Parsian Restaurant

Written by mojdeh on March 30, 2013 in I Eat America, I Eat...Out with 0 Comments

(parsianrestaurant.com) – Old Town Alexandria, Virginia

How I heard of this place: Our dear friends wanted to break bread before we journeyed westward, and recommended this quaint spot on King Street, where I spoke to our host and the chef in Farsi, and enjoyed explaining the mini haft-seen on their bar to one of our dining companions.

Type of cuisine: “We invite you to join us for an authentic taste of Persian cuisine with succulent, juicy Kabobs prepared over open-fire grill, Persian dishes, delicacies and sweets. Our Chefs take great pride in offering variety of flavorful and healthy Kabobs and Vegetarian dishes, giving you a fresh taste of Middle Eastern and Persian traditional cuisine.”

Ambiance: Small and cozy, quaint and sweet, the King Street facing establishment is warm and inviting both from the outside and upon entry. The 80s music playing overhead brought smiles to our faces, as we took our seats in the wooden chairs, backs to the bar and staring out across the small space, looking out the windows onto King Street.

What I ordered: We started with the house-provided warm barbari bread and sides,

and a large pitcher of doogh for Chris.

For our main entrees, one of our dining companions selected two appetizers. The first, Koko Sabzi ($5.25), a veggie souffle of spring onions, parsley, cilantro, eggs, garlic and olive oil,

as well as the Spicy Sambusa ($4.85) stuffed with ground beef, potatoes, vegetables and spices.

Our second and third dining companions shared the Salad Shirazi ($4) made up of diced tomatoes, cucumber, onion and fresh herbs tossed in a house dressing, Dolmah ($4.85), vegetarian stuffed grape leaves,

and Kashke-Bademjan ($5.95): sauteed eggplant mixed with grilled onions, garlic and boiled yogurt.

For our main entree, my husband and I shared the Joojeh Combo ($14.85), grilled chunks of boneless chicken breast and ground sirloin marinated in special house seasoning served with saffron-spiced rice.

As a delightful treat, our chef sent out a plate of Tabouli ($4.85) – bulgar (cracked wheat), tomatoes, parsley, cilantro and olive oil – on the house!