PERSIAN PALACES Discover a garden of earthly delights at O.C.'s favorite Iranian imports By Sebastian Iturbide from the March 2005 edition of RIVIERA Orange County Magazine The Highlight of Persian society remains its cuisine. More than any other ethnic culinary tradition, the Persian diet reflects a royal pedigree, with multiple courses mandatory and lavish settings in even the humblest of eateries. A Persian meal is not so much a feast as it is a social event;dinners can last hours, the better to mingle, enjoy traditional music, and conclude the tiring day with a sip of hot tea. You can easily experience this lifestyle of sumptuousness in Orange County, which in the past two decades has seen its Persian population grow to one of the largest in the United States at about 24,000. This tight-knit community is serious about food, which guarantees that restaurateurs focus on almost obsessive attention towards quality ingredients, service and restaurant design schemes worthy of the Peacock Throne. Hatam Mission Viejo: located at 24000 Alicia Pkwy., No. 28, Mission Viejo, 949-768-0122 Due to such a passion for excellence, almost all Persian restaurants are independently owned... Inside Hatam's eatry exists luxurious accoutrements like large paintings, indoor water fountain and plush carpeting... Hatam's owners don't let up on quality. The torschi, a pickled salad of carrots, celery and other greenery, is unspeakably sour but worth the puckering. And Hatam's tea is particularly memorable, with notes of mint, caramel and rosewater presented in a tall crystal glass.