#koobideh

Sangak Grill is a Persian restaurant in the heart of Pico-Robertson (a Jewish neighborhood). The food is kosher and dairy free. They’re one of the few places that bakes their own sangak bread. A couple of people came just for some fresh sangak bread ($3.50). There was a big oven in the kitchen but the baker wasn’t making bread during my visit. They make leftover sangak into sangak chips.

The restaurant is fairly large and very casual. There are murals on the wall and they play Middle Eastern music and have a few tvs on. Order at the counter.

The menu includes appetizers, sides, soups, salads, wraps, entrees (kabobs) and desserts. The menu says they’re famous for their barley soup, hummus, and beef koobideh. Entrees come with basmati rice, grilled tomato and sangak bread.

I ordered takeout and the food containers felt nice and heavy.

* Sangak: I’ve had sangak a couple of places. Sangak Grill’s was softer, thinner, and the indents were smaller. It wasn’t my favorite sangak.

* Beef koobideh ($14.99 for two skewers): The food was simple but delicious. The ground beef was tender and spiced without being too salty. There was so much rice. I always enjoy a grilled tomato and this one had a nice char on it. I wrapped the koobideh in the soft sangak with some fresh herbs and raw white onion – so good. I would have preferred pickles to raw onion but I don’t think that’s the Persian way?

* Vegan plate (dolmas, tabouli, hummus, shirazi cucumber salad, sangak chips): Mr. Froyo ate it silently, which usually means it’s really good. He thinks it had MSG though, because he had a reaction. It looked fresh and appetizing. I didn’t get to try anything.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Persian cuisine at it's finest, at Cafe Mommyjoon, Bandra. Delactable Persian flavors, worth cherishing!

Naab is a Persian fast casual concept offering salads, kabobs, pita wraps and salads. It’s located in a strip mall with a parking lot. Order at the counter. The menu includes freshly prepared salads, kabob plates, falafel, pita wraps, sides, and beverages. Their mission is to offer healthy, quick, and affordable comfort foods.

They were a bit chintzy with the pita. We each received 3 quarters of a thin pita. Most places give you one pita.

Veggie combo ($14.99): Hummus, eggplant, 3 falafel, 3 dolma, tahini, yogurt dip, 3/4 of a thin pita. Mr. Froyo said the eggplant was different – not baba ghanouj but kashk bademan (Persian eggplant dip) which he said was stringier and not as smooth as baba ghanouj but he liked it. The dolmas were firm and simple – grape leaves, rice, spices. The hummus didn’t have as much garlic or tahini but was pleasant, soft, and whipped.

Koobideh plate ($14.99): Your choice of beef, chicken or lamb, brown or white rice, hummus, salad, and pita. The lamb koobideh was moist, tender, and full of lamb flavor. Yum! The rice was nice because they offered the option of brown rice but they added some long grain basmati rice with saffron to it to make it a little more Persian in taste. The green salad was piled high and very fresh. It had mixed greens, carrots, tomato, and cucumber slices with a sweet yogurt dill dressing. I’d prefer tabouli and a dressing that wasn’t so sweet but I appreciated the freshness. I also wish they had included pickles and grilled veggies but those are more traditional and Naab is somewhat Californian in its approach.

I placed my order on their website and it was ready on time. The restaurant looked newish, open, clean, with new furnishings. It looked like a chain with a neatly printed menu.

4 out of 5 stars.