IT’S not a phrase you hear often – popping out for an Iranian.

But it’s set to become a popular refrain thanks to Donya Hemati and her two big sisters.

Donya was only 15 when she came to Birmingham from her home in Tehran to study English and mathematics at Matthew Boulton College. During her evenings and weekends, she started working at a Persian restaurant/cafe in Selly Oak and liked the job so much she ended up staying on – and buying the place.

Now aged 21, Donya is the boss of her own self-named Iranian eatery, Donya, on the Bristol Road near Birmingham University. She runs it with the help of sisters Poran, 35, and Gita, 38.

Like everywhere else, it is tough times for the food business but there is no shortage of customers as we chat in the restaurant, sipping fragrant, loose leaf Iranian tea from pretty glasses. There is a large party at one of the tables enjoying a great feast of maze – a selection of starters comprising aubergines, fried onions, garlic, hummus, mushrooms and herbs. There are homemade Persian breads and little onion salads.

Soon, every inch of the table is covered with plates of succulent kebabs and steaming bowls of a rich Iranian stew, a lamb-based khoresht gheimeh with yellow split peas.

This is a place where East meets West. The gold lanterns and bronze wall pieces speak of traditional, conservative Iranian culture. At the same time, there is a giant plasma TV screen showing pop videos of Iran’s version of Leona Lewis and Shane Ward. As a country with a population of 66 million would suggest, there is a myriad of regional cuisines in Iran and the food industry is given a footing on the ultra-conservative political stage at the annual food fair in Tehran in May. In April, the second international food and restaurant exhibition will be held in the capital.

It might be more technically-based than a European food show – for example one exhibitor is an expert in micro-algae production

production - but you’ve got to start somewhere.

Petit fours aren’t high on the agenda in the Islamic republic.

Rice is the Iranian national staple and the food is lightly spiced rather than head-explodingly hot. Many dishes combine rice and meat or fish with vegetables, herbs and nuts. Meat is usually grilled and fruits are a popular addition to dishes – pomegranates, quince, apricots and raisins are popular – which makes for a comparatively healthy style of cooking. Saffron, dried limes, dill, cinnamon, and parsley are used for flavouring.

To showcase her Muslim chef’s talents, Donya treats me to the house special of ghafghazi – grilled fillets of chicken and lamb marinated in saffron. It is great street food and is accompanied with a mountain of rice and a tangy dressing.

The restaurant – there’s also a take-out for sandwiches, paninis and cakes – serves halal meat but Donya says this is because halal works best with Persian food. It is not for religious reasons, she says. And pork isn’t on the menu for a very good reason. “The pig is so ugly. I cannot eat something that is so ugly!” says Donya, laughing.

The restaurant is not licensed but Donya is happy for people to bring in their own drinks. She says she wouldn’t want an alcohol licence because the mark up on wine and beer could put off customers looking for a good value meal, particularly during the recession. It’s perfectly possible to get a great wholesome dinner, including a pudding, for less than a tenner.

“I don’t want to put people off coming here with over-priced food and drinks. We offer good value and our customers appreciate that,” says Donya.

Still, she will have to sell at a lot of ghafghazi if she wants to fulfil her dream of buying the premises, which she currently leases, just on the corner of Dawlish Road, for £2,000 a month.

When the freehold of the building was last up for grabs it came with a £500,000 asking price. But Donya is a determined businesswoman – she’s also taking an Open University degree in business and management – and you wouldn’t bet against her fledgling food empire continuing to grow.