Recent DC Events

An Evening of Persian Cuisine

by Scoti Albrecht, Vice Chargée de Presse, Bailliage Métropolitain with Bill Babash, Vice Chargée de Presse, Bailliage of Greater Washington, D.C.

Joon restaurant opened less than a year ago in Tysons, Virginia to rave reviews for its outstanding Persian cuisine, ambiance, and service. It quickly came to the attention of both bailliages in the national capital region – the Bailliage of Greater Washington, D.C. and Le Bailliage Métropolitain – creating the perfect opportunity for a joint event. Members and guests of the two chapters gathered at Joon on April 15, 2024, for a memorable evening of Chaîne camaraderie as they enjoyed Persian fine dining.

Joon is the newest restaurant by chef/owner Chris Morgan, who earned a Michelin star for his work at Maydan in Washington, D.C. The chef grew up in McLean, Virginia (graduating from Langley High School) going to “fun, primarily ethnic, restaurants” in the D.C. region with his parents. He earned degrees from the University of North Carolina Wilmington in economics and from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco before honing his culinary craft under the late Judy Rogers at Zuni Café in California and with Chef Jeremiah Langhorn at the Dabney in D.C.

Chef Morgan met acclaimed cookbook author Najmieh Batmanglij, who is known as the Grande Dame of Persian cooking, after taking one of her home-based cooking classes some 10 years ago. He began helping her with her classes and the recipes for her books. The chef says that she is a mentor and became “like a second mother” to him. Joon is a collaboration among Batmanglij, Chef Morgan, and restaurateur Reza Farahani. When the trio came together, the pieces fell into place to create Batmanglij’s dream restaurant, Joon, which is Persian for “life” and a term of endearment.

Upon entering Joon, diners are enveloped by its refined atmosphere that blends old-world Persian culture and contemporary features. Joon’s classic aesthetic and modern flair were a wonderful setting for Chef Morgan’s five course dinner, with a menu created exclusively for the Chaîne and paired with wines from the cellar of the Bailliage of Greater Washington (one of the few bailliages that maintains its own cellar).

The evening began with a Champagne reception, with traditional starters presented as passed hors d’oeuvres: bite-size falafel with tahina were crispy outside with a soft herbaceous interior – intensely green with cilantro, parsley, cumin, and coriander. Making these enchanting morsels is a two-day process. The accompanying sahawiq, a Yemeni hot sauce with parsley, cilantro, cumin, and serrano chiles, produced heat and dynamism on the finish. Meatballs of ground lamb and pistachios with herbs, egg, and breadcrumbs were enhanced by cold butter and rose petals, finished with a sweet and tangy pomegranate glaze.

Three varieties of kabob bites were offered as passed hors d’oeuvres as well, all luxuriously basted with saffron and butter. The first were made with lamb ground onsite, seasoned with a seven spice blend derived from a Syrian recipe, mixed with plenty of olive and garlic, and topped with sumac, marinated onions, and fresh herbs. Next were the chicken kabobs – skewers of boneless chicken marinated for 24 hours in saffron, lime, onion and labneh, then grilled and charred to juicy perfection. Hors d’oeuvres culminated with kubideh kabobs that followed a recipe that combined ground beef seasoned with saffron, grated onion, and turmeric.

Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Réserve NV made the reception particularly special as members and guests of the two bailliages mingled, with old friends reuniting and new acquaintances being made. The wine’s effervescent notes of ginger, lemon, and brioche paired wonderfully with the flavors of Persia.

Diners took their seats where a selection of dips and herbs awaited. Silky hummus was from a recipe Chef Morgan has been working on for ten years. He soaks the chickpeas overnight with baking soda then cooks them slowly. They are then seasoned liberally with tahina and lemon for a smooth, almost glossy dish. Muhammara, composed of roasted red peppers, roasted walnuts, tomato paste, paprika, and pomegranate molasses was vibrant and satisfyingly substantial, making it a surprise star. The baba ghanoush from grilled eggplant was well balanced with a pleasing texture.

The dips were served with sabzi khordan, a plate of fresh herbs added to individual taste, along with mouneh, the customary blend pickled vegetables found in the Middle East. At Joon each vegetable is pickled individually and presented together with lavash made from a simple overnight dough that is baked in the restaurant’s bread oven. Local sheep’s’ milk feta and goat cheese from Firefly Farms in the western Maryland panhandle completed the offering.

