Desert Island Dish: Austin's District chef tells his their favorite dish

Amir Hajimaleki tends many pots.

• A decade ago he opened District Kitchen + Cocktails . A couple of years later, he and his brother opened the German-influenced Oasthouse Kitchen + Bar .

Background: Hajimaleki, who grew up cooking with his mother and grandmother, moved to Austin from Iran as a 9 year-old. He attended Anderson High and graduated from Westwood.

• In America, he tells Axios, he was exposed to a "melting pot of cuisine."

As part of a running feature about Austin chefs' favorite meals, we talked with Hajimaleki about the one dish he would take with him on a desert island.

What's the one dish you'd want with you on a desert island?

"As far as sentimental, I'll go with fesenjoon — a Persian mole, with a pomegranate-braised chicken thigh, served over basmati rice. We serve it at District. Grandma taught me what to do. Otherwise, from the godfather of Austin sushi, Smokey Fuse at Musashino , the albacore belly, with a slight sear on top. Because of the fat, it gets a smoky taste to it. That bite, man, every time I go, it's perfect."

You can bring along a dessert. What's it going to be?

"I'm not a big dessert person. In Iran our desserts are not as sweet — they're more on the savory side. So I like something like the chocolate croissant at Abby Jane Bakeshop ."

You're also allowed to bring along a drink.

"The beverage director at Keepers offers something called the Doctor's Order, with a pineapple mezcal. If I'm on an island, that's what I want, served in a pineapple glass. It's a really, really good cocktail. Also, anything Justin Lavenue makes at the Roosevelt Room leaves me so happy."

If you go : District Kitchen + Cocktails has locations at the intersection of Shoal Creek Blvd. and Anderson Lane and by Slaughter Lane and Escarpment.

• Oasthouse has locations on FM 620 and by Slaughter Lane and MoPac.

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