Sofreh- A Taste of Persia
“Our philosophy is simple - food should be authentic, well crafted, and delicious. We practice this in everything we create, from our homemade yogurts to our fresh-baked breads.”
Sofreh has been nominated for the James Beard award in 2025 and wow… Guys I get why! The food was packed with flavor and the service was just as amazing. Sofreh is a term for an iconic Persian fabric that served as the backdrop for seasonal feasts and celebrations. Over time, the term itself has taken on a larger cultural significance: it refers to a gathering, a sharing, a place for family and friends to come together.
When you guys do come here, please bring a group like we did, so you can try everything! Every single dish was a hit for us (something we haven’t seen in a long time).
Image on right: EGGPLANT & WHEY DIP
Some of the standout dishes were definitely the lamb shank and duck, and with their smaller dishes, the eggplant dip and bruleed sweet potato and feta salad are some must-try dishes for the table! The eggplant dip had depth and richness, which complemented their iconic house-made bread perfectly. This is one of their most traditional and popular dishes on the menu, so you guys have to get this! If you love eggplant, this is the dish for you!
Bruleed sweet potato feta salad
The bruleed sweet potato dish was sweet and savory, which is one of my personal favorite flavor combinations. The feta was smooth and rich and balanced the sweetness of the potatoes, which really complemented the overall dish. Also, it was light and a great starter to share with the table!
Moving onto the mains, we got the pomegranate beef ribeye “kebab”, half duck “fesenjan,” and the lamb shank. This was where we all had some differences in opinions haha. Tastemaker calvin fell in love with the ribeye due to the well balance of flavors combining the sweetness of the pomegranate and the heartyness of the ribeye. Ruby and I fell head over heels for this lamb shank as it literally falls off the bone and felt almost like a persian take on soul food. For me personally the duck and the lamb were tied because I am a huge sucker for braised meats that fall off the bone. But besides both dishes being cooked to juicy, tender perfection, I fell in love with how I could taste the soul of the dishes. Their was so much richness and depth that was so well balanced with the side of rices we got and it felt comforting yet elevated in flavor.
Speaking of rice, we got both the saffron rice as well as their jewel rice which is basmati rice with barberries, pistachio, candid orange and toasted almonds. We wanted to try this because the waitress told us it is very traditional and of course taste delicious with the mains we had chosen. This rice was definetly on the sweeter side and I personally liked it but I can see how it may be a hit or miss for some people. If you want to play it safe get one of each for the table like we did so you can also appreciate the main dishes with no addictional flavors from the jewel rice.
Anything you order here, you really cannot go wrong. I think Sofreh needs to be on everyone’s 2025 lists in NYC!
