Zoroastrian Xanadu...

BANDAR, Iranian Cuisine
825 Fourth Avenue, San Diego CA 92101
(619) 238-0101 

  
   Who are the Executive Chefs in the kingdom of Heaven What are the daily specials on their menu What spice racks do they use in their kitchen Are they preparing a caramelized reduction sauce for the fatted calf, to be served at the banquet table of the Lord

   Experientially, Christ would have been exposed to many foods that comprise the Persian culinary experience--wholesome grains, fruit-poultry pairings, fire-roasted meats and vegetables among them. I think the enjoyment from Mother Marys cooking ensures that the Hereafter is stockpiled with goodies to eat. Jesus ate foods prepared by others as well. Many meals mentioned in Holy Scripture are still prepared today!

   One staple component in Cuisine from Iran dates much further back than the New Testament, to 7000 BC at the foothills of the Tibetan Plateau in the Himalayas. Perfumed, aromatic BASMATI is long-grain rice. Americans are not as familiar with her substance as with other varieties of rice, and you really ought to try some. You can readily find this delicious starch today at every major supermarket chain in San Diego. Eastern Asian food making its way west along the straights of the Arabian Sea, surely a key commerce for merchant trade, then given a recipe spin back in the days of old. Huzzah! When we all sit down for supper, it is the time to put our geo-political differences to rest. Meals fit for The King of Kings translate well on all four corners of the globe.

   French Gourmet, Chinese and Italian recipe favorites have regional dish preparations that differ from North to South. When you examine entre choices from the Middle East, there are far fewer differences from one quadrant of a country to its opposite end. Persia is known as the first culture in recorded history to have used mint, cloves, basil leaves and corianderamong other herbsfor cooking. They are credited with having first domesticated goats. They broke ground, creating goat cheese before anyone. Cucumbers, walnuts, pistachios, poultry and lamb are all typical ingredients in meals from the civilization and epoch of 1001 Arabian Nights. It is no small thing for a restaurant to be able to cultivate such a tried and true series of food formulas, to rest laurels upon. When the inspirations for your delicacies have traversed along a soundly navigated path, across the sands of time successfully, your goal of achieving critical acclaim has been bolstered all the more. Will such mastery endear itself here It already has. The Owners have filled their jugs from a wellspring of community support most eateries would envy.

   Which ethnics are the greatest supporters of Bandar, serving Persian meals White bread Americans, believe it or not.

   Our main business is local, eighty percent white customers. Some of them come two, three times a week, said Shokooh Faraheni, Wife and Co-Owner of Bandar. Along with Chef Behrooz, her Spouse, Mrs. Faraheni has poured her lifeblood into this patch of prosperity since 1986. They are also the proud Proprietors of Shiraz Prime Steakhouse, featuring a more Westernized product, a few doors down at 837 Fourth Avenue, Downtown.

   Bandars chunk of real estate is well maintained, if squishy. The pathways of this rectangular eatery are cluttered with an extra table or two, too many. Perhaps this is an absolute necessity, given their popularity. NOBODY wants to turn guests away, but Alex and I felt like canned sardines. A second floor is available for dining, nicely appointed and not so jammed. There are also front patio tables suffering from the exact symptomatic claustrophobia.

   We suffered at the hands of a flatbread called Lavash/Lahvosh, also known as Armenian Cracker Bread. Yuk! This parchment served as the discarded rough drafts for our nations constitution, when it was being penned long, long ago. No measure of butter could salvage this from a chorus of boos. For a country with one of the handsomest food resumes to serve tortillas of the poorest quality and pass them off as the national bread must be a joke, on the guests.

   Following the comedy of errors, Bandar redirected our flying carpets to Palate Pleasure Palace. High marks for a winning house lime dressing over mixed green lettuces, cucumber slices, and Feta cheese crumbs. It serves two. Alex thought the amount of cheese was a little over the top, and that the salad couldve used more color. Two small wedges of tomatoes accompanied this large bed of greens. More botanical fruit please, in the future.

TWO FORKS UP for Must OKheyar, a cucumber dip comprised of a special yogurt base featuring fresh mint. It captured Alexs imagination. So very cool and light, she stated. The must is a MUST. I dated an Iranian-born Persian woman for several years named Afsaneh/Sarah. She taught me how integral yogurt plays a part in her native cuisine. And here at Bandar, youll find yogurt across four different appetizers. They feature sauted eggplant topped with it. They offer a shallots version of must. And in one of the principal culinary contributions, Ashe Reshteh, the lentil/garbanzo bean vegetarian soup is topped off by it. Chef Behrooz uses family recipes imparted to him.

