"for He satisfies the hungry and fills the thirsty with good things."

4.04.2012

Queens of Persia

This comes at a time when I have to set my mind on Persian fare as next week I will be re-telling the story of Queen Esther before a crowd of teenage girls.

Veiled Dining Area
My friend and I have set ourselves on a mission to eat out at places we've never eaten before and last night we decided to try out Conti's at Trinoma. Both of us, on different occasions, have attempted eating there before but never succeeded...even now! The waiting line was quite long and we were pressed for time so we went hunting for a new venue. ( as a side note, Conti's should get a bigger place in Trinoma)

Enter cozy Persian restaurant with plush couches and sheer pink curtains-- Shomal by Hossein's. At first I didn't want to get in since I couldn't see any other diners. It turned out they were all seated at one side, to where the curtains are. I could already imagine Esther entering the women's house at Susa where special diets were prepared just for them. We picked out a spot on the curtained couches that even had individual colourful chandeliers per table! If you prefer, the curtains could be let down to complete your Arabian royalty experience. There is even merry Persian music to come with it.


The Queens' (and King's) Feast!
Being already familiar with Persian/ Arabian Cuisine (shoutout to Mister Kebab at Ayalaland Technohub), we did not get so lost in the menu. Well, just a bit. Besides they took the liberty of describing almost every dish. In the end we decided to take a sampling of one of their Mega Kebab group meals plus chicken salad and Persian Tea. 

Surprise! The meal that the waiter said was good for three was a feast! The salad came in a huge platter. It was seasoned with vinegar that was vaguely familiar to my tastebuds--probably one of the many my mom took home from her travels locally? The group meal came with  three servings of Chelou Jujeh Kabab, which was a soft and flavorful Chicken Kebab. A large serving of Beef Chelou Kebab ( it had a different flavor from those I've tried before, which I like )  and another of Beef Kebab Kubideh ( nicely savory but somewhat tough). I liked that they already removed the sticks (yet it does not seem like it in the pic :)) so you didn't have to wrestle with removing them. Of course these came with the obligatory Yogurt garlic sauce and even a spicy one.


Kebab love. L-R: Beef Kubideh, three Chelou Jujeh, Beef Chelou.
The Saffron rice on the side was abundant. It was a very long grained variety flavoured with spices like cloves, saffron and turmeric. I liked it because it was so chewy and not very heavy on the stomach-- which means you get to eat more without noticing!
Much discussed long-grained rice.


In the end we couldn't finish our meal so we took what remains home. I was even able to share the rice and some of the kebab at the office over lunch. Reheating the stuff released all the nice-smelling flavors in the meat and rice. 


I hope to get back there again, but not soon as it isn't exactly a weekly hangout type of place (wink, wink). 


I wanna try: Lassie, Hummus with Naan, Lamb Shish Kebab
Best for: a date or a heart to heart. The place looks too refined for the din of large groups.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Your thoughts: