious, and then go with the suggestion.
How funny she thought the people wouldn’t burn off the energy from the drink in time
LOL, I need her counting my calories 
Yum, this sounds soooo yummy!!! I want to visit!!!!
I always ask for recommendations and then always ask, why? Then make a decision. This way I have had some wonderful dishes I may not have otherwise thought of before.
I normally avoid pyrmont for the same reason especially in wintertime! But that food looked so great I’m going to have to make an exception
Altho’ you did not give total praise to all the dishes and some of them lacked the ‘wow’ factor on the plate for me, this is one address I’ll definitely pass onto friends living in Balmain/Birchgrove etc. A v interesting menu. I read from a reputable food source recently that the world’s best cuisines actually do stem from Berber and Persian cooking: I doubt most of us would think in terms of this when asked. Yet, look at the popularity of Moroccan worldwide and more and more interest in Middle Eastern [in widest sense] cuisine. Thanks
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I love Persian food, especially the rice, of all things. But it’s so fragrant. And when it’s made with those lovely bits of crisp rice crust that forms when cooking, it’s irresistible.
Oh Lorraine, this took me back to primary school days when the tuck shop lady refused to sell me twisties or soft serves. I like the table beside you, needed to justify my activity rate to no avail!
Usually I look around me to see what the dishes of other customers look like before asking for recommendations.
I’d make a modified version of the Majoon-sans the icecream.
Like the meatballs!!!Do you have a recipe??
Persian food is one of my very favorite cuisines, and I have to say that you were definitely given good and praiseworthy recommendations.
It is too bad you didn’t get to try any specialty rice: If they have albaloo polo, be sure to order it next time. Basmati rice with saffron and sour cherries — absolutely divine.
A great find. I LOVED the chicken, pomegranate and walnut dish when I was in Iran, and I’d love a recipe (even the Maloufs’ Persian cookbook doesn’t have it on first glance). That drink sounds yummy.
I will often ask for recommendations, as I don’t want to miss the “must try” dishes at any restaurant. With a bit of luck at least one of them coincides with my shortlist off the menu.
The flavours sound lovely, but the tinned beetroot is a bit of a let down. Was there only 2 drumsticks for the price?
The rose water jug is a nice touch too, and that Persian Delight looks divine!
I like to choose my own meals generally, unless the flavours are totally new, but I will always listen to someone who has a wider understanding of the cuisine.
I think I’d be a bit annoyed frankly if I wanted to order something but be told that it’s the wrong time of day or that it doesn’t go with the other dishes.
That Turkish delight, ahem, I mean, Persian delight looks very pretty!
Years ago I drove the length and breadth of Iran, where I fell in love with Persian cooking. This post brings back good memories for me, especially the Fesenjan. Yum…
–The “Eggplant dip with Persian home baked bread,” I shall order first, please.
Then the “Persian Delight.” Exquisite. What a shame to leave some behind, L.
—Yes, I Always ask for recommendations. I trust that the staff has devoured most of the dishes
I only ask for recommendations if something doesn’t jump out at me from the menu. I definitely would at a Persian restaurant though -I have no idea what’s good. Though I will say that the massive meatball scares me a little but the chicken looks delicious!
Oooh, I love Middle Eastern food, and this sounds like a fun venue. Sometimes I go with recommendations, but other times I like to do my own thing.
Rosewater synchronicity! Oh Lorraine, it pains me to think of my fail granola when staring at that beautiful Persian delight. Also, I’m going to have to recreate that smoothie STAT.
The food looks lovely, but I am not sure I would be impressed by somebody telling me I could or couldn’t order a particular drink.
‘How you are not the size of Parramatta jail with all this food, I will never know!’
this comment made me laugh.
At new places I’ll often ask for their suggestions.
Next time you are in Jindabyne go to Cafe D’arya, it’s Persian and the owner used to be on the Iranian ski team. quirky little place!
Oh ive never tried Persian food!
If it is a cuisine i haven’t tried, i would ask for a recommendation for sure
If I am seriously tossing up between two dishes I will ask which the waiter recommends.
Oh the food looks incredibly delicious! I don’t visit Pyrmont often enough either, despite the fact there are many interesting restaurants to visit, like this one.
I dont drive too muc and am usually driven around but still dont go around places where parking is a prob or i walk around , which i love , but ur right i am ready to do it for a good meal and as good as this , even more!
I like a recommendation, but it’s better if it comes from someone who knows my taste.
Mmmm, everything looks delish, although I’m surprised that the chicken is still intact after cooking for 8 hours!
mmmm i’m so hungry now!! I haven’t had meatball in forever, I miss middle eastern food, cannot wait till my gums heal so I can eat!!!
Gosh, that drink was ridiculous(in a good way) So rich and full of energy!
sooo nice restaurant
I’m intrigued by the drink. But if it’s so energy heavy it can only be drunk in the morning, I don’t think I’ll ever get around to it!
What a lovely review. The food looks amazing.
Never try Persian food, we don’t have that choice in Perú, but it looks plenty of flavor.
that smoothie looks like a perfect way to start the day
I’m sure she was being very helpful but it does sound a little overbearing with her dictating the meal lol. I do love Persian food though
If the staff are friendly and I’m not familiar with the cuisine I love advice on what to order. I can also highly recommend Cafe Darya for Persian in Jindabyne. The menu is on a chalkboard with just the dish name which is fine because the owner comes to your table and describes each dish in tantalising detail, including where the ingredients are sourced from. The menu is influenced by what ingredients can be sourced to his high standards. Love it.
Sounds awesome, although I don’t know if I’d enjoy being bossed around by the staff…
Oh! I have seen this in Pyrmont but never really thought of checking it out. Now I would!
I get the feeling you weren’t taken with it. An interesting experience nontheless I’d say. The drink sounds pretty nice but obviously very filling.
I want some of that Persian delight.
I’ve never tried Persian food, it looks nice
This place looks great – like a fancier version of the Persian place in Graville. Like the look of the Persian delight. YUM!
They all look good! Next time try “Eggplant stew” if they have any! you will love it.
Such a lovely post. The pictures are great, especially the Kufteh with the hidden treasure inside! Glad I stopped by.
Sensational food…best I have had in years. The fig salad was excellent
When I went there a few days ago she charged me $9 for one scoop of ice cream and $24 for the fesenjoon. rip-off. Food is mediocre and waaaay overpriced.
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