Most Persians, the regulars, they dont care about the Halal (meats that are required to be slaughtered under strict rules set down by the Koran, in Muslim faith), said Shokooh, when it comes to asking about meats before ordering. Pork is conspicuously absent from menu attendance. We HAVE the Halal, but most of our regulars never ask. And they never grow up eating pork. Sarah felt it was beneath her to eat bacon and ham. Sometimes, just to bother her, I would fix myself a BLT. In Iran, swine is not the only filthy animal off limits. Shrimps and other shellfish that crawl the ocean beds are deemed dirty. You wont find them at Bandar.

Sorry, lobster lovers! Salmon IS on the menu. Curiously, though many fishes are okay for consumption as fits the law of the land, Bandar serves NO OTHER fillets from the oceans. WHY You expect others, if not for yourself then for your guests! What if others in your party do, too Wouldnt the oceanic limitations here discourage some groups from booking reservations

Though the chicken of the sea is scarce, no less than EIGHT poultry dishes are offered at Bandar. According to our terrific Server Drazen, this is their area of expertise. We began with a charbroiled Cornish Game Hen, Joojeh Kabab. Also called Rock White fowl, these are on average two pounds full weight, best served roasted. Saffron, onion, and fresh limes are used for marinades, giving the juicy birds their citrus-sour finish. Ali Baba storyteller Sheherazade himself cannot properly describe, unto his Sultan, how delectable the meat was.

We found an acceptable white for Chicken Little, KJ Chardonnay. You would expect there to be on Bandars wine list many Shiraz grape options. There are six bottles to select from, this being the national grape of Iran, but all of the vintners for sale originate from Australia, who cornered the Shiraz market, apparently. Bandars Shiraz by the glass, by Ben Rock Station, was in keeping with this style of wine much less dry than most reds. It had the resonance of blood oranges and dark chocolate. But for the most part, Alex and I were left significantly UNIMPRESSED with the wine list. Sparse. For such a nice restaurant, the list felt unnecessarily dominated by the limits of one wine vendor, rather than Bandar buying from multiple sources. They should address this. Where once beer from Iran was available, through an import/export business from Los Angeles, no more. There are no cocktails available at Bandar.

   Washington State Red Diamond Merlot was light, with a low concentration of grape sugars. It tasted of Guatemalan coffee beans, with a Cuban cigar bouquet. Drazen did well selecting this red, rather than bringing out something that all other restaurants carry. It matched superbly with a stew we would be served.

   Fesenjan was the BEST DISH REVIEWED, stewed chicken tenderloin, simmered in a sweet-n-sour flavored sauce of crushed walnuts and Pomegranates. Drazens tip point would dramatically increase by promoting this Treasure of the Forty Thieves. Chef Behrooz could retire a millionaire by selling bottles of this sauce, along with the cucumber dip. Why not Other restaurants sell their BBQ sauces and their dressings. A gigantic reason for the success of this dish: the hen was not dried out, Allah be praised.

   The fatted calf at Heavens banquet table could well be imitating the execution of Chef Behroozs Shish Kabab platter (note the spelling variant under the photo), skewered USDA PRIME fillet mignon chunks with sections of grilled veggies. The meat grades are one and the same that are used at their Shiraz Restaurant, up the street, which sells only the most sought after expensive cattle cuts, countrywide. Here, cooked to Medium Rare when Rare was requested. Thoroughly enjoyable, the beef bites were given a kiss of onion glaze. Mrs. Faraheni guaranteed us that no other Persian restaurant in town is using the same high grade of bovine. And still, they can make a profit at $24 for this dish. Accountant accolades!

   Beyond brilliance is the technical handcraft employed for the rice. Theres the saffron-only starch, loose-pieced and a media darling. She will swoon you into infatuation. Then there was our other choice, Basmati mixed with raisins, lentil beans and dates. They have to put this on a pedestal, when medals are bestowed. If you were eating this rice, then found a Genie bottle and were invited to make three wishes, you could seriously contemplate dismissing the offers, having just reached Nirvana.

   As sweet as the rice sounds, be careful not to spoil your appetite for dessert. The choices are magnetic. Theres milk chocolate-raspberry cake, tiramisu, Persian baklava, rose water ice cream with pistachios, and chocolate mousse. We sampled the cake and ice cream. Alex was unprepared for the taste of rose water in food! I feel like I just ate a bar of soap, she barked! I knew what to expect and I can say it tasted creamy and exotic-good. The best part of the cake was the fruit gel atop the cocoa.

   Chocolate is an aphrodisiac. It is a smart custom for good restaurants to offer several chocoholic fixes. It leaves you with a euphoric final, lasting memory of your chosen diner. In this case, Aladdin and Princess Jasmine whisked away, thanks to Bandar, with a good taste in our mouths. And were not the only ones.

         The finest Persian cuisine in the cityEleanor Widmer
            Best Persian RestaurantSan Diego Magazine
                     Excellent rating,Zagat survey
              Silver Fork AwardS.D. Home and Garden
                Jack Whites Top 10KGTV, Channel 10

www.bandarrestaurant.com
Open daily from 1130am
Sunday through Thursday until 10pm
Friday and Saturday until 1130pm