Nolu’s is the brainchild of Marjon Andesha, a chef and entrepreneur who was raised by Afghani parents in California. Ever since being a child, Marjon’s family has encouraged a strong connection to the cuisine of her heritage, as well as enjoying the buzzy food scene of the West Coast. Marjon’s mother, a chef well known for her authentic Afghani cooking, inspired her daughter’s love of food, teaching her many of the recipes that are now Nolu’s staples.
There are multiple Nolu’s sites, each one dedicated to healthy, feel-good food that nods to both Californian and Afghani ingredients. Nolu’s Downtown has been open since 2013, offering starters, mains and desserts in a relaxed, ambient setting. The interiors are cool, laid-back and cosy, conducive to informal conversation between friends. There’s a huge range of dishes on offer from gyros wraps, freshly-baked brick oven pizzas, healthy salads and Afghani dumplings stuffed with the likes of minced beef, red pumpkin, bell peppers and garlic yogurt.
Part of the menu is also split up into suppliers and ingredients, citing meals sourced from the garden, in the sea or from the farm. Across these sections you can expect to see vegetarian options such as truffle mac and cheese, or sabzi with rhubarb. There's seafood dishes like curry prawn pasta or salmon risotto, or carefully chosen meat plates such as angus fillet steak or corn-fed baby chicken. If you’d like to try something that nods towards Marjon’s heritage, the traditional Afghani kabobs sound delicious and can be served with chicken breast, minced lamb or beef, mixed with pomegranates, onions, spices and jalapenos.
Drinks wise, Nolu’s is all about nourishing, fresh juices so expect to get your vitamin hit for the day. The juice lab mixes up cold presses and elixirs, while the botanical sodas sound delicious, with red grape, rose, cinnamon and pomegranate or muddled passionfruit, kiwi and pure sugarcane.