Attending classes, picking up four siblings from school and rushing over to help at a bustling family restaurant are only a few of the daily responsibilities assigned to senior Iman Masroor.
Located in the middle of a strip mall in Alban Road. Springfield, Masroor’s family-owned restaurant, Afghan Bistro, demands her assistance as her and her family stay on their feet to run the business.
“I’ve been working there for one year now, five times a week,” said Masroor. “I help with the sauté station and prep food.”
Masroor’s constant presence in the kitchen is needed to accommodate for the large popularity the restaurant has garnered from both Springfield locals and professional critics. To name a few, Afghan Bistro has been featured in several publications including The Washington Post, Northern Virginia and Washingtonian.
Before the fame and glory, the idea of Afghan Bistro came from humble beginnings. Masroor’s mother, Sofia Masroor, drafted the idea of starting a family business with her husband, Omar Masroor.
“We felt that Afghan food was [slowly] disappearing,” said Sofia Masroor. “It was always a dream of ours to open up a restaurant. We opened in September 2015.”
Though still relatively new in the game, Afghan Bistro has received positive ratings overall. Some diners cross state borders to sample the authentic Afghan dishes, such as the hot or cold mezze platters or the cool roasted-eggplant dip with chopped jalapeños and turmeric.
“[A memorable moment was] when one of our guests told us they had traveled all the way from New Jersey just to visit our restaurant,” said Iman Masroor.
Local diners are not the only ones who are aware of Masroor’s prospering business. Senior Karen Pari, Iman Masroor’s long-time friend, has witnessed Iman Masroor’s dedication towards helping her family and serving customers.
“I [went] to the restaurant once and the employees were very professional. The food is delicious and very diverse” said Pari. “I didn’t get to see Iman but I know she helps her mom cook in the back. It seems to me she does a little of everything.”
Along with cooking, Iman Masroor and her siblings perform several housekeeping tasks like setting up, waitressing, washing the dishes, and entertaining guests. The whole family pitches in to keep the business running. Sofia Masroor couldn’t be any prouder of her children.
“I am very grateful for all of their help and hard work.” said Sofia Masroor.
Afghan Bustro is rising to the top of in Springfield. It is currently ranked #2 on Trip Advisor’s list if best restaurants in the area. Because of the Masroors’ hard work and persistence, the restaurant continues to be recognized and visited by customers and respected critics from various publications.
Because she works in a fast-paced environment, Iman has developed various working skills and learned to appreciate the progress Afghan Bistro has made in the past year.
“I have learned how to manage our kitchen especially when we have a full dining room and it becomes stressful for everyone,” said Iman. “I feel fortunate that we’ve come this far and so many people are happy with our dishes.”