Sei Less’s Dara Mirjahangiry Exclusively Reveals Why Fabolous’ ‘Say Less’ Was So ‘Gratifying’

“It’s been a agelong journey,” Dara Mirjahangiry tells HollywoodLife in an EXCLUSIVE interrogation astir the emergence of his restaurant, Sei Less. Conceptualized successful the quarantine arsenic a member-only eatery celebrating hip-hop culture, Sei Less has rapidly go the must-go destination for A-listers successful New York since opening successful January 2022. Quavo, Kevin Hart, Gunna, Meek Mill, Cardi B, and Travis Scott are immoderate of the names that person eaten astatine Sei Less, but the existent cosign came erstwhile Fabolous and French Montana dropped “Say Less.”

“Fabolous was really the archetypal personage that I ever met successful my edifice vocation successful New York City,” Mirjahangiry tells HollywoodLife. Born successful Iran, Dara and his household immigrated to the U.S. erstwhile helium was 2 years old. Growing up successful America, Dara pursued a vocation successful the hospitality industry, and that allowed him to link with A-listers earlier they blew up. He tells HL he was “building these relationships for years,” with 1 being with the “Into You” rapper. “So, it came afloat ellipse by having [Fabolous] outcry maine retired successful 1 of his songs. Having a opus astir the edifice that I opened successful January was conscionable 1 of the astir gratifying things that could’ve happened,” says Mirjahangiry.

Fabolous and Dara Mirjahangiry (Evan Pierce)

The nutrient – a dynamic Asian Fusion paper prepared by Chef Allen Ma – is conscionable 1 crushed wherefore Sei Less is simply a premiere destination for hip-hop titans. The edifice is besides a spot wherever the culture, and those who make it, gets the appreciation it deserves. “When we accidental the civilization and hip-hop culture, it doesn’t mean euphony artists,” explains Mirjahangiry. “We’re an ecosystem of like-minded individuals that enactment each different and values each other. I deliberation that’s what we’ve created; a hub successful New York City wherever radical from retired of town, erstwhile they travel to New York, they privation to clasp their meetings there. They privation to movie their podcast there. They privation to person their medium merchandise enactment there. It’s a spot wherever radical are comfy – we don’t justice anyone.”

In an EXCLUSIVE interview, Dara discusses what it was similar filming the “Say Less” video successful the restaurant, however Sei Less drew specified a clientele, and the archetypal crockery that the edifice ever served.

Fabolous and Dara Mirjahangiry (Evan Pierce)

HollywoodLife: What was your archetypal absorption to proceeding Fabolous and French Montana’s “Say Less?” Or proceeding your sanction successful the lyrics?

Mirjahangiry: It’s been a agelong journey. I’ve been gathering these relationships for years. Fabolous was really the archetypal personage that I ever met successful my edifice vocation successful New York City. So, it came afloat ellipse by having him outcry maine retired successful 1 of his songs. Having a opus astir the edifice that I opened successful January was conscionable 1 of the astir gratifying things that could’ve happened.

How was it filming the euphony video successful the restaurant?

It was beauteous seamless. Fab and French are some professionals, they had a large unit with them. They got everything done successful 1 day. I deliberation it was large vigor and it was a pleasance moving with them.

You said the archetypal repast you cooked was for Bobby Portis. What did helium order, if I whitethorn ask?  

When Bobby comes in, I cognize his order. I bid for him; helium doesn’t adjacent look astatine the menu. He had immoderate of our signature dishes: the chickenhearted satay, the shrimp satay, stone shrimp tempura, chickenhearted wonton dumplings, lobster outpouring rolls, brackish and capsicum lobster, brackish and capsicum shrimp, lobster fried rice, Beijing chickenhearted and saccharine and sour chicken.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams and French Montana astatine Sei Less

I work that you’ve maintained your friendships with your puerility societal circle. Has that attitude, that loyalty, been a cardinal origin successful Sei Less’s entreaty to its hip-hop/sports clientele? There seems to beryllium an accent connected specified bonds successful those fields.  

I would accidental 1 happening that I deliberation is unsocial astir my upbringing is that I support the relationships with my halfway radical of friends for the past 30 years. I grew up with a precise divers radical of friends. I deliberation my vulnerability to truthful galore antithetic cultures astatine a young age, and being an migrant myself, allowed maine not to justice radical for wherever they’re from but who they are.

I deliberation that’s thing that truly resonated with a batch of hip-hop artists and a batch of athletes. They’ve grown up successful these situations wherever a batch of radical are trying to instrumentality vantage of them oregon possibly exposure them oregon usage them for something. They rapidly recognize I’m not 1 of those people. I genuinely physique relationships based connected trust, values and friendship, and those relationships person evolved implicit the past 10 years.

Sei Less has been described arsenic a edifice “created for the culture.” How does the edifice embody that ideal/gravitate toward hip-hop culture?  

When we accidental the civilization and hip-hop culture, it doesn’t mean euphony artists. I deliberation there’s evidently a large accent connected the civilization amongst antithetic brands crossed the country. It tin beryllium immoderate of the biggest manner retailers successful the world, immoderate of the biggest liquor brands, and past with the culture, that’s filling into ownership of large brands. I deliberation with the edifice and however we’ve embraced the culture, it’s not astir euphony artists and athletes. It could beryllium the crypto billionaire, it could beryllium the tech billionaire, the existent property feline that’s investing successful conception 8 lodging oregon idiosyncratic that’s investing successful properties successful Atlanta oregon Houston.

We’re an ecosystem of like-minded individuals that enactment each different and values each other.

I deliberation that’s what we’ve created; a hub successful New York City wherever radical from retired of town, erstwhile they travel to New York, they privation to clasp their meetings there. They privation to movie their podcast there. They privation to person their medium merchandise enactment there. It’s a spot wherever radical are comfy – we don’t justice anyone.

What is it astir Sei Less that has attracted this A-list clientele? Every edifice dreams of being a celeb hotspot, but fewer propulsion it off. What would you accidental Sei Less does that not galore others don’t? 

 We person a built-in clientele that I’ve worked with for implicit 10 years. And, immoderate of my partners doing hospitality person definite relationships, too. We bring each of that unneurotic astatine Sei Less. I deliberation what makes Sei Less unsocial is that we person these backstage eating rooms wherever celebrities consciousness comfy coming and being themselves.

We ne'er exposure these celebrities; what they’re doing, who they’re coming with. It’s conscionable astir making them consciousness normal. We effort to dainty them the aforesaid arsenic immoderate of our clientele. I deliberation that’s wherefore the celebrities resonate with us; we’re not starstruck and we’re not truly trying to beryllium extra. We genuinely effort to supply a work and an ambiance that they enjoy. I deliberation that’s thing that has worked successful what we’ve done successful 8 months astatine Sei Less.