I’ve always wondered about the taste of Persian food, especially when passing by restaurants or food stalls. The irresistible aroma of grilled, tender-looking meat kabobs always catches my attention. Finally, a week ago, I scrolled on the Uber Eats app, trying to decide what to order while prepping for my operations management final exam. A Persian restaurant called “Suren Persian Cuisine” topped my search and immediately caught my attention. Seeing the positive reviews and being curious about various types of authentic Persian food intrigued me to explore the menu further.
Choosing what to order was a bit challenging for me since I was unfamiliar with Persian cuisine. Plus, it’s even harder when we are ordering the food online as you can’t ask about the recommended menu as easily as when you are eating in person. However, unable to wait any longer to try Persian food, I decided to move forward with my delivery experience as a “prelude” to my future in-person Persian dining adventures.
With no one to consult, I turned to my old-time friend, Google, for a recommendation 😊. After reading Google’s guidance, I settled on Koobideh Kabab, a ground minced meat dish grilled on skewers, commonly served with lavash bread or basmati rice, salad, and yogurt sauce. To complement my Koobideh Kabab, I opted for a more exciting rice option: the traditional Persian Barberry Rice—commonly made with basmati rice, saffron, and tart-tangy berry-like dried fruit called barberries.
I also added Shirazi Salad—a refreshing mix of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and fresh herbs with olive oil and lemon-lime dressing. And for the special part, the dessert, I ordered:
Shole Zard (Persian Rice Pudding). A traditional Persian dessert made with basmati rice, sugar, cardamom, rosewater, and saffron (the main ingredient that makes this dessert a vibrant, beautiful yellow color). Shole Zard is known to be enjoyed during special occasions and celebrations such as the Persian New Year or other festivals.
After about a 20-minute wait, the food finally arrived at my home. And as I opened the package, the aromatic smell from the bag heightened my excitement (true story!). The food looked beautiful and tasty, and the portions were generous!
Tada, below is the picture of the food I took from the bag! I decided not to transfer it to my own bowl because I didn’t want to destroy the already beautiful and neat presentation of the food 😊.
Alright, enough of the taking picture session, so it’s time for the fun part, the tasting session. I grabbed my utensils and started tasting from the lightest appetizer, a.k.a. Shirazi salad. I grabbed one spoonful of the salad, smelled it, and chewed on it. My first impression of tasting the salad was that it was a refreshing salad. It looked like a salsa or cucumber salad to me, but when I tasted it, it was different from any similar-looking salad I had tasted before; it was a combination of fresh herbs and spices I had never experienced before. The unique blend of aromatic herbs and spices (I think the combination of fresh mint, dill, parsley, and cilantro) was also great and refreshing. The salad’s freshness and natural acidity from the lemon made it a great accompaniment to the grilled meat and vegetables.
Now, onto the main course—Koobideh Kabab. The presentation alone won my heart, with the barberry rice’s vibrant colors and the meat’s unique shape. I began tasting the different colors of the barberry rice; the white-colored rice tasted like regular basmati rice but had a nice fluffy texture. The yellow-colored rice seemed to have a bit of spice aroma, but I could not tell which spices were in it. But it was just a nice spice level, not too aromatic or pungent, but it added some flavor to the overall dish. Then, I took a bite of the small barberry fruit by itself; as expected, it had a sour taste but not so much aroma. Then, moving to the main star of the dish, the meat, the Koobideh. I immediately liked it when I took my first bite of the meat. The meat itself is chewy, flavourful, and has a tender texture. It is almost similar to the taste of eating beef meatballs, but the texture is much softer and more tender to me. Paired with the vegetables, rice, and salad, it created a nice “harmonious” taste.
With the salad and main dish conquered, it was time to try the Shole Zard—the Persian Saffron Rice Pudding. Sweet in appearance and taste, it carried a slightly floral and sweet aromatic aroma. The texture of the rice is soft, and there is also chopped almond, adding some crunchy texture to the peaceful rice pudding dessert. It was a unique and sweet dessert to me and perfectly complemented the sour and savory notes from the salad and the meat.
In conclusion, trying Persian food was a unique experience for me. It offered a new perspective on the complexity and diversity of global cuisines. I cherished the opportunity to explore flavors that were once beyond my reach, realizing that trying new foods broadens my “culinary horizons” and introduces me to new potential favorites! This Persian food delivery experience has fueled my desire to explore the authentic in-person Persian dining experience. I hope to share those experiences with you in the future! 😊 Happy exploring.
