Wow, has it really been more than a month since my last post? Although it might seem like it, I assure you that my palate and my stomach have not taken a hiatus from glorious food. I've just had my hands tied the past few weeks because of a big change that I've decided to undergo. Yup, the gourmande is now officially a big girl living on her own (on weekdays anyway), to escape the daily 2-hour traffic I have to endure just to get to work. My friends and officemates were right when they said it would be life changing. For the better, of course. :)
So anyway, I've been so busy with moving in and settling in that I've barely had the time to sit down and relish the delicious moments I've had doing what I love the most and sharing those with you. Hopefully this post would make up for lost time.
This week, as we commemorate the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our family is celebrating another blessing -- the 4th birthday of my nephew, Tye. This is him trying to blow, well, eat, his birthday candle :)
My eldest brother had a sudden craving for Persian food. My other brother, who lives just across Greenbelt, suggested that we go to Persia Grill. None of us in the family have tried it there except for him, and so we all thought it would be good to try. It's owned by Kian Kazemi, a former PBB house mate. I believe he's half Iranian so he must know enough about what makes authentic Persian food.
Its interiors gave off that intimate and cozy feeling that's fit for both a family gathering and a date. I particularly liked the accents on the walls -- instruments on the left side and those beautiful lighted branches that swirled gracefully on the right.
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| I liked how they used instruments as accents |
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| Spot those beautiful branches behind my beautiful mother :) |
Persia Grills' menu had a much wider offering than most kebab places. Aside from the usual kebab that us Filipinos love eating for dinner or as an after party feast, they also serve grilled blue marlin, tuna belly, or norweigan salmon for those who are avoiding meat. And for those looking for a more interesting Persian dining experience, they offer Abghoust, Vegetable Mussaka, and Gormeh Sabzo, among others.
For our appetizer, we couldn't decide between Hummus and Baba Ganoush, and so we decided to go for the combination platter, Peshgahza. This dish gave us a taste of their 4 best dips, the two that I mentioned plus Must O'Khlar (Persian yogurt dip with cucumber) and Salad Oliveyeh (a mixture of potato, mayo, egg and chicken). All four dips were really good. My favorite would have to be Baba Ganoush or the eggplant dip. It had that strong and distinct yet creamy taste of eggplant that would have you craving for more. The pita bread was soft and slightly sweet, which complemented well the different flavors of the dips.
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| Peshgahza - P345 |
For our main course, most of us went for the tried and tested Chelo Kebab Kobideh. It came with two sticks of charbroiled beef, long grain rice topped with a cube of butter, two pieces of grilled tomatoes, and yogurt dip. The beef was cooked just enough to give off that smoky taste but still keep its tenderness. Bottles of delicious white sauce and hot sauce that go perfectly with any kind of kebab were there at our table. Needless to say, moments later, our plates were swimming in these yummy sauces. The hot sauce was extra hot, which I definitely enjoyed. In fact, I enjoyed my whole meal that I didn't mind overindulging on rice :)
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| Chelo Kebab Kobideh - P199 |
Tye enjoyed taking bites of pita bread and some pieces of kebab while playing with his new hot wheels light speeders care of C and I. Even I was amazed at the new technology of toys nowadays. This came with a kind of flash light that would paint on the car when the light touches it.
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| A child's happiness is the most sincere of all |
While Tye enjoyed playing with his new toys, me and my family enjoyed the delicious food and the great company. Being away from home for most of the week makes me cherish these moments even more. Seeing my family at the end of each week always gives me something to look forward to, and something to be extremely thankful for.
I guess this is the theme of my Lenten season this year. It's not just about Penance, but also Gratitude.
Being sorry for our sins and remembering that Christ died to save us is one side of it. The other is all about being thankful that Jesus came to this world to do just that.
Advanced Happy Easter, everyone! May yours be full of not only delicious food, but also delicious moments you can be truly thankful for.
THE GOURMANDE'S SCORE: 5 out of 5
