I’ve not eaten out a lot in the Sunset, especially not in recent years, but a friend wanted to try Lavash, and I love Persian food. I’d been wanting to try the Persian place on Harrison, Anar, but since she picked this place, we went. I had two Persian BFs, back to back, when i was younger, and subsequently worked in a Persian restaurant for a little while, in So. Cal., so i ate a lot of Persian food for a good 6-7 years, i learned a bit about it, and have cooked a little of it in the past.
Lavash is the real deal. Three of us split the three salad trio: shiraz (cukes, shallots, tomatoes, mint, lime juice(, a yogurt salad, which i think had cukes in it, and mast-o-musir - labni and shallots - the perfect dip with their lavash, which is cut into little squares. they also brought to the table a standard dish of mint, tomatoes, cukes, feta (or feta-like) cheese and the same lavash. very refreshing, all of it. the mast-o-musir was excellent, in particular, and would make a great party kdip. we also ordered the Kashk-E Bademjam - an incredibly delicious concoction of roasted eggplant (bademjan) with garlic, cheese, saffron and turmeric. so deeply flavorful, i could have eaten a whole bowlful.
My friends ordered the kabobs, one the koobideh, the other the juujeh. koobideh is a mixture of ground lamb and beef shaped around the flat kabob iron, the other is chicken marinated in lime, olive oil & saffron. both come served on a bed of basmati rice topped with saffron rice, a broiled tomato (not cooked enough - you’re supposed to be able to smoosh it into the rice), all served on a big rectangle of lavash for scooping, and a little greenery on the side. The rice was super buttery, but every grain distinct. the koobideh had a little edge to it, something i couldn’t place, but was nice and juicy. i didn’t taste the chicken. for my main, i got the baghali polo - one of my favorite dishes from days gone by, of lamb shank with turmeric and saffron, served with basmati rice with fresh dill and lima beans mixed in. It was a perfect rendition. Love the combo of fatty lamb with dill. Their is a container of citrusy sumac on each table to sprinkle on the rice, which i did, liberally. It was all wonderful, very homey. This dish is the only prep i like lima beans in. the lamb was very tender. The portion was huge, and i had enough for lunch tomorrow while leaving stuffed.
a perfect Persian meal, and i can’t wait to go back and try their other dishes. three of us had two appetizers, plus their little thrown-in lavash/cheese/mint thing, three entrees, and a bottle of wine, and it the bill came to $113.
i only took a couple of pics, and they’re not great, but just to give you an idea…