KONJ Café supports authentic Persian cooking with RATIONAL cooking systems

KONJ Café is a modern Persian restaurant in Edinburgh, created as a place where guests can come together to share food, culture and experience. Founded by owner and chef patron Faranak Habibi, the restaurant brings traditional Persian cuisine into a contemporary setting while remaining true to its cultural roots.

Born in Sanandaj, Iran, Faranak opened KONJ Café in December 2019 with the aim of sharing dishes inspired by family cooking and Persian culinary heritage, prepared with care and consistency in a professional kitchen environment. Today, KONJ serves 100% halal modern Persian cuisine using fresh ingredients and time-honoured recipes passed down through generations.

As the business developed, maintaining quality and consistency during busy services while managing labour intensive dishes became increasingly important. By introducing Rational cooking systems into the kitchen, KONJ has been able to improve productivity and workflow while preserving traditional flavours. As Faranak explains, this shift has made a clear difference to day-to-day operations, adding that “this has helped me a lot in the operation.”

Stews, rice and pressure cooking now form a more controlled and efficient process in the kitchen. Cooking times have been significantly reduced while physical strain on the team has decreased, allowing chefs to focus more attention on finishing and presentation. Rice preparation, which traditionally requires multiple stages and several people working with heavy pots, can now be completed by one person in under ten minutes, delivering a more consistent result. For Faranak,
“with the iVario, one person can do the same amount of rice in less than ten minutes and much better quality.”

Alongside this, the introduction of combination cooking has further improved structure and reliability across service. Preparation of vegetables, kebabs and rice is now handled with precise temperature control, helping to protect delicate flavours while supporting a more energy efficient kitchen. Reducing gas usage was an important consideration for KONJ, with Faranak explaining that “my main aim was cutting the use of gas in the kitchen.”

Together, Rational cooking systems allow KONJ Café to operate with greater control, reduced waste and improved consistency, supporting a high standard of food even during the busiest periods of service. The impact of this is reflected directly in guest experience, with Faranak noting that “I’ve seen happy faces, happy customers, and return customers. That is my reward.”

Experience the iCombi and iVario live at a free product demo near you: https://www.rational-online.com/en_gb/see-for-yourself/rational-live-events/