The Middle Eastern food at Baba Joon Persian Grill, Surfers Paradise, brings us a taste of the exotic. Its authentic Persian food is a sheer delight, a colourful feast for all the senses, its menu very accessible in price and suitable for differing groups of people.
Food brings cultures together. It’s one of the main reasons why people travel. Sharing food around a table is one of the most integrating activities we can engage in. It leads to conversations about people’s lives, the place of food in their culture and its significance of food in their lives.
So it is when we are seated inside Chef Ardalan’s stylish, welcoming restaurant, Baba Joon, as he talks about his journey to the Gold Coast and opening his first restaurant.
“I grew up in Iran and came to Australia in 2012,” Ardalan tells us. “I am an electrical engineer by trade, but I was working as a real estate agent in Tehran. I had a great social life there, and was well established. Although Australia was a great choice of country to come to, but when I came here, I was alone, and had to start again from scratch.”
It’s a common migrant experience, people giving up careers and familiarity to make a new start in a place so different to their homelands.
“I worked two jobs, doing IT and electrical jobs as well as working as a kitchen hand. Meanwhile, I trained as a chef and in 2015 I began working in a Persian restaurant on the Gold Coast, rising to the position of Head Chef,” Ardalan says, adding that because he loved cooking so much, his plan was to extend himself further by starting his own business.
Leasing a premises on Surfers Paradise Boulevard, Ardalan opened his restaurant in September 2022, naming it in honour of his father, ‘Joon’, who recently passed away.
Baba Joon’s menu is based on the most popular dishes in Iran. Ardalan says that his menu features authentic homemade food; every day dishes eaten by many families, not luxury items. Because many homes do not have a grill, grilled dishes are often bought as a takeaway, then added to the family table.
The Mixed Platter is among the most popular dishes on Baba Joon’s menu. It consists of three large skewers of grilled meat (marinated chicken, minced lamb and lamb chunks), accompanied by fluffy saffron rice, grilled tomato and side salad. It’s a generous meal for two or three people, especially if you begin with dips and pita bread for starters. Talking dips, don’t go past the eggplant dip, or Kashk Bademjan. To eggplant lovers it’s delicious.
Persian food is noted for its fragrant spices, such as smoky paprika, cumin, cinnamon, saffron, garlic, parsley, fenugreek, coriander, dried mint and turmeric, each dish using a different combination of spices. The eggplant dip features dried mint amongst its spices, while skewers are laced with smoky paprika.
The menu is divided into sections: From the Grill, Stews and Veg stews, Soup, Sides, Slow-cooked dishes and Desserts. Gluten-free, nut-free and vegetarian dishes are clearly marked and meals are generous enough to share. And there are so many dishes you will want to try that sharing dishes or platters for your group is a great way to enjoy such exotic food. Almost all dishes are also dairy free, making it a great choice for vegans.
‘From the grill’ features platters for one or more persons, each one featuring a different meat marinated in different spices and served with rice and salad. Countries of origin vary across the Middle East. Joojeh Arabia is a main course of grilled chicken thigh marinated in nine Arabian spices. It also features as one of the skewers on the Shah Platter, a grilled feast for two, alongside lamb cutlets and prawns served with accompaniments.
The flavours of different stews and soups are exotic to the Western palate. Aash Reshteh, for example, is a green noodle soup including beans and kashk, a fermented dairy product, topped with caramelised onion and mint. It’s not like any other dish we have tasted before.
The generous serve of Slow-cooked lamb falls off the bone, and there’s plenty of rice and salad accompanying it. Zreshk Polo (slow-cooked chicken) is a more common Persian dish, however, because of the availability of chicken over lamb.
We finish our meal with Persian tea and baklava.
A shared meal at Baba Joon is a feast to be savoured with friends. It is food that shows both passion and patience in its preparation, evidenced by the flavours of each finished dish. No matter what your occasion, Baba Joon can cater for your group. With delicious food and charming service, BYO beer, wine and spirits available at $3 per person, handy parking at Bruce Bishop Carpark and the G: Link close by, it’s not surprising that Baba Joon is fast gaining popularity, with loyal customers travelling from as far as Brisbane and Sydney. One visit is certainly not enough. The only question is, What will be your favourite dish?
Win Back Deals
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Note: The $86 deal includes:
* Hummus, eggplant dip served with pita bread
* Mixed platter of 3 skewers, saffron rice, grilled tomato and salad
* Persian tea for two and cake or baklava to share.
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