Khoshbin: The Shomali Restaurant

Once in a while one comes across an experience that although not great certainly is interesting. I have been trying to find out regional restaurants in Tehran which is not an easy task. Recently I struck lucky and one of our taxi drivers knew of an authentic Rashti restaurant (Rasht is the capital city of Gilan province in northern Iran by the Caspian Sea) and kindly found their phone number for me.


Last week a couple of my cousins and myself went to try it out. It is called Khoshbin and they only serve Shomali (northern) food. The place is now run by the two sons of the late Mr Khoshbin and I am sure it has seen better times. The menu is quite varied and prices are not as high as some places in north Tehran; and so, without breaking the family budget, we tried several samples of their food.

The restaurant seems well known to many and, believe you me, it is a very busy place - the table next to us changed customers three times in the one hour and the second time we went there a few days ago, we had to wait a long time to be seated. I noticed that their take away business is also flourishing. What impressed me most were the very cool head waiter and the charming chef.

I am sure you can see that the ambiance is not too much to write about except that it has not changed much for many years. As for the quality and taste, well that is another story. I am lucky to have several in-laws and friends who come from the North so I have been spoiled with great home-made Rashti and Shomali cooking; therefore it takes a lot to satisfy my trained taste. Let's just say for value for money it was good.

I found their Kebab Toursh (sour kebab) good and their Zeytoun Parvardeh (marinated olives in pomegranate juice with crushed walnut and herbs) absolutely exquisite.

Their Baaghali Ghatough (a stew made from special broad beans and dill), and Mirza Ghassmi (a mixture of egg plant, tomatoes, onion and eggs) was acceptable.

What made it such a great treat for me were the people who came there to eat. Mostly men, they had such interesting faces and body language that I had a hard time not staring. When I go to such places, real-life spots, then I can see some of the answers to my many questions about Iran.

Address:
Khosbin Restaurant, 406 North Saadi Ave.,
it is just Below Sayeed Ali Crossing/Manoucheri Street.
Telephone:
33902194 or 0912 1400053

Rating: 7 / 10

Shar

Tucked away as part of a larger complex containing a cafe and snooker hall, Shar is a restaurant with a great location. Located on the top floor of an entertainment complex, the restaurant overlooks central Tehran from a hill providing some great views.

Staff are always on hand and attentive to all your needs. They waste little time in getting things done and are very courteous. At times, one can feel that plastic service facade as opposed to any genuine warmth.

The food is a international mix and match of fusion foods and nothing is quite what it seems. It would seem that the chef has only gained any knowledge of the international food he is cooking from brochures at travel agencies. A good example is the Korean steak, which is a succulent steak doused in soy sauce with vegtables. Not quite what is served in Korea. The salads are also somewhat under thought and simplistic, especially if served as a main course. Despite this, presentation is excellent. One positive point on the food is the desert menu which is outstandingly mouth watering and equally tasty.

The lunch crowd is primarily business men with a random assortment of others, however as rumor has it at night all the Iranian film starts show up here. Overpriced for what it is, but not bad.







Rating: 7 / 10
Website: http://www.khaterehkhosh.com
Address: 5 Ahuramazda St., Esfarayen Street, Alvand Avenue, Argentine Square
Telephone: 888 79717-18

Bistango

Bistango offers international cuisine at high standards. Bistango came about when Saman Jilanchi came back to Iran after 18 years to run the family business, the Raamtin Hotel in Vali-Asr Street. He wanted to bring fine dining experience back to Tehran and so he hired a Canadian chef, Larry Greenwood, who taught his students, who later took over. The dream came true. Most of those who go to Bistango agree that its distinctiveness and service is still unrivaled in Tehran. We can only hope that others learn from this so that more customers enjoy better food and service. It is not cheap but it certainly is worth it.

Bistango has an excellent atmosphere and is great for both lunch and dinner. It is great for many occasions from business meetings to smart gatherings with friends. Maybe the essence of their success is that food and ambience are combined.

At Bistango they have an open kitchen which is very neat and clean and I love their Iranian head chef who is not only very friendly but very professional too.

I wished they had made rather more use of their space and although there were a couple of floor supervisors, I felt that they did not interact with the customer sufficiently except on arrival and departure. On their menu we read "a divine combination of food and art!" Divine is probably an exaggeration, but it certainly was good. Although the standard of service was high, it was slightly impersonal and because of that came across as a little plastic. I do hope that they really look into this so that such great experience of going out becomes even more interesting, enjoyable and unique.

Rating: 9 / 10
Telephone: 8855 44 09
Fax: 8871 85 93

Also mentioned on the BBC: Iran's Gourmet Restaurant (In Pictures)

BIX

Bix is a quasi Californian Italian pizzeria located on the first floor of the Ghandi Shopping center in the middle of Ghandi Avenue. It is under the same management as Boulvard and Monsoon (see other posts).

Bix is by no means a large restaurant, and despite it's small space it still manages to feel quite open and airy without loosing any of the intimacy and coziness which accompanies small spaces. The restaurant is divided into two sections, indoor and outdoor, by a large glass wall. During the winter months the outdoor balcony section is covered with a tent and heated, however during summer it can be very coveted due to its cool breezy atmosphere. Having said that, the toilet is rather tiny and a little bit of fun or a hassle depending on your sense of humor.


