Jaji is a modern Afghan restaurant that recently opened in Oakland, co-owned by Sophia Akbar and Paul Iglesias, who also run the successful Colombian eatery Parche. Located beneath the Kissel Uptown Oakland hotel, Jaji aims to elevate Afghan cuisine by integrating innovative elements into traditional dishes, such as wonton dumplings filled with confit duck. The restaurant showcases Afghan culture through decor, including artifacts and a cocktail bar, while also highlighting Akbar's heritage by emphasizing dishes she learned to make from her grandmother. The aesthetic and culinary style reflect a vibrant, contemporary take on traditional Afghan flavors.
"Jaji is the expression of an Afghan-American woman paving the way into the culinary world... It felt like the right time and place to execute a similar concept with our next venture."
"The spacious dining room is decked out with Afghan artifacts... meant to recall poppies."
"Jaji occupies the space below the Kissel Uptown Oakland hotel previously held by Occitania, Chef Paul Canales' French restaurant that shuttered in 2023."
"The dishes at Jaji are ambitious and... full of bold colors and dashed sauces and pops of fresh fruit and spices."
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