As some may remember, Komaaj opened as a sort of store-front take-out place that I only discovered during the pandemic in late 2020, serving a selection of Northern Iranian dishes that were well-received. A month or so ago, they moved into an actual sit-down restaurant, taking over the long-lived Good Frikin’ Chicken space in the Mission/Bernal area.
If you enter on Mission Street, you’ll find the kitchen and the bazaar, a sort of deli counter with comestibles to buy and take home: A daily lunch menu, prepared wraps, herbs and spices and tea blends, pickled veggies, labneh spreads, etc. When you round the corner on 29th Street (or just walk right through), you get to the actual restaurant, a spacious room done up in warm hues with lovely wall hangings, pottery, carved wooden fixtures, and a beautiful, azure-tiled wine bar. There’s a cozy corner in the front where you might sit and drink some sweet, hot tea with a friend. It’s all very welcoming.
For me, Persian food has always been about outstandingly fresh vegetables and herbs, and bold, bright flavors. Komaaj does not disappoint. We started out with the rasht mazze for four.
There were only three of us, but we had no problem putting away the pomegranate-smoked trout, beet yogurt, fava-dill dip, eggplant-and-walnut dip, dalar yogurt, salted fish roe, pickles, fava beans, fresh herbs, veggies, and sangak, a flatbread that was more like crackers. Everything was beautiful and fresh with distinct flavors, and the only thing I’d tried before was the beet yogurt, a brilliantly hued spread that has a touch of sweetness to it.
I think my favorite was the fava-dill dip, with the eggplant-and-walnut dip coming in at a close second. The dalar yogurt was simply some herbs and was a little bland, but a nice break from all the other full-flavored items. We plowed through the platter, making the requisite yummy noises, while sipping a lovely, dry Armenian red. Well, two of us anyway: my friend’s husband had the special drink, sharbat bahaar naarenj, orange-blossom water with chia seed and dried sour-orange “petals.” Surprising, and I love a perfumey drink! He could have done without the chia seeds, but it was a very refreshing quaff.
We ordered three of the main dishes: Motanjaan (sweet & sour chicken stew) for one:
Tender leg and thigh pieces came nestled in a savory/slightly sweet stew, made with pomegranate, apricot and raisins. A homey, rich dish, and a favorite of the evening.
Our server warned us that, as we were already getting the smoked trout in the mazze plate, we should instead try the smoked salmon belly:
She’d warned that the salmon was very salty, but she loved it that way. It was quite salty, but not unbearably so, and went well with the sumac, herb salad, and flatbread, which soaked up all the smoky salmon flavor, along with the aromatic turmeric rice we’d ordered for the table.
We also got another special of the day, somaagh polo, or sumac rice and beef:
Basmati rice flavored with sumac, ground beef, onion, mulberries and butter. This came with a refreshing mint yogurt. This was good and hearty, but could have stood with a bit more spicing, for my taste. As always, the green herbs on the side are meant to be scooped up with each bite, adding a freshness to every mouthful.
We finished off with the saffron yogurt cake:
Made with rice flour, yogurt, saffron, and egg, the gorgeous cake itself was ethereally light, not too sweet, sided by rich clotted cream, and topped with wildflower honey and rose petals. A perfect ending.
One of our servers told us that, for the time being, the menu won’t change much, but they’ve got vegan and veggie choices, chicken, smoked fish, and beef entrees. Despite calling itself a wine bar, Komaaj offers quite a few non-alcoholic beverage options, as well as wines by the glass and bottle, from Armenia, California, France, Italy, and Georgia (why no Persian wines, you may wonder? While Iran has an ancient tradition of wine-making, current Muslim law prohibits wine production). Chef Hanif Sadr also continues to provide catering services, bringing his rich culinary traditions to your home or office events.
Komaaj (website)
10-20 29th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
Actually they moved almost a year ago………nice place for slightly different food than the few Iranian places in the Bay.