As diners continued to enjoy the dips and mouneh, pistachio soup was served in elegant clear cut tea glasses to be enjoyed like a sophisticated hot beverage. The velvety soup is made from pistachios cooked for a very long time with sauteed leeks, then combined with chicken stock to a purée, and seasoned with lime, orange, and spices. It was topped with crispy barberries and a traditional garnish of rose petals.

La Mesma Gavi Etichetta Nera 2021 from Piedmont, Italy was an inspired pairing with the varied flavors of the opening course. Produced from 100% cortese grapes from the old vineyards of Monterotondo, it is vinified in cement vats and aged on lees for at least a year. The result is a wine that balances complex fruit with savory minerality.

The next khoresch courses featured khoresh gheimeh – split peas and with bâtons of crispy eggplant – a tradition from southern Persia – followed by khoresh qaliyeh mahia  – with barramundi filet, pan seared and topped with advieh-seasoned tamarind sauce and Aleppo pepper. The khoreshes were accompanied by chelow rice with tahdig. Rice is a central part of Persian cuisine. Tahdig means “bottom of the pot” and is the crunchy layer made by cooking basmati rice that is packed in the bottom of the rice container with yogurt, then inverted onto a plate.

Château de Fesles la Chappele 2017 from Anjou in the Loire Valley of France offered vibrant acidity and subtle floral aromas of 100% chenin blanc to wonderfully elevate both the eggplant and luxurious fish. The domaine is one of only two in its appellation to have grand cru status.

The crispy Jurgielewicz duck was dry aged for two weeks, then basted with duck jus as it roasted and finished with a barberry glaze. Sour cherry rice with tahdig along with a shallot yogurt dip and barberry preserves superbly complemented the tender and richly flavored duck.

Domaine Armelle et Bernard Rion, Nuits St. Georges 1^er Cru Les Damodes 2014 from the Côte de Nuits in Burgundy, France was a worthy partner for the duck. This 100% premier cru pinot noir is from grapes exclusively from the one-acre “Damodes” climat in the Côte de Nuits. After fermenting in cement vats, it is aged for 15 months on fine lees in French oak barrels, creating a luscious wine bursting with berry and earthy notes in delicious harmony with the duck.

The lamb dish started with halal, bone-in ten-pound shoulder. The chef marinates the lamb for 24 hours then slowly roasts it overnight at a low 200°F. The bones are then removed, and the meat is pressed into the cooking liquid to capture every bit of flavor. The moist and tender lamb was cut into individual portions, seared on a flat top, glazed with lamb jus, and garnished with herbs and edible flowers. Malfouf, a cabbage salad made with lime juice, diced tomatoes, cilantro and serrano chilis, is a dish found throughout the Middle East and was a delicious counterpart to the succulent lamb. The chef prepared the malfouf, which is not on Joon’s menu, especially for the Chaîne.

Domaine Berthet-Rayne Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2020 from the famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC in Rhone, France, was a great partner to the lamb. This classic wine is 65% grenache, 20% mourvèdre, 10% cinsault, and 5% syrah from 40- to 70-year-old vines. Vinification is in cement tanks and the wine is aged in neutral vats for 12 months.

Dinner was capped by an extravagant dessert board that included a Persian “Love Cake” enlivened by cardamom; carrot cake roulade featuring fresh, in-season carrots and cream filling; baklava made with almond flour pastry dough rather than filo; and glazed rosewater cookies. This exploration of Persian sweets delighted every attendee. Rose-mint tea was a light and refreshing finale to the extraordinary dinner.

Judy Mazza, Bailli of the Bailliage of Greater Washington, and Camilo Gutierrez, Bailli of Le Bailliage Métropolitain, thanked Chef Morgan and Joon’s Operations Manager Ashaad Emamdee and their teams for creating such a special dinner and memorable evening. They presented a Chaîne plate to the chef and a Chaîne wine coaster to Ashaad as mementos of the event.

Diners came away with a deeper appreciation of Persian regional cuisine and dishes from the broader Middle East. They delighted in the opportunity to gather with Chaîne confrères and guests to experience new flavors and discover lesser-known dishes, all superbly executed and served with Joon’s warm Persian hospitality.