mmm-yoso!!!

Soltan Banoo

Every few months, I'm able to break away, and have a nice lunch with the Missus. On most occasions, I'm still in a bit of a rush, so lunch will usually consist of soup from Mien Trung, or something similar. Still, there are those days....when the planets seemed aligned, which are too few and far between for my tastes, where the Missus and I are able to have a more leisurely meal. Over the last 6 months, we had the pleasure of having lunch at Soltan Banoo twice. Located on Park Avenue, Soltan Banoo, is a small, cozy, colorful restaurant which seems to embrace you as you enter.

In a former incarnation, Soltan Banoo was the Cafe Caspian, the tiny hole-in-the wall across the street next to El Zarape. Mahin, the warm and welcoming Owner of Soltan Banoo, has always been on hand when we've had our meals there, and is quick to explain the various dishes on the menu. You can tell that there is a great deal of pride in the food that Soltan Banoo serves.

The menu is small but diverse, with an interesting sampling of dishes, ranging from the usual(hummus) to more fusion fare(Salmon and tofu dishes). But to us, Soltan Banoo excels in the various stews on the menu. Like the Friday lunch special, Gourmeh Sabzi(with lamb - lunch $8.95):

This wonderful savory stew of greens, scallions, kidney beans, and preserved lemon, was nicely flavored without being overpowering. The quite generous potion of lamb was very tender. The basmati rice with saffron-rice drizzled on it was cooked to perfection. The stew was not salty, but still full of flavor. We noticed right away that the fare at Soltan Banoo was on the lighter side. The Missus had picked a winner, that fared better than my Koubideh Kabob(lunch - $8.95):

Though this was a good amount of food for the price, especially for lunch, I found the Koubideh, while moist, to be under seasoned, and a bit on the bland side. Not wanting to salt the meat, I ended up hitting it with a good amount of Sumac. The shirazi salad (cucumber-tomato salad), was nice, though again, a bit under salted. The roasted tomato was not ripe, and thus very bland. Overall, this was a pretty large amount of food for lunch.

And that Gourmeh Sabzi was enough to draw us back for another lunch several months later. This time I had my eye on a few other items. I started with a cup of the Ash Anar, Pomegranate Soup ($2.95):

 

The sweet-tangy-sour soup initially shocked my tastebuds, but the more I ate...the more I enjoyed it. It went well with the slices of pita provided. The soup was both hearty and delicate at the same time...very nice, I'd have it again! The Missus's Chinese-based tastebuds also suffered from the same shock, but didn't recover.......

I had the Baghali Polo (stewed lamb with dill-fava bean rice - lunch - $8.95):

How good was it? Well, once the Missus saw my plate, She grabbed the lamb shank, and sucked the meat off it like it was a chicken drumstick....the only point of reference I have is Fred Flintstone...... Did I mention that the Missus loves Fava Beans? It was gone...totally gone....

The Missus had ordered the Zereshk Polo with Lamb Shank($9.95):

The sweet combination of dried cranberries, barberries(aka berberis), orange zest, and carrots proved a bit too much for the Missus. The lamb was very soft and tender, but lost in all the strong sweet-sour flavors. I didn't mind it too much, though I did think that the dish went a bit far over to the sweet side, but that is probably based on my taste preferences.

I've found the fare at Soltan Banoo to be lighter, and less salty than what I've previously experienced. The service was very warm and friendly, though it is not a place for a quick lunch. We adore the Owner, Mahin; on our first visit, she came over and chatted about the food, and knowing we weren't from the neighborhood, asked us if we'd be back....our answer was a definite "yes". When we returned a few weeks later, She greeted us with a warm smile, and said, "you know, everyone says they will come back, but you really returned......" And we will return......when the planets are in alignment again!

Soltan Banoo
4645 Park Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92116

International Market and Grill-Persian Kebabs

mmm-yoso is being played by Cathy today.  Kirk is elsewhere.

Hi.  I met a friend for lunch the other day, we talked a lot and I did not take my camera.  She knew I liked trying different types of food and She likes it here.  Its close to UCSD, was great Persian food, in a small mall area, run by a husband and wife.    So, I went back with The Mister on Saturday.

International Market and Grill.  There is that one table out front; there are two more inside and a bar seating area also with a total of 6 bar stools.  They seem to do a brisk phone in - take out business on weekdays, and actually on the weekend also.

The menu is fairly simple.  You can get a kebab in a lavash bread sandwich, or on a plate or with a salad.

There are 4 types of kebabs: Chicken, Beef Filet (marinated top sirloin), Fish and House (seasoned ground sirloin, ground fresh daily).  There is a Garden, Greek or Caesar salad.   The plates come with basmati rice and salad.  For $1 more you can get herbed rice, which I like a bit better, but was not available on this Saturday's visit. I got the vegetarian plate (salad and rice and a pita).  ($5.45).

