About Noosh: Food with Spirit
Noosh: Food with Spirit was born out of chef-owner Lily’s reverence for her ancestry, cuisine, language, and people. Our mission is to feed the Bend community, weaving Iranian hospitality and food traditions into an ever-changing menu of nourishing, soulful offerings. From restaurant pop-ups featuring classic Iranian dishes to farmer’s markets with vegan pies and spicy dips, Noosh reminds us that food is a direct line into culture and connection.
The Noosh table manifests at the Saturday Northwest Crossing Farmers Narket, at pop-up events in town, at private dinners, and keeps rippling outwards. Consider us your local Iranian-ish shop, bringing you sweet and savory goods inspired by classical Iranian and Middle Eastern flavors.
About Lily
Lily Sufi Nikzad is an Iranian-American cook based in Bend, Oregon. Her mastery of cooking is rooted in her Persian ancestry, and whether she is cooking a classical Persian meal, a contemporary riff, or different cuisines altogether, Lily’s ancestral cooking convictions guide her hand in the kitchen. She believes that food should exist not only to nourish your body, but to cultivate delight and pleasure.
While Lily’s focus is on plant-forward, gluten-free and organic menus, she does not believe in a dogmatic approach to food. Sometimes a flaky, sweet pastry is the best thing to nourish your body, mind, and spirit - sometimes it’s a green juice.
As an Ancestral Kitchen Witch, Lily’s cuisine is always infused with spirit, intention, alchemy, and artistry.
In Iranian culture, we say “Noosh-e-jan” before we eat a meal: this means “May it feed your spirit.” This one phrase is a portal to the wider Iranian culture, in which any opportunity to gather, to dine, to celebrate even the smallest moments, is a revered act. Iranian food is a beautiful, aromatic, rich, and herbaceous cuisine, and its beauty is a testament to our ancient and vital lineage.