IN THE KITCHEN
In 2010 Joe Niknezhad was at a crossroads. The engineer had been laid off from Digital Equipment Corp., and with the state’s high-tech industry in a slump, he decided it was time to find another career. His other passion, he says, was cooking, so he decided to open Chaloos in south Easton, a Persian restaurant highlighting the cuisine of his native Iran.
“I told myself, if I don’t do this now, I know someday I’ll regret it,” he said.
Chaloos is the name of a resort town on the Caspian Sea. He chose it, he said, because, “if you mention Chaloos to any Iranian, you’ll see a smile on his face -- it brings good memories.”
Niknezhad honed his cooking skills at a Persian restaurant in Washington, D.C., in the late ‘70s, where he worked nights while attending Catholic University. While Persian dishes anchor the menu at Chaloos, the restaurant also includes other Middle Eastern cuisines.
THE LOCALE
Chaloos is set in a small strip mall with plenty of parking. (The signs could be better: I was meeting friends for dinner, and we both drove by it and had to turn around.) The cozy dining room has a dozen or so tables, seating about 30 people. Pastel walls are decorated with Persian rugs, and swirled glass pendant lamps hang from the ceiling. We also liked the pretty blue-green ceramic plates. Niknezhad credits his wife, Kathleen, for the décor. Our server was friendly and accommodating, patiently describing the unfamiliar dishes and giving us plenty of time to choose. Though Niknezhad was not on site when we visited, he says he usually greets customers personally and answers their questions about the menu.
ON THE MENU
Rice is the hallmark of Persian cuisine, Niknezhad said. Along with the large selection of rice dishes, Iranian stews and kabobs are the most popular menu items. The restaurant serves Afghani lamb, which Niknezhad said is considered the best-quality lamb. Most everything is made in house, including breads, sauces, hummus, and ice cream. There are more than 30 vegetarian items.
We ordered Persian tea, which had a slightly floral taste. An appetizer of hummus and falafel ($8) was served with thin triangles of baked naan and a spicy yogurt sauce. The fried falafel was crispy with a little kick, but we found the hummus bland. An appetizer of tabbouleh ($6.45) served on lettuce was lemony and fresh.
From several rice dishes, we chose zereshk polo ($12), basmati rice studded with tart barberries and currants. Barberries are a common ingredient in Persian cuisine, Niknezhad said; the closest equivalent would be dried sour cherries. The rice was white and yellow (the yellow cooked with saffron) and so light it was almost feathery in the mouth, while the barberries and currants created a simultaneously sweet and tart flavor. We chose two skewers of meat -- one Afghani lamb ($13) and one chicken ($8). Both were fork tender and well spiced.
For dessert we tried baklava ($4), which we found a little dry, and bastani Akbar mashti ($5.45) -- Persian ice cream made with saffron, rosewater, and cream -- which was refreshing and delicious. The first bite of the traffic-light yellow ice cream tasted strongly of saffron, followed by the sweetness of rosewater. After a few bites, the two flavors melded nicely.
The restaurant does a brisk lunch business with its well-priced lunch menu, drawing from area health care facilities, businesses, and nearby Stonehill College.
Chaloos Restaurant, 574 Washington St., Easton, 508-230-1888, www.chaloosrestaurant.com.
Ellen Albanese can be reached at ellen.albanese@gmail.com.