The youthful staff are always keen to help and come across as genuine which makes dining there more pleasurable. Patrons are also of all ages from grandparents to well to do 20 somethings and couples.

Food is limited to a large variety of sandwiches, pizzas, and some limited meat dishes. The overall quality and presentation is good and pleasing to the eye. The dessert menu is also noteworthy for its delicious, if somewhat heavy, items.

After several visits, my experience has been that it is a little empty around lunch time, but excellent for dinner.


Rating: 8 / 10
Address: Gandi Ave., Corner of 4^th St., Gandi Shopping Center, 2^nd floor # 20

Telephone: 88788272-88799478

Gilac

A fantastic restaurant serving food from Iran's northern Gilac area. The tucked away and private location means that you don't get accosted by Tehran's bustling traffic and hassle as you travel to and from the restaurant and parking is also abundant.

The semi causal, warm, and friendly atmosphere matches the service and presentation of the food perfectly making it very memorable. Keeping in mind it's more of a place for small groups of friends than for couples (if you are a couple, make sure you don't get the table next to the till).

The food was absolutely delicious and clearly prepared with a great deal of care. The Torshi-Kabab is outstanding and the fish just melts in your mouth with each bite. It's worth noting that Northern Iranian food is doused in garlic, so if you're not a garlic fan you'll not like Gilac. Furthermore, the menu is very limited for vegetarians.

The service is outstanding and one of the best I've seen in Tehran. Staff are helpful, friendly, non-obtrusive, and knowledgeable about the food. Serving is done properly and the staff don't get in the way.

The staff suggested we get a number of starters and main courses for our group (like tapas) so that we can try everything - it was an excellent suggestion and I suggest you all do the same.


Rating: 9 / 10
Address: 15, Parc Des Princes, Kordestan Highway
Telephone: 8048291 - 8052998
Note: not suitable for vegetarians, or garlic haters

Monsoon

Monsoon is one of the few restaurants in Tehran that has maintained it's status and quality over the past few years making it a standard fixture in the city's restaurant circuit. Monsoon operates under the same management as Bix and Boulevard but caters to a different group of people.

While not brilliant, the Asian Fusion menu offers a sound selection from sushi to Thai green curry... and lets face it, in Tehran it's probably the best you're going to get. The Sushi is reasonably fresh (good for landlocked Tehran) which is a delightful change from other places and the chicken satay for starters is delicious. Several small things would have made a good difference as well: The green tea was of the teabag variety as opposed to the leaf variety, and i'm sure some of the lettuce in one of my dishes was not completely fresh.



Service is swift, efficient, helpful, and most importantly with a smile. You can clearly see that this place is properly managed.

Overall, Monsoon has a very chilled out and casual atmosphere giving it a very relaxed no-cares vibe. However, it is popular and crowded so booking in advance is highly advised - and if you do book your table will be confirmed the day before.


Score: 6.5 / 10
Address: Gandi Ave., Corner of 4th St., Gandi Shopping center # 8
Telephone: 88791982-88791983

Cingari

Cingari is Tehran's new Indian restaurant which is the corner of Mofateh (formerly Roosevelt Avenue) and Zohreh Street, in central Tehran, close to 7^th Tir square. A few friends had recommended it and we had been meaning to go there for some time but finally got a chance a few weeks ago to go for a goodbye dinner for one of our friends and also because we had a vegetarian guest from England. Tehran is not noted for its choice of vegetarian restaurants, but the Cingari does a very good range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian Indian food in Mughlai style. We went there again a week later with some other friends.
The restaurant was opened and managed by Christopher Dawe, who is German and had been to Iran in the early 90's when his parents were living and working here. After graduating in hotel management he started his career in Oman at the Emir's palace. After a year he started to work for an international hotel chain and opened many branches for them throughout the Middle East, Africa and Asia. A few years back he came to the conclusion that it was high time that he opened his own place. He had been to the Middle East and Asia through his job and was familiar with many good cooks and supply sources. He was choosing between Cyprus, Morocco and Tehran. In his feasibility study he had come to realise that there was an excellent demand for a good Indian restaurant in Tehran and so it was that Tehran was his choice. After a few months he found the right partner and moved here with his family and started the Cingari restaurant. The chef is Indian and a lot of ingredients used in preparing and cooking are imported.

The young staff were dressed smartly and simply and were most cordial and helpful. The portions were sufficient and the spices were used with consideration to the local taste. The presentation of the food was good and the fresh fruit juice was most appreciated by all of us. The dessert menu was limited but we found them very tasty and the fruit was excellent.


Many of their clients are business people, travellers and young couples coming for a taste of India. Part of the restaurant's business is outside catering for parties, embassies and official occasions looking for diversity.

What we liked about the Cingari more than anything else was the sense of space and calmness, especially if you were sitting in and leaning on their lovely comfortable and colourful cushions. We liked the decor and found the food pretty good but we were mostly impressed with the ambience in general and how cordial the staff were. The toilets were very clean. The prices were not cheap but then again what is money for if not to spend it and enjoy it!

Score: 8 / 10
Address: 4, Zohreh Street, Mofateh Avenue.
Phone: 021 88 32 70 75