A few weeks ago; starving to faint; my drunken colleagues and I passed by an Iranian restaurant where my previous group of drunken friends had ordered some food that turned out to be too dry and unsavory. I suggested to my friends to give the restaurant a try. I asked them let me order the food for them.
I ordered (All came to about 80 dollars--tax and tip ncluded, feeding and beering three hungry chaps):
and Joojeh Kabab
The restaurant also served three different kinds of rice:
They loved it! One of them was sorry that he never knew about that restaurant; and that they didn't know about Iranian food. They had imagined it should be somethings spicy like Indian or sweet and greasy like chinese food. They were surprised that the food had NO spices; that it was refreshingly lemony; that it tasted fresh and healthy because of the herbs and legumes ...
They could not stop admiring the food--although I knew that it was not the best quality they could have gotten. They were under shock influence. I promissed to cook for them at some point, properly.
Iranian food is not a multi-coursed one. Usually, the food is served all at once. You choose what to eat when. The starter is often a few items like Maast (yoghourt), Sabzi (Green herbs like mint, Basil, green onions and parsley), Torshi (mixed pickles, or garlic pickles), and Zeytoon (Olives) all put in the middle of the table--of course you will have to pay for them. If you don't want it, ask them to not put it on the table. These come with flat bread. In house parties in Iran, they are not served separately. But in restaurants (abroad or western-acting ones in Iran) they are. Of course you can ask for soup. My favorite is "soup-e Jo" (Barley soup).
When you go to an Iranian restaurant, you are often presented with a list of 5-6 types of Kebaabs (Brochets). The cheapest on the menu: Koubideh (minced meat, picture) is the most delicious of them all. I go to Iranian restaurant to eat Koobideh. Barg is the best of them IFFF it is prepared well; and you have the option of Soltani, that gives you one Barg and one Koubideh on a mountain of saffron rice!
You will not have seen rice like Iranian rice elsewhere. Rice preparation in Iran is an art and what distinguishes a real Lady of the House from a hack like me :) (In fact, I have friends who lose sleep if their rice goes wrong; or in anticipation of it going wrong.) You will find the rice fluffy and light, very long grained, and smelling saffron (if you have Iranian hosts, you will find them apologizing about the rice, although you will never know what is wrong with it. They apologize even if it is PERFECT!). You may add a bit of butter to it. Actually, if you order Kabab's, do add a bit of butter; and maybe some sumac--the red spice in the salt shaker on your table. It is sour. Butter will melt and get the sumac absorbed into the rice grains. Iranian rice portions look large, but the process that makes it fluffy, actually makes it light. Because you are not rice-loving, Iranian restaurants usually give less rice than they would/should in Iran. Bummer!
One advice: do not ask for half rice; half salad. That is sacrilege. If you want salad, order it separately. The best is "Salad Shirazi".
Fish in Iranian restaurant is not their forte; UNLESS the restaurant has a chef from the north or even better, from the south of Iran. If you find such restaurant, please let me know.
Poultry, if from the Kabab menu is either chicken breast marinated in saffron and onion and lime, or little chicken drums in the same marinate. It is called "joojeh Kabab". I recommend the second one: "joojeh kakab ba ostokhan". You should eat it with hand. Joojeh Kabab is not supposed ot be eaten with rice. Ask them to give you Salad instead.
The poultry that IS supposed to be served with rice often comes in the second/third pages of the Iranian menues. It is considered "inferior" to Kabaab, but it is better, FAR better!
The absolute must have is "Zereshk-polo ba morgh" (picture). I do not know a human on this earth who dislikes Zereshk polo; it is the one item with a very HIGH awe factor. My non-Iranian friends love it so much that they ask for extra zereshk (barberries, little red mountain berries, half the size of red currants, but grow on tall bushes in the cool and mountainy regions of Iran). Zereshk-polo should be only served with Chicken, but people may serve it with lamb shank too. I highly recommend this. The chicken (or shank) is usually slow cooked in a tomato sauce, with no spice added but salt and a dash of pepper and turmeric.
The other MUST have is Khoreshte Fesenjan (or fesenjoon; picture). This is chicken slow-cooked in a walnut and pomegranate sauce. No spices. People in the North of Iran serve it sour and watery; people in the South sweet and thick. A good chef should generate a balance between sweet and sour. The dark colour results from long slow cooking; the merging of walnut and pomegranate essences. If you order this, you will not have gone wrong.
The quintessential of Iranian stews is "ghormeh Sabzi". This stew is hard to prepare well because it is made of several fresh herbs that are very thinly chopped; fried, and slow cooked with lamb (oor beef), red (or black eye) beans and dried lemon. Not everyone makes it well, so I cannot guarantee you will like it, but it is worth a try.
If you are vegetarian, order from the starter's menu:
Kashk O bademjan is a very delicious meal on its own. It is made of roasted, and then fried eggplants, a condensed yoghourt sauce, garlic and in some placed wallnuts. Ask for two portions of it with bread.
Mirza Ghasemi is also a great choice. It is from fire-roasted eggplants, tomatoes, garlic and eggs. I love it.
So, how to find an Iranian restaurant?
Go to Kodoom.com. It is smart and from your IP address, knows what to recommend. You can of course search it yourself.
