Tag: Lunch

04/14/2023 Chelokababi Persian Cuisine

Our friends brought us here while we were visiting them and boy, was it a treat! While I’ve previously experienced some Persian food, it was not to this level of quality nor was it with a guide who was Persian and could give us additional background on the various dishes. While the food wasn’t high on the spiciness chart (I’m told most Persian food isn’t), the flavors were oh, so wonderful along with the preparation and presentation (see pictures).

We started with a bottle of white wine and a trio of appetizers – Kashko Bademjan, Nan-o-Sabzi and Masto-Mooseer (see picture). I have a real fondness for Middle Eastern and Indian yogurts, with their tangy yet light taste – and the Masto-Mooseer did not disappoint. I would definitely recommend this for an appetizer – especially if you like yogurt. Sorry for not having pictures of the others, but they were equally delicious.

For our main course, we ordered 2 Barg-Joojeh-Koobideh Kababs (see pictures), as they were highly recommended by our Persian friend. There were 2 different grades of beef and chicken breasts – and oh, were they delicious!

A lasting memory from the meal was learning the traditional way to eat the rice and kababs. Our Persian friend and host started with showing us how to place some butter in the middle of the rice plate, then let it melt while stirring it into the rice. Then, once the rice and the meat from the kabab were on your plate, he showed us how they traditionally eat it – using only a fork and spoon. First, you use the edge of the large spoon as a cutting utensil rather than a knife. Next, you use the fork to fill your spoon with the delicious rice and pieces of meat. The method worked quite well given how tender the meat was and enabled you to easily fill the large spoon without pushing the food around on your plate.

Lastly (and most importantly given my sweet tooth), we finished the meal with a couple of delicious desserts – the Bastani (see picture) and Faloodeh (see picture). I first experienced rose (yes literally from the rose flower) in ice cream during a visit to India and enjoyed the crisp and unique flavor. The Bastani ice cream’s rose flavor was a little more subtle than the Faloodeh, which had a stronger and more distinct rose flavoring as well as a sweeter taste. I found both to be delicious, so finished them both off after the others at the table were full and would highly recommend both of them.

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Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com