AFGHAN CUISINE GETS A FAMILY-APPROVED CONTEMPORARY MAKEOVER AT THIS GORGEOUS NEW EAST BAY RESTAURANT

When couple Paul Iglesias and Sophia Akbar decided to open the contemporary Afghan restaurant Jaji, it took some time to get the menu just right. Besides satisfying their own palates and tastes after years in the restaurant industry and Akbar’s own background as an Afghan American, they also knew that it would be a family affair. Akbar’s parents and grandparents live in the East Bay and offered suggestions on what dishes to serve, and in Akbar’s retelling of those early days, Iglesias wrote the first menu “being respectful of the culture,” knowing that Afghanistan is deeply rooted in tradition.

But as lovely as that first menu was, Akbar ripped it apart.

The idea for Jaji was to lean into the contemporary nature of what Afghan cuisine could be, she emphasized to Iglesias, much like their other restaurant Parche delves into contemporary Colombian food. The couple returned to the drawing board, developing dishes that take those flavors of Afghanistan and mix California ingredients. Akbar’s family again got a say in the development process; her grandmother, Asia Jaji, and her mother, Maria Jaji, both stepped into the Jaji kitchen to develop the flavors that the couple wanted to explore in their new restaurant. “It’s very detail-oriented, and it’s super important because it tells the story of Sophia and her family, being an Afghan American, and her parents being first-generation Afghans that have lived 40 years in California,” Iglesias says. “We use the word contemporary because for us it means ‘in the moment.’”’

Jaji debuts in uptown Oakland on Thursday, January 30, showcasing Afghan food in an entirely new way. Take the shola-qorooti arancinis. Traditionally it’s a sticky rice with mung beans and dill, served with yogurt and caramelized onions and oils on top; Akbar says it provides sustenance and comfort during Afghanistan’s rough winters, a simpler item often made at home rather than served in restaurants. For Jaji’s version, the sticky rice is realized as arancini, and it’s served over an aioli made with quroot, a dehydrated whey, and walnuts, plus a touch of vibrant green mint oil. It was one of the surprise hits with Akbar’s family during taste tests, and while, say, Akbar’s grandfather didn’t recognize the format of the dish, he immediately knew its flavors.

“That was fun to see in real life,” Akbar says, “that, okay, it works with our biggest fans and our biggest critics.”

Among the other family-approved dishes is a braised lamb shank made with a spice profile from Akbar’s grandmother that received a nod from the family matriarch. That dish is served with mastawa, a rice dish typically made for weddings and not usually served with lamb shank, but it became an accidental pairing that worked, thanks to Akbar’s grandmother. Elsewhere on the menu, a chapli kabob comes into play, but again with contemporary touches, using wagyu-based ground beef dressed in a pomegranate and ginger glaze. Iglesias and Akbar also bend Afghan flavors to accommodate dietary restrictions, such as making dishes vegetarian that typically aren’t meat-free. One dish the couple is proud of is their lentil salad, where Iglesias turned the lentil-based dhal into a pureed sauce spread over the bottom of a dish, with fresh lentil salad on top.

B.Akbar

That willingness to experiment and create a contemporary experience for diners is also why the couple leaned into having a bar at the restaurant — despite alcohol being illegal in Afghanistan. “While a large demographic [of diners] are going to be Afghans, a lot of us that are Afghan Americans, like myself and my generation, we’ve never walked into a space where we fully have seen our culture displayed in a way that I want to bring my American friends to show them all the good parts and pieces.” And with that dining out experience, for Akbar that also includes cocktails. While there aren’t any spirits or wines coming from Afghanistan, the couple worked with Parche beverage director Eric Syed and Paul Iglesias to figure out how flavors like rose water, pistachio, saffron, turmeric, and coriander could be incorporated into drinks. But also with respect for the culture and the ever-expanding nonalcoholic scene here in the States, there is an expansive zero-proof drink program that showcases spirit-free wine and liquor, as well as juices and yogurt drinks that Akbar grew up on. Diners can try those drinks at the main bar, or squeeze into the 20-person hidden speakeasy dubbed B.Akbar, a play on Akbar’s name. It’s meant to be an intimate space with a 90-minute “curated drinking experience” and small bites.

The presence of Akbar’s family is felt throughout the space in other ways, not just the food: Family members contributed vintage pieces, such as wedding headdresses, vintage instruments, and other items they brought with them from their homeland, now proudly displayed behind the main bar. “It’s just incredible how proud everyone is,” Iglesias says. “Jaji is a town in Afghanistan, and it’s also her grandparents’ last name, their tribal name. And there’s so much there that is important and so special because we’re invoking their culture and history and who they are. Not only is Jaji Afghan, but it’s also California because that’s where she’s from and who they are.”

Jaji (422 24th Street, Oakland) debuts on Thursday, January 30, and is open 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

2025-01-23T22:39:52Z