Ashe reshtek @ Baron 84
84 Bold St, Liverpool, L1 4HR
Occasionally you’ll see those rankings of different global cuisines doing the rounds on social media. My instinct is that this baby-brained stuff — how is it possible to state with any authority or objectivity which kind of food from which country is the ‘best’. It’s a ridiculous idea and I reject it outright.
That said, if there were a ranking of noodle soups from around the world, I think ashe reshtek should take the number one spot. There’s some stiff competition, obviously — miso ramen; beef pho; curry laksa; chicken noodle soup (AKA Jewish penicillin) — but, for me at least, the thick, hearty yet complex Persian speciality comes out on top.
The ashe reshtek served at Baron 84, a fantastic and very glamourous-looking Iranian restaurant on Bold Street, is maybe one of the best I’ve ever eaten.
There’s green freshness from a garden border’s worth of herbs — I think I discerned parsley, coriander and the soft anise flavour of dill in the mix. There’s richness, creaminess and a characteristic tang from the kashk (fermented whey).
There are also wonderfully sweet red kidney beans and nutty chickpeas. And, to top it all off, there are crisp shards of fried garlic, jammy caramalised onions with turmeric and a dollop of intensely woody mint oil. And the reshtek, the Persian noodles the dish is named for, have the perfect bite and a distinct savouriness of their own.
The soup is perfectly paired with a hot, crispy flat naan from the restaurant’s mirror tile-covered bread oven (I told you it was a glamourous here).
