Meykadeh (Wine House)

A meykadeh is a meeting place. A place to relax, talk, eat well and drink.

Welcome. Please take as much time as you wish. There is no minimum spend, nor will you be rushed while you enjoy your coffee or Poor Man’s soup.

Look above you and you will see a map of the Persian Empire under Darius. At around 500 B.C the Persian Empire bordered with India in the East and stretched West to include Egypt, Libya and Thrace (an ancient region which now comprises parts of Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey). Meykadeh’s menu has been selected from the foods of this region.

While our dishes are based on traditional Persian and modern Iranian cuisine, many of the recipes have been given a personal twist. The menu is full of memories, dishes and flavours that, for one reason or another, have stayed with me for many years.

Souzani

MAZEH AND STARTERSAll starters are served with freshly baked Barbari Naan bread.

Parvarde ye Samarghand $10Our very special tapenade of marinated olives, herbs and nuts.

KuKuy eh Sabzi $14Mixture of eggs, sautéed coriander, dill, spring onion, parsley, lettuce, crushed walnut and barberries, served with homemade yoghurt.

Morgh o badam $12Chicken and almond with homemade mayonnaise.

Hummus $10Chickpea, blended with homemade tahini sauce.

Falafel e Aadas $12Lentils mixed with onion and fresh coriander, served with tahini sauce.

Mast o Bademjan $12Smokey, slow-barbequed eggplant combined with homemade yoghurt. Finished with caramelized onion, garlic and mint.

Nan o Panir o Sabzi $16Persian feta with mixed fresh herbs and walnuts. ‘A Persian icon’.

Kufteh e anar o peste $12Meatballs finished with special pomegranate and pistachio sauce. A wonderful mix of sweet and savoury flavours.

Mast o Mousir $10Homemade yoghurt dip with dried Persian shallots (excellent with kabab dishes).

Char Pareh $30Morgho badam, hummus, masto bademjan and parvarde-e- samarghand.

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SALADS

Salad e shirazi $15Diced fresh tomato, cucumber, red onion, Persian feta and olives with house dressing.

Salad e Feeroz kooh $16Diced fresh tomato, cucumber, red onion, Persian feta and olives with extra fresh herbs, garden leaves and house dressing.

Salad e Morgh $24Feeroz kooh salad topped with grilled chicken breast and house dressing.

Salad e Baareh $26Feeroz kooh salad topped with tender sliced of grilled lamb and house dressing.

SOUP

Doogha (Sharaf Ash) $10An aromatic Persian-styled soup with mixed herbs and a touch of yoghurt. Served HOT or COLD.

Sharaf inspired this Doogha soup. Sharaf, from the North-West of Iran, is the • mother of my close friend. She served us this cold soup after long hot days of military service in Tehran.

Extra sides

Barbari Naan bread $6Barbari garlic Naan bread $9Olive tapenade (Zeytoon-e-parvardeh) $6Persian gherkins (Khiyar shoor) $6Extra saffron rice $6

Mains

Kabab e Shokoufeh $24Char grilled Kabab of minced lamb & beef, served with grilled tomato, saffron rice and salad.

After the Revolution, Reza and I helped a friend escape harm by driving him to • the Turkish border. Reza’s mother, Skohoufeh, lived in Zanjan. She inspired this kabab. She served it to Reza and I as we rested in Zanjan on our way back to

Tehran.

Kabab e Morgh e Bakhteeyari $28Sliced, chicken breast marinated with saffron and char gilled. Served with bell peppers, grilled tomato saffron rice and salad.

Kabab e Barg e Bakhteeyari $30Char grilled lamb backstrap with bell peppers and grilled tomato and served with saffron rice and salad.

Kabab e Shah na me $34Char grilled veal backstrap with bell peppers and grilled tomato, served with saffron rice, sumac spice and salad.

Kabab e Sultani $38Combination of shokoufeh (spiced mince kabab) and barg-e-bakhteeyari (lamb backstrap) served with saffron rice and salad.

Kabab e Khatoon $36Combination of shokoufeh (spiced mice kabab) and morgh-e-bakhteeyari (chicken kabab) served with saffron rice and salad.

Kabab e Nourozi $37Combination of shokoufeh, mixed chicken and lamb Bakhteeyari kababs served with saffron rice and salad.

Kabab e Shandiez $40A generous portion of marinated lamb cutlet, char grilled and served with Barbari naan, fresh herbs, salad and rice.

Maheeche va Ghorme Sabzi $30Lamb shank and aromatic herbs with red kidney beans and dried limes braise on steamed saffron rice and salad.rice and salad.

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Fesenjan e Tahere $28Pomegranate and walnut stew with meatballs served with saffron rice and salad.

Fesenjan is served in many ways. Instead of cubes of beef, chicken or duck, my • mother serves fesenjan with meatballs. I don’t know why my mother Tahere serves fesenjan with meatballs, perhaps this way of serving fesenjan is common in the Khorasan region in the North-East of Iran where she grew up.

Fesenjan e Morgh $28Pomegranate and walnut stew with steamed chicken breast served with saffron rice and salad.

Fesenjan e Bademjan “Khadijeh” $28An exotic stew of pomegranate and walnuts with fried eggplant served with saffron rice and salad.

My mother-in-law served me a fesenjan, which was new to me. When I asked her • what kind of fesenjan, she replied: “fesenjan-e morghe siyahe bi nafas” (“fesenjan of a breathless dead black bird”). In the region of Iran near the Caspian Sea, eggplant is a common substitute for meat. Eggplant is the dead black bird of my

mother-in-law’s fesenjan.

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Deserts

Baklava $10Layers of filo pastry filled with mixed nuts, spices, honey and rosewater

syrup.

Kadaif $10Layers of shredded noodles with mixed nuts, spices, honey and rosewater syrup.

Reshteh Khataee $12Shredded wheat pastry mixed with pistachio and walnut, garnished with honey, rosewater syrup and spices.

Pashmak o chocolat $15Persian fairy floss served with chocolate and sprinkled with pistachios.

Khorma va ArdehDates stuffed with pieces of walnut served with a sesame butter sauce and garnished with crushed walnuts.

It took me nearly 60 years to learn about this healthy, unbaked desert which • originally comes from the southwest of Iran in Khoozestan. A good friend of mine, Mahin first introduced it to me.

Meykadeh Bastani $12Persian ice-cream, pistachio and almond garnished with saffron and rosewater (handmade at Meykadeh).

Paloodeh e Shirazi $10Rice noodles served with Meykadeh’s lime sorbet.

Makhloot $12Persian ice-cream served with Paloodeh-e-shirazi.

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