The Persian phrase “nooshe jan” may be one of the kindest expressions of goodwill in hospitality and dining, translating to “May it nourish your soul.” Culinary curator and restaurateur Naz Kiani brings that saying to life, infusing the sentiment into all facets of the dining experience at Noôsh Persian Cuisine, recently opened in the Belle Meade area.
In the space that once housed Porta Via, she’s kept the basic layout: reception; a bar and lounge with high-tops; and table and banquette seating on an elevated level with a view of the wood-fired oven. However, she has given it warmth and vitality, decorating the restaurant with beautiful paintings, tapestries, and artifacts from her homeland, Iran. Persian music plays over the sound system, providing a pleasant background that allows for easy conversation.
Under the guidance of her mother-in-law, a master chef, Kiani has assembled a compelling menu of Persian dishes — her “love letter to Nashville.” Noôsh offers an array of spreads, tastes, stews, salads, soups, rice dishes, entrées, and kebabs. (There are numerous vegetarian and vegan options throughout.) Every meal begins with a complimentary Welcome Platter: triangles of freshly baked flatbread accompanied by small bites of feta, radish, fresh mint, cilantro, and walnuts to spark the palate. The Neapolitan wood-fired oven that once anchored Porta Via now bakes the flatbreads and smokes vegetables such as eggplant for the Mirza Ghasemi, a spread imparting delectable smoky notes along with sweetness from sautéed tomatoes and garlic.
Flecked with black and white sesame seeds, the flatbread is magic with any number of Noôsh spreads: hummus in its traditional chickpeatahini–garlic style or as a canvas for other additions. One evening, Kiani prepared a beet hummus — its shocking pink hue underscoring its earthy sweetness. The yogurt-based dips, Mast o Khair (with cucumbers and herbs) and Mast o Mosir (with shallots), are superb and also serve as light sauces for kebabs.
A dozen varieties of kebabs are available. Kubideh — ground lamb — heads the roster, chargrilled and served with grilled tomato, rice, and slices of red onion dusted in sumac. This is a good time to point out the Persian table setting: salt, black pepper, and a bowl of dried red flakes — that’s sumac. Comprised of dried, ground berries from the shrub of the same name, it is revered for its lemony, fruit-forward flavor. Kiani recommends sprinkling extra across the meat. Other highlights include Barg, made with a luxury cut of beef filet, and young bone-in lamb chops grilled to succulence. Sidestepping tradition, Kiani has also created a hot chicken kebab — an homage to Nashville, her adopted home. (She moved here as a child.)
Possibly the best examples of homey, soul-nourishing dishes are the stews. As with many of her offerings, these are based on family recipes Kiani grew up eating. Seven different herbs and dried lime season the lamb and kidney bean stew, Ghormeh Sabzi. For the Gheimeh, cubes of beef are simmered to tenderness in a tomato–saffron sauce. Kiani’s favorite (and ours) is the chicken stew called Fesenjan, distinctive for its sauce of ground walnuts and pomegranate molasses. Its addictive texture and tang will have you gathering up every bit from the bowl. Can’t decide? Order the sampler.
Rice is intrinsic to the cuisine; traditional preparations of long grain basmati are made more fragrant with saffron, or strewn with tart barberries, or laced with baby limas and dill. Each version is delicious. Kiani recommends the lima dill with lamb and the barberry style with chicken.
Desserts are made in-house and make a wonderful ending to the meal. We especially love a scoop of saffron–rosewater ice cream paired with a slice of baklava cake — a yellow cake brushed with honeyed syrup and topped with toasted ground pistachios. Be sure to order a cup of Kiani’s cardamom-scented hot tea to savor with the sweets.
Integral to the Noôsh “May it nourish your soul” experience is Kiani herself. Intent on her guests’ complete enjoyment, she visits every table. Her personality is engaging and gracious, and her joyful hospitality radiates through her staff. (The back of their shirts reads “Enjoy” in both English and Farsi.) She is ready to welcome everyone to her place — to share her stories and, most of all, for guests to relish her cuisine.
Dining and Cooking