Maman Zari
Persian restaurant · Albany Park ·
Upscale Persian tasting menu with modern twists
Upscale Persian tasting menu with modern twists
"Chicago’s only Persian tasting menu restaurant is a warm and friendly and has a vegetarian option. The smoky eggplant dish is a highlight, as is the lamb chop, which evokes the feeling of sinking your teeth into a lamb kebob at neighborhood staple Reza’s. There are enough surprises on this affordable tasting menu to keep coming back." - Ashok Selvam
"I'm highlighting Maman Zari’s special eight-course Nowruz tasting menu (available March 19–31) from founder Mariam Shahsavarani, which promises a mix of traditional and modern Persian dishes including kuku sabzi, mahi sefid, reshteh polo, and sholezard, presented as a way to share the Persian New Year and spring celebration." - Naomi Waxman
"In Chicago, Maman Zari put white-tablecloth Persian tasting menus on diners' radars in summer 2023, signaling a move to elevate Persian cuisine beyond home cooking." - Dena Rod
"An even unlikelier concept emerged in Persian fine dining with Maman Zari; I feel there’s a stigma around certain cuisines that they have to be inexpensive, and I would love to see more upscale experiences that break the mold." - Ashok Selvam
"Albany Park is no stranger to Persian restaurants—there are four within walking distance of the Kedzie Brown Line alone. But Maman Zari is the first Persian tasting menu spot—not just in the neighborhood, but in Chicago. It's nine courses for $85, and the small restaurant is busy, full of chatty diners enjoying wine pairings and servers introducing courses and routinely scraping crumbs off of the white tablecloths. The formality and neatly plated dishes are what you expect from a fine dining spot—but the food ranges from boring to imbalanced. While the first few dishes (like smoked eggplant or a potato and egg patty) aren’t bad, they lack flavor. Later courses have well-cooked proteins, but trip up at the finish line because of their overseasoned components. A flaky piece of branzino with rich beurre blanc is served with rice so herby it could qualify as a salad. Though the quail in the fesenjan is juicy, it's topped with sludgy pomegranate molasses that's too sour. And after back-to-back just-fine dishes, the almost three-hour meal feels more like an $85 obligation than a fun time (though at least the hefty servings mean you won’t leave hungry. It’s worth noting that they do have a purely vegetarian option, but otherwise, book a reservation for Noon O Kabab’s fine dining area instead. photo credit: Stuart Block" - John Ringor
