Soft piano music, warm lighting, and comforting smiles. Such is the environment we were greeted by Saturday night as we walked into Arya, a restaurant owned by a couple on Stevens Creek Boulevard in Cupertino.  

Blue, cream, and turquoise curtains hung from the many small windows, and simple white tablecloths were draped over the wooden, square shaped tables.

We were led to our seats by Amber, our waitress.  We weaved around the clusters of people, past the clamor of the bar, and into a separate dining area. Separated by a wall partly covered in windows, this part of the restaurant was much quieter, better in my opinion for a calm and quiet dinner for two.

Right away we were given a long list of delicious sounding drinks.  These dipped into the more exotic beverages, and we were drawn into splitting the Blackberry/Raspberry virgin mojito and the honeydew virgin mojito (both $5.50).  These came within a few minutes, which was impressive considering the various ingredients of which they were composed.  The blackberry/raspberry was decked with fresh berries and mint.  It had a tangy lime taste while also having a hint of sweetness blended in.  The honeydew was filled with chopped mint leaves, and had a delicious sour stinging aftertaste.

Looking over the menu there was a wide range of prices as well as food.  Arya’s webpage speaks the truth when it boasts of a global cuisine, as the food was made up of Persian, American, and Italian dishes.  There were also a good number of vegetarian options, which were greatly praised by Amber as being as delicious as any of the meat options.  She also explained to us that although the dinner can go into a pricier range, the lunches always come at a lower price in order to suit the customers who came at different hours.

The appetizers were mainly composed of bread options, and many of them were purely toppings for the free flat bread that comes with the meal. We chose the Borani Badenjoon ($7.95) and the Bruschetta ($7.95).  These were also delivered to our table with lightning speed, and their appearance was nothing short of appetizing.  The Bruschetta was a collection of bread slices decked in tomato, basil, red onion, and fresh herbs, drizzled with virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  It was delicious, although it there was a fair amount of vinegar, leading to a very strong taste. The Borani was a plate of hummus-like dip which contained yogurt, onions, garlic, mint, and kashk (whey). The combination of this along with the flatbread was exquisite.

After we finished our appetizers, Amber returned to take our main-course orders.  Although she meant well, she did push us towards the more Italian-blended Persian food, saying that “the stronger more authentic Persian food required an acquired taste.”  So we ordered simple yet very Persian combo, going with the kebabs. These took longer than the appetizers had to make their way to our table, much expected from the busy restaurant, but the ends justified the means as we looked upon the steamy platters, our mouths urging us to take the first bite. The chicken kebab was juicy and full of flavorful spices, and it was served with a unique combination of rice and cherries.  The saltiness of the rice mixed with the sweetness of the cherries was a whole new delicious experience altogether.

As we ate, Amber waited on us a good number of times, not so little as so we would be waiting too long, and not so much as so we would feel pestered.  The meal together with the appetizers ended up being plenty of food, and as I looked upon my half-eaten plate I decided that I could have easily split it with someone.

Once done with the meal we shifted our attention to the entertainment.  At exactly 9 p.m. the soft piano music we had been welcomed in by switched to a live band, singing lively Persian tunes.  Shortly after came the belly dancer. She wore the traditional guise, a loose shimmering outfit which exposed her belly.  Her blond hair cascaded past her shoulders, and as she twirled in circles, crimson scarf in hand, a Chinese character tattoo on the small of her back flashed into sight.

After her awe-inspiring performance, people began to gather in front of the small bands stage to dance.  Ages ranged from toddlers to elderly women. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves to the fullest. In fact the friendly atmosphere was so contagious that we were pulled into the masses. We left our quiet dinner area and joined the group.  We twirled in circles and clapped our hands, and when finally exhausted we returned to our seats.  

Immediately after, Amber was at our side congratulating us on our enthusiasm. When she offered dessert we gladly accepted. There were the usuals (cake, ice cream etc.) as well as a small list of Persian desserts. We ordered the Bamieh ($3.95) and we were glad we decided to split it.  A type of “Persian donut” it was fried and smothered in sweet honey. It was literally an explosion of sugar in my mouth, and although delicious, I could only bring myself to have a few bites.

After completely finishing our meals, we requested to have a small interview with the owner.  To my surprise it was the same smiling woman who I had previously seen going from table to table checking on her customers.  Her name was Fera Hashemi and her and her husband Mike, who was the head chef, were the owners of Arya.  

They settled in Cupertino because of their love for its diversity of culture (Asian, Persian, Indian, and American) and the diversity eventually spread into their food. They had originally planned to open a Persian restaurant, but were determined to draw in a greater variety of customers and instead they made it a split between Persian, Italian, and American.  

They kept the Persian food because it of course had been their original plan, but Mike wanted a bit of diversity in his cooking.  According to Fera, “Although the local population of Persians love it, Persian food is what it is, you can’t change it.” That’s when Mike brought in his inspirations from previous years in Florence.  As stated by his wife, “he loves Italian cooking. Unlike Persian food, with Italian food you can create and explore.”  And of course then comes the American part, which she says “is for the corporate part of Silicon Valley, because they can have a nice business lunch in a reserved room in the back and they love it.” She says that “the combination of these three foods makes everyone happy, even the vegetarians.” And judging by the warm, comforting meal resting in my stomach, I knew she was right.