Chef and Co-Founder, Komaaj Food Group; San Francisco, CA

Hanif Sadr is chef and co-founder of Komaaj Food Group, a northern Iranian restaurant group in the Bay Area. Chef Sadr grew up in Tehran and spent summers on his grandparents’ farm in northern Iran, where he developed a lifelong love of exploring nature and learned about tradition foraging, farming, and animal husbandry from the people working the land. After earning a college degree in materials science in Iran, he went to work in his country’s large oil and gas fields. He came to the United States in 2012 for a graduate program on renewable energy at San Jose State University and was asked to become a cook despite having no previous knowledge. His family’s longtime cook in Iran, Baaji Khanoom, became his tutor. He has become a fixture of the Bay Area food scene, from his wildly popular pop-ups to his farmers’ market appearances. As co-founder and head chef for Komaaj Food Group, he oversees operates four projects: Komaaj restaurant and wine bar, Komaaj Catering, and Komaaj Preservation Lab – all in San Francisco, and Komaaj Mazze Bar at Calabash Market in Oakland. @komaajfood