Kabob Bazaar is off the chain, I promise

September 29, 10:14 AMDC Ethnic Food ExaminerMalaka Gharib

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Photo courtesy of kabobbazaar.com

Persian food is a mystery to me. I just assumed that it was like all the other Middle Eastern food in the world -- vinegary, spicy, filled with meat. I hit up Kabob Bazaar in Clarendon to set the record straight.

I was so wrong. Persian food teeters the line between Indian food and Arabic, with its buttery Basmati rice, raita and chutney-like condiments and naan(ish) bread.

But boy, are those Middle Eastern elements certainly there -- the chenjeh kabob, chunks of prime beef, was wonderfully grilled and tender, and rubbed down with advieh, a Persian mix of cinnamon, rose petals, cumin, ginger, etc. etc.

Kabob Bazaar definitely has the kabob thing down: swordfish, Cornish game hen, lamb, chicken thighs, all of it absolutely delicious.

Make sure you try the Salad Shirazi, a simple salad of cucumbers, tomatoes and onions, and the Ash-e-Reshteh, a lentil, rice and noodle soup topped with yogurt and crispy fried onions.

Just one question: Why is all the waitstaff Chinese? I half expected luscious ladies draped in belly-dancing garb to shimmy their way over to my table. Not the case.