Hanif Sadr(2,104)
San Francisco, CA
BIO
My name is Hanif Sadr, I'm a chef and co-founder of Komaaj.
Komaaj started as a pop-up restaurant in Berkeley in the summer of 2015. Over the last 5 years I hosted more than 200 experiences in Berkeley, San Francisco, LA, NY, DC and Vancouver via this amazing platform. Now we are running four different projects at my company Komaaj Food group; Komaaj Kitchen SF, Komaaj Catering Kitchen, Komaaj Preservation Lab and Komaaj Pop-up restaurant.
Through our Non-profit organization KOMAAJ PROJECT I've shared recipes with NYT Cooking, SF Chronicle, Edible East bay and few cookbooks about Persian cuisine, Like Cooking In Iran by Najmieh Batmanglich and Bottom of the Pot by Naz Deravian. I've been doing cooking classes for both kids and adults in the past three years. Last fall I had a chance to Work With Stanford University's Iranian studies program as a director to design the first ever Iranian Cooking course for undergraduate students.
Food and it's connection to environment and nature was always one of the main topics for me to explore and I've done a lot of research specifically about Northern Iranian cuisine, as my grandparents come from that part of the country.. Well, in my idea the northern Iranian cuisine is one of the most unique cuisines in the Middle East and Central Asia. Northern Iran is located on the southern side of the the Caspian Sea (the largest lake in the world) and on the north side of Alborz mountain range. The region is covered with dense forests, surrounded by snow covered mountains and impressive sea shores. Northern Iran's lush, humid climate allows crops such as rice, tea, pomegranate and citrus to flourish. Parsley, cilantro, mint, dill and spinach are indispensable ingredients used in most all cooking same as Nuts. Pomegranates, Plums and Berries as well as the thick-skinned, sour orange fruit Narenj, are reduced down to make tart, concentrated molasses that impart bright flavor to northern dishes. The subtropical weather of northern Iran is one of the main reason that the cuisine is so different from other parts of the country.
I will be so pleased to have the chance to be your host and share an experience with you.
If you like know more about my project, here are few useful links;
- https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/10/dining/iranian-food-foraging-hanif-sadr.html
- https://www.sfchronicle.com/recipes/article/Berkeley-chef-s-childhood-memories-inspire-dish-15130281.php
- https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/Northern-Iranian-pop-up-Komaaj-lands-San-15572302.php
Komaaj started as a pop-up restaurant in Berkeley in the summer of 2015. Over the last 5 years I hosted more than 200 experiences in Berkeley, San Francisco, LA, NY, DC and Vancouver via this amazing platform. Now we are running four different projects at my company Komaaj Food group; Komaaj Kitchen SF, Komaaj Catering Kitchen, Komaaj Preservation Lab and Komaaj Pop-up restaurant.
Through our Non-profit organization KOMAAJ PROJECT I've shared recipes with NYT Cooking, SF Chronicle, Edible East bay and few cookbooks about Persian cuisine, Like Cooking In Iran by Najmieh Batmanglich and Bottom of the Pot by Naz Deravian. I've been doing cooking classes for both kids and adults in the past three years. Last fall I had a chance to Work With Stanford University's Iranian studies program as a director to design the first ever Iranian Cooking course for undergraduate students.
Food and it's connection to environment and nature was always one of the main topics for me to explore and I've done a lot of research specifically about Northern Iranian cuisine, as my grandparents come from that part of the country.. Well, in my idea the northern Iranian cuisine is one of the most unique cuisines in the Middle East and Central Asia. Northern Iran is located on the southern side of the the Caspian Sea (the largest lake in the world) and on the north side of Alborz mountain range. The region is covered with dense forests, surrounded by snow covered mountains and impressive sea shores. Northern Iran's lush, humid climate allows crops such as rice, tea, pomegranate and citrus to flourish. Parsley, cilantro, mint, dill and spinach are indispensable ingredients used in most all cooking same as Nuts. Pomegranates, Plums and Berries as well as the thick-skinned, sour orange fruit Narenj, are reduced down to make tart, concentrated molasses that impart bright flavor to northern dishes. The subtropical weather of northern Iran is one of the main reason that the cuisine is so different from other parts of the country.
I will be so pleased to have the chance to be your host and share an experience with you.
If you like know more about my project, here are few useful links;
- https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/10/dining/iranian-food-foraging-hanif-sadr.html
- https://www.sfchronicle.com/recipes/article/Berkeley-chef-s-childhood-memories-inspire-dish-15130281.php
- https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/Northern-Iranian-pop-up-Komaaj-lands-San-15572302.php