When people hear "Persian fusion," they often picture something gimmicky — two cuisines awkwardly combined for novelty. At DENA's, it means something more specific and more honest than that. It means cooking Persian food in Den Haag, with what Den Haag has to offer.
What Is Persian Food, Really?
Persian cuisine is one of the oldest continuous culinary traditions in the world. It predates what we now call "Middle Eastern food" as a category. The foundation is built on a few key principles: the balance of sour and sweet, the generous use of fresh herbs, and the patience of slow cooking.
The defining ingredients are pomegranate (both the juice and the molasses), saffron, dried limes, walnuts, barberries, and a rotating cast of fresh herbs — fenugreek, dill, coriander, parsley, and chives. These are not garnishes. They are the main event.
Persian rice is a discipline of its own. The goal is a golden crust at the bottom of the pot — the tahdig — which is considered the greatest honour to serve. Getting it right takes years of practice.
So What Makes It "Fusion"?
Fusion does not mean confusion. At DENA's, it means using what the Netherlands provides — Dutch seasonal vegetables, local lamb, fresh North Sea fish — combined with the Persian technique and spice philosophy that Dena has been practising her entire life.
Take Khoresh Bademjan: a Persian eggplant and meat stew that is at least 500 years old. The recipe has not changed. What has changed is that the lamb and vegetables come from Dutch suppliers. The sauce, the spicing, the slow cooking — that is pure Iran.
Or the Oven Grilled Fish. The technique, the herbs, the saffron butter — Persian. The fish itself, sourced fresh from Dutch waters every day.
Why It Works
Persian cooking is inherently adaptable. The original cuisine was never fixed to one geography. Traditional recipes varied by region: pomegranate from the north, saffron from Khorasan, fish from the Caspian Sea, lamb from the highlands. The logic was always to use what the land provides and apply Persian technique and spice philosophy to it.
Moving to Den Haag just changes what the land provides. The logic stays the same.
There is also a practical reason it works: Persian flavour profiles — the interplay of sour, sweet, aromatic, and savoury — pair well with the mild, clean flavours of Dutch produce. Dutch tomatoes in a khoresh. Dutch herbs in a kuku. The produce does not fight the Persian seasoning. It supports it.
The Dishes That Define DENA's
If you want to understand what Persian fusion tastes like at DENA's, these are the dishes to try:
- Fesenjoon — duck breast in a walnut and pomegranate molasses stew. Rich, deep, sour-sweet. Nothing like it anywhere else in Den Haag.
- Ghormeh Sabzi — the most beloved dish in Iran. A herb stew with lamb, kidney beans, and dried lime. This is Persian home cooking at its most essential.
- Zereshk Polo — saffron rice jewelled with barberries and served with chicken. The barberries provide a clean, tart pop against the rich saffron.
- Khoresh Bademjan — lamb, eggplant, and tomato. Deep and savoury, best eaten with a pile of rice and nothing else on your mind.
You can find all of these on our menu, along with prices and current daily specials.
Is Persian Food Spicy?
This is the question we hear most often. The answer is no — Persian food is aromatic, not spicy. Heat from chillies is not a defining element of Persian cuisine. The complexity comes from the balance of sour and sweet, the layering of herbs, and the length of cooking time.
This makes DENA's a good option for people who think they dislike bold or "exotic" food. The flavours are assertive and distinctive, but they do not burn. Children eat Ghormeh Sabzi. Grandparents eat Fesenjoon. The food is warm and welcoming, which is exactly what it is designed to be.
