<--love this lady

I had the pleasure of meeting Parvin Jahangiri of BiBi Catering this week and she left a lasting impression on me with her history, warmth, kindness and passion for creating high quality Persian food from family recipes .  She is located in Shamiana's old location in Houghton near PCC.  Of Iranian descent, her husband was killed in the revolution when her son was only 13.   They moved to Germany, and later to Dallas where her brother was located, and then to Bellevue. She had grown up with her father in Iran being in the food industry and says, "food is my passion. I do it with all of my heart," which you can see by looking at her hands, beautifully stained from spices and hard work.

Parvin has been catering out of the space behind DeRu for the past few years and yearned for the flexibility of her own cooking space.  She put together the most gorgeous spread of food for me- in both appearance and flavors.  She prides herself on the best and freshest ingredients that go into her authentic versions of Middle-Eastern food with a PNW flair.  Get ready for explosions of colors set in a creative presentations. I was lucky enough to try the salmon and shrimp seasoned with saffron, the savory beef tips brushed with lemon juice and olive oil, eggplant with fresh hummus, falafel (even my son ate these, a first for him!). All were delicious! The chutney(cilantro, walnut, chili pepper, vinegar) and dips were fabulous, each with its own unique flavor from the Middle East.  Nothing is fried and she uses small amounts of oil to create her high quality crafted dished made with an acute attention to detail. And don't worry, there will be beer and wine too!

Maybe I should be a food photographer

 love these shrimp!                        <--Fesenjoon (pomegranate/walnuts), unexpected flavor! so good.

BiBi's space is clean and airy with simple lines and a handful of tables and counter seating space, following their 5 month remodel.   Parvin caters for many local customers such as Microsoft, Google, and the Gates Foundation and has done weddings for up to 250 people, although her typical catering job is 35-50 ppl. In her new space, she is also able to share her craft with us at the restaurant seating.  They are open for lunch now on weekends 12-6 and weekdays 11-2:30.  It's a buffet style that is $10/lb or $15/plate.  In mid-May they plan to open for dinner with a limited menu. Parvin named her business after her mom, Bibi, which is also her granddaughter's middle name.   When I asked her what she'd like the people of Kirkland to know, she said, "I am so happy to serve them!" and then gushes about how grateful she was for our community and how encouraging and appreciative and supportive everyone has been.  She kinda loves us.  And you're going to love her.  She is warm and gracious and the lady can cook. I got a big hug on my way out.  I think you might too.

Bonus-Stop in and say hello to Parvin (she's there every day). When you eat at BiBi before June 15th and tell them you're a friend of mine/the Kirkland Blog you'll get 15% off.