Surena Persian Restaurant
Don’t miss the kebabs and crunchy rice at this Persian crowd-pleaser.
Cantonese people call it fan jiew, Koreans know it as nurungji, and Spaniards describe it as soccarat. It’s the layer of scorched rice you find at the bottom of the pot – or paella pan – that unleashes so much heart-clutching joy around the world. For Persians, this brittle crackly rice is called tahdig, which translates to “bottom of the pot” in Farsi.
Tahdig is on every table at Surena, bustling with families and gatherings of friends. The version here is lined with a layer of lavash bread before adding the rice and oil. The result? A golden cap of shattering crunch that makes a terrific contrast to pillow-soft basmati grains.
Surena is a busy restaurant. The sea of midnight blue velvet chairs and decorative table numbers may also make you feel like you’ve stumbled into a Persian wedding reception. (Iranian pop music videos add to the charm.) Koubideh marinated minced lamb and joojeh marinated chicken skewers are the most popular dishes, grilled on sword-like skewers and fanned furiously over charcoal.
The meats are complemented with grilled tomato and green chilli, a hunk of raw onion and the biggest mountain of saffron rice – capped with crunchy tahdig – you may have ever set eyes on.
Must order: Fesenjan, one of Persia’s most iconic dishes, featuring tender hunks of chicken enrobed in a sauce spiced with turmeric, slightly sour from pomegranate, and tempered by the creaminess of ground walnuts.
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Last visited: 2025
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