"Look, a rice shop," I said to Tod as we walked up Sotobori Dori from Akihabara towards Ochanomizu.
"And they sell CDs...huh?"
"Hey, wait a second, that's Basmati rice!" I pulled the door open. Inside the modest store was a treasure trove of Iranian food: dried beans; tinned halal stews; saffron candy; nuts, pickles, and olives.
The owner offered us each a fresh date sprinkled with coconut to enjoy while we browsed. Heaven!
I left with a bottle of rosewater for making sweets, a jar of jam that is labeled in Arabic with the picture of a mysterious fruit, a box of dried herbs, and a bottle of pomegranate molasses--now I can make mohomara!
We returned after dinner to acquire some weightier purchases--a leg of lamb and a 5 kg bag of basmati rice. Guess what we're having for dinner on the Emperor's birthday this Tuesday?
If you'd like to visit Darya Shop, you'll find it at 2-1-4 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku on Sotobori-dori, just down the hill from Marunouchi line Ochanomizu station (on the same side of the street as the river). The phone number is 03-3251-5387 and it's open from noon - 10 pm, except Mondays.
Sounds sensational!! Will be heading down there after I get back from hols.
You might also like to try Aladdin, the Iranian restaurant near Roppongi Hills. In addition to the great food, you can buy things like Pomegranite juice. Another place I sometimes shopped at was Al-Falah Super Market in Ikebukuro. At the end of a somewhat seedy area and a bit difficult to find, it has a nice selection of spices and food stuffs.
Hey, thanks for the hint. I went down there today and got a bag of basmati rice I had been looking for for ages.
Dirk
Iranian script is different with, Arabic. Its name is Persian or Farsi.
Ali