The basmati rice is so aromatic and light, with a dollop of olive oil on top.   The salad is mostly romaine, with onions, tomatoes, cabbage, feta and two Bar-B-Qued tomato wedges.  It has an olive oil/vinegar/herb dressing and is also served with Must-O-Khair (yogurt, cucumber and herb dip; I tasted mint more than any other herb, it was quite refreshing). 

The Mister got the Greek Salad ($5.95) with a House kebab for an additional $2.75.  The salad is the same, but larger, with no grilled tomatoes but has more fresh tomatoes, feta and onions and also olives.  The kebab, with the ground sirloin and grilled, is very moist and flavorful with herbs.

If you look at the menu there are daily specials Monday through Friday for $9.95 each.  They are not ready for purchase until about 1 p.m. each day and are limited in quantity.  My friend says she will come here for lunch and then order a plate of the special "to go" and they are excellent.  I want to try all five, actually.  I will, you know....

I also ordered two glasses of hot tea ($1.50), freshly brewed and nice and strong. The owner said we could have a free refill. 

Afterward, The Mister saw this storefront, two doors down, and walked inside while I went to the car.

Well, with a name like "Tiramisu"... you know, they had to have something sweet.

It's just a fresh made cream puff  shell with fresh made custard and fresh made whipped cream...and the nice lady even put a fork in there. All for $2.50 and well worth it. 

International Market and Grill 3211 Holiday Court, Suite 100 La Jolla 92037

(858)535-9700 M-F 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

   

Alborz Restaurant

Earlier in the week we did a little window shopping in Solana Beach, and on the way back, I was quite excited to have a chance to have lunch at Alborz Restaurant, which came highly recommended by several People. Located in a strip mall overlooking the I-5 freeway Alborz can be a bit hard to find unless you're actively looking for it.

I approached the Restaurant positively excited over eating Persian Food. I've only had Persian Food in San Diego, at Bandar, Sadaf, and Parsian Market. And my knowledge is pretty much limited to Chelo Kabobs, Shirazi Salads, and the like.

The humble facade hides a a very nice and well appointed interior. We were seated immediately, and looked over the menu. And flat bread was immediately delivered to the table.

Along with very pungent and strong raw onion. The large shaker of sumac was also a good sign.

We placed our orders, and were brought some nice lentil and rice soup; well flavored with cilantro and tomato, I really enjoyed the soup.

Up next came our appetizer. Now this is where I made a mistake. An acquaintance of mine told me to order something called Panir Sabzi($6.99), telling me it was a "salad" with goat cheese and walnuts. And me being the doofus that I am at times, really didn't do any research, and was kind of confused when it was delivered to our table.

There was a small cube of feta cheese, some really good walnuts, scallions, mint, basil, and leek. The Missus and I looked at each other in pregnant silence, until we both broke out laughing. We were waiting for "something else". Having a total lack of any experience with this dish, and having had it described to me as a "salad" I was totally caught off guard. The last time I was served a plate of herbs like this, it accompanied a bowl of Pho'! My bad..... Finally we figured out that you slice off a bit of feta and walnut, roll up the herbs in the bread and eat it. The feta was too mild and totally lost, and the green onions overpowered everything else in the dish.

The Missus ordered the Lamb Shank($10.50):

The green bean rice was on the bitter side, and the salad was decent, though mild and in need of a good quantity of sumac. The lamb shank was delivered separately:

The lamb shank could have used a bit more cooking, but the texture wasn't really bad, though the overall taste was a bit on the mild side. The sauce was well flavored and slightly rich, and the Missus enjoyed this the best.

I ordered the Lubia Polo($8.99):

The Shirazi Salad(tomato-cucumber salad) needed a bit more lemon/lime for flavoring, I ended up sprinkling alot of sumac on the salad. The tomato rice was delici-yoso when mixed with the layer of saffron rice, I finished it up in no time. The ground beef kabob was very moist, though very bland, again in need of alot of sumac. The charred tomato was quite bitter.

Though the food was decent at Alborz, I really didn't think it's worth making a special trip for. I did Email Howie from A Foodie's Eye View, asking Him what he usually orders. He informed me, that He enjoys the Kobideh, Chicken Kabob, and the Eggplant Borani. I also asked a Co-worker who is Persian and lives in Del Mar, She also seconded the Kobideh, and also enjoys the Kebob Barg. I was also told that the food at Alborz is decent but very "tame". So maybe I'll order one of those dishes if I'm in the area and decide to have a meal at Alborz again. Or maybe one of you can do that for me, and let me know how you like it.

Some notes on Alborz: Service was excellent and very friendly. I was amazed at how quickly we were served. As the pictures detail, the portions are pretty large, especially for "Lunch Specials".

Alborz Restaurant
2672 Del Mar Heights Rd
Del Mar, CA 92014