Soltan Banoo

**** Soltan Banoo has closed

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

Comments

[Bri]

I am a great fan of Persian Food, though its only been in the last decade that I've seen more Persian Restaurants cropping up in San Diego. Bandar down in the Gaslamp was the first I knew of.

This place looks like its on the ball! The Polo Rice looks dead on right with the saffron garnish. I wondered if they prepare the rice in the traditional Persian way where it creates this delicious Yoghurt/Rice crust at the bottom of the cooking pot? I forget what it is called in Persian, but its such a lovely taste.

The Ash looked good. One might ask if they serve other kinds of Ash other than just Pomegranate. I have a recipe book just filled with pages and pages of Ash variations all with a fruit and meat combo.

Apricot, Lamb, and Raisin stew. Pear or Quince and Lamb, etc. I wonder If they'd do any of these different flavors.

All are based on sweet and sour combinations. Really interesting!

I'll see if I can try Soltan Banoo! It looks very authentic!

I'm excited to see the Zereshk Polo! Its very much like a version called 'Jeweled Rice' that is just a masterpiece among rice dishes, IMO. 'Jeweled Rice' has the barberries and cranberries but also has it with chicken, roasted almonds, roasted pistachios, and both gold raisins and sultanas.

Like most good Persian dishes, its sort of dessert AND dinner all at once. :-P

[PGS]

Hurray! I'm so glad you reviewed this little gem of a restaurant and enjoyed it. The owners (Mahin and her daughter) are delightfully nice, the food has some unique twists on Persian food (Zereshk Polo is generally quite tart and served without orange zest and cranberries) and the atmosphere is so welcoming.

If you ever go on a Friday or Saturday, make sure you try the Daily Special (Ghaliyeh Mahi) which is a tart/sour herb and fish stew with rice. I'm sad to say, it is much better than my homemade version.

[Liza]

Soltan Banoo is unusual among Persian restaurants because it serves more or less homestyle Persian food. For me, that is its downfall because no one can make homestyle Persian food like my mother-in-law! (It reminds me of a comment you posted long ago trying to explain why there aren't that many Laotian restaurants - every Laotian likes their mom's cooking the best!)

Many Persian dishes can be made either sweet or sour. Soltan Banoo tends toward the sweet. Personally, I prefer the sour.

[ed (from Yuma)]

Nice report. Looks like interesting food. I'm also amazed by the knowledgable comments by readers. This blog does attract those truly serious about food.

[Kathy]

hehe, I am reading this now as we're waiting for our lunch delivery (pasta! :)...and now my stomach is growling and wishing it could have that dish of Gourmeh Sabzi...and the basmati rice! oh my...DROOL!

[caninecologne]

as always, great post. this is a restaurant i've always wanted to try and now i'm definitely going to go try this with my husband and friends.

[Kirk]

Hi Bri - Let me know how you like Soltan Banoo.

Hi PGS - The Missus and I both agree, Mahin is such a warm and welcoming hostess. There prices are also quite reasonable.

Hi Liza - Just as I think that we need more Lao food - gotta get some of those Moms and Grandma's cooking for us, I think there's room to introduce good, hearty homestyle cuisines to everyone..... I hope you know how lucky you are to have access to excellent food! I wish I had my own MIL to make me great Persian food!

Hi Ed - I'm a bit surprised as well....always wondering who actually reads this stuff. It's nice hearing from everyone.....

Hi Kathy - LOL! That was a very good dish.

Hi CC - Thanks. Give Soltan Banoo a try....nice folks!

[foodhoe]

holy cow everything looks delicious, especially that boney lamb leg.

[Kirk]

Hi FH - This little place does a nice job with certain dishes....nice folks too.