Nasim Alikhani was born and raised in Isfahan, Iran, and is the executive chef and owner of the
Persian restaurant Sofreh in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Her cooking has traversed a lifetime:
from helping her mother in the kitchen as a child, to studying to become a judge, to her arrival in
New York City following the 1979 Iranian revolution, and later, in her marriage and the raising of
her twins. Nasim’s journey in the kitchen has been one of a prolific home cook, expressing her
life’s calling to nourish others through the foods and the deep warmth of Persian culture.
With
each return visit to her native Iran, Nasim deepened her connection to the ancestral Iranian
recipes of the women in her family and circle of friends and neighbors. While raising her children
in New York City, Nasim undertook massive catering projects for her kids’ schools, fund-raising
events, and homeless shelters.
By the time she opened her first restaurant, Sofreh, in June 2018, she had spent more than two
decades cooking, honing, and dreaming of sharing the extraordinary flavors, traditions, and
communal spirit of Persian home cooking with the world.
In 2023, she was invited to cook for President Biden, the First Lady and their guests at a special
Nowruz reception at the White House.
Sofreh: A Contemporary Approach to Classic Persian Cuisine, her debut cookbook, was
published in June 2023.
Nasim was named a James Beard Foundation Finalist for Best Chef: New York State, in 2023,
2024 and 2025.
