Foods from Saffron Restaurant
Comments
2011 Sep 29
Last night I went for dinner at Saffron Restaurant on Rideau Street. The interior is decorated with lace curtains and brass ornaments giving it a Persian appearance and several cafeteria style tables and chairs arranged around the dining room.
The menu is made up of mostly Persian food (I assume – this was my first foray into Persian cuisine). However there are some dishes on the menu that seem to be closer to Greek cuisine – a Greek salad, hummus, and dolmades and tzatziki with Persian sounding names.
I asked to start with hummus but the server told me quite firmly that hummus is not Persian and that I should order a Persian appetizer. I thought this was an interesting sales pitch – if they don’t want their customers to order non-Persian dishes then why put them on the menu? But I digress. The server recommended the Must O’Khiar (which is more or less tzatziki IMO) and I enjoyed it.
One of my dining companions had been to Saffron before and said the kebobs are very good but if we would like to try something more interesting we should try the stews. I ended up ordering the Khoresht Bademjan which was a stewed beef and eggplant dish which consisted of two cubes of beef and a whole lot of eggplant. I love eggplant and the dish was nicely seasoned but I was expecting a more equal eggplant to beef ratio. My stew was accompanied with some basmati rice topped with saffron. One of my dining companions ordered the Bhogoli Polo which consisted of a braised lamb shank and a rice pilaf on the side. The lamb looked awesome and he said the meat was so moist and tender it was falling off the bone. A couple of other diners orderd the Persian rice instead of the regular rice which was basically the basmati rice garnished with barberries. They look like dried cranberries and apparently they taste like it too.
All in all it was a fun introduction to Persian cuisine and I would definitely like to return to try the lamb and also the shrimp on the appetizer menu.
The menu is made up of mostly Persian food (I assume – this was my first foray into Persian cuisine). However there are some dishes on the menu that seem to be closer to Greek cuisine – a Greek salad, hummus, and dolmades and tzatziki with Persian sounding names.
I asked to start with hummus but the server told me quite firmly that hummus is not Persian and that I should order a Persian appetizer. I thought this was an interesting sales pitch – if they don’t want their customers to order non-Persian dishes then why put them on the menu? But I digress. The server recommended the Must O’Khiar (which is more or less tzatziki IMO) and I enjoyed it.
One of my dining companions had been to Saffron before and said the kebobs are very good but if we would like to try something more interesting we should try the stews. I ended up ordering the Khoresht Bademjan which was a stewed beef and eggplant dish which consisted of two cubes of beef and a whole lot of eggplant. I love eggplant and the dish was nicely seasoned but I was expecting a more equal eggplant to beef ratio. My stew was accompanied with some basmati rice topped with saffron. One of my dining companions ordered the Bhogoli Polo which consisted of a braised lamb shank and a rice pilaf on the side. The lamb looked awesome and he said the meat was so moist and tender it was falling off the bone. A couple of other diners orderd the Persian rice instead of the regular rice which was basically the basmati rice garnished with barberries. They look like dried cranberries and apparently they taste like it too.
All in all it was a fun introduction to Persian cuisine and I would definitely like to return to try the lamb and also the shrimp on the appetizer menu.
2011 Apr 3
Like Sandrinha, Saffron was recommended to me by a Persian friend. I've been there 5 times over the past year. It is your standard Persian cuisine. Tasty entres: dolmeh, tabouli, bademjan (my favorite eggplant dish.) And good rice/grilled meat combos, such as Sultaneya, kubaidah, etc. Good for large group meetups. The service style is almost as if they're serving you out of their own home.
2006 Sep 21
I once asked an Iranian friend where to get the best persian food in town (he answered Montreal) and he recommended Saffron. I've only been for lunch but thoroughly enjoyed the kabab dish. They serve a delicious basmati rice which is delicately scented with some saffron and butter, and a fresh salad along with the grilled kebab. Meal portions are generous and the price very reasonable at lunch (under $10). Friendly service but can be a bit slow.
2013 Oct 24
Had a nice lunch platter of Koobideh yesterday. Wifey convinced me to get the half-salad half-rice option, which turned out to be a good way to go as the rice wasn't as mind-blowing as I'd remembered it. The meat is still tasty, but it was very, very moist, meaning it was likely reheated from frozen. No surprise, seeing as we were the only seated patrons during the noon hour.
Still great value at $10.95!
Still great value at $10.95!
2007 Feb 20
I can not agree more with Mark re Koobideh. Don’t forget to order ‘Doogh’ for drink! It is as important as adding 'butter' to your rice and the onion. Doogh is the official drink for Kabab (Koobideh and Barg). Learn more about Doogh here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doogh
2006 Oct 1
The best basmati rice in town is here. A tip is to melt a pat of butter (served with the free pita bread appetizer) onto your rice and you'll be in heaven!
Persians have a unique way of cooking basmati that involves boiling, draining, then steaming the rice. It's a lot of work but totally worth it, elevating an otherwise boring side dish to craveworthy main dish status.
Persians have a unique way of cooking basmati that involves boiling, draining, then steaming the rice. It's a lot of work but totally worth it, elevating an otherwise boring side dish to craveworthy main dish status.
2007 Feb 20
Joocheh Kabab, which is the Persian version of grilled chicken is my second best choice in Saffron. As I am a beef lover, my first choice is Koobideh! I think you have two choice for Joocheh Kabab: boneless and with-bone. I recommend the Second one. However the boneless chicken is Super delicious too.
warby