The Ritz-Carlton in Tysons Corner is hosting its first pop-up dining experience with a five-course, Persian-inspired tasting menu. Called Rumi: The Art of Persian Cuisine, the pop-up events will take place tonight and Saturday, and Nov. 3 and 4 in the hotel’s Entyse Bistro, which will be decorated in a Middle Eastern theme and showcase traditional Persian foods flavored with pomegranate, sour cherries, pistachios, sumac, fenugreek, orange blossom and turmeric.
Poopak Golesorkhi, a wedding planner who has organized several events at the Ritz-Carlton, approached the hotel about two years ago with the idea of hosting a dinner of individual dishes served in an elegant setting, as opposed to the family-style spreads that are more commonly found in area Persian restaurants. The hotel, which rents out the bistro for evening events, was intrigued.
“The Tysons area has been growing as a restaurant destination, and we definitely wanted to be continue to play a role in that,” says Iman Butler, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing. “We thought a pop-up idea would be a fun thing to do.”
Butler says that depending on the event’s success, the hotel may consider hosting other pop-ups. Golesorkhi says she’d love to organize a similar event for Persian New Year, which occurs on the first day of spring.
“My family has owned restaurants since I was 7,” she says. “This is really something I’ve always envisioned.”
The five-course menu is $85 per person. Dishes are inspired by the 13th century Persian poet Rumi, and have Persian titles such as “Noor” (light) for the first course, “Omid” (hope) for the second, “Shadi” (happiness) for the third, “Ziba” (beautiful) for the fourth and “Esgh” (love) for dessert. The food includes grape leaves; saffron-marinated chicken kabob with barberry rice; lamb shank; and saffron ice cream.
Reservations can be made at ritzcarlton.com/tysonscorner.