| rev:text
| - The newest location of Zaytoon Kabob Bistro has just opened, and I, for one, am a happy guy. Quick, casual Persian kabobs? Sign me up.
BACKGROUND
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Apparently Zaytoon's first 2 locations, in north Phoenix and Chandler, opened while I'd been away on the East Coast, and as such had no idea they even existed until I got back. Given I live so close by, I'd seen the sign for the 16th & Camelback St location since moving back to Phoenix last month but had not seen any progress in it opening, so I'd been hoofing it up to north Phoenix instead to grab some eats.
Why go through such trouble? I'm a huge fan of Persian food, undoubtedly helped by being stuffed to the gills by my Persian friends' moms whenever I'm visiting LA ("I wish you were my son - you love to eat my food so much! Unlike my own children, you know how to appreciate my cooking and not worry about the fitting into tight shirts from Armani Exchange!").
VENUE
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Like the other locations, the 16th Street Zaytoon (sandwiched between a Subway and a nail salon, around the corner from Sports Authority) is fast casual: order at the counter and then bring the food to your table.
There isn't a whole lot happening here in terms of atmosphere, apart from a few printed photographs of food on the walls and some soft Persian music lilting from the speakers.
MENU
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* A limited number of Persian kabobs (beef, lamb, chicken, fish, shrimp), as well as gyros for those craving as such, and can come in a wrap or as an entree (with either rice or salad). For carb conscious folk, you can also order just the skewers of meat/chicken by themselves.
* Vegetarians have the option of having a Persian-style veggie quiche instead or falafel instead.
* A good selection of appetizers, including kashk e bademjan (a tasty warm Persian eggplant dip) and "Zaytoon hummus" (hummus mixed with kalamata olives), and a number of salads
* A rotating daily special featuring a traditional dish popular in Iran, including chicken, lamb, beef, and rice dishes
* Desserts include saffron ice cream and a sweet, sticky fried dough dessert called zoolbia bamiyeh
MY TAKE ON THE FOOD
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I've been to Zaytoon a good number of times now and am pleased with the grub for the price I'm paying for it. Zaytoon isn't a full-scale sit down Persian restaurant where they take their sweet time to cook dishes authentically to bring out the best and most complex flavors. It's a fast-casual joint after all, and they have to make sure they get their dishes out as fast as possible. It's not the Persian Room (or any number of amazing Persian restaurants in LA), but its dishes are also 1/3 of the price of any of those places.
While most customers I've seen come in stick to ordering what they're most familiar with (gyros, falafel, hummus, tabouleh, etc.), I'd definitely recommend giving their selection of Persian dishes a shot:
* Their chicken kabobs are lightly flavored with saffron and are always well-grilled and never dry.
* Their eggplant appetizer is tasty, and a great dish to enjoy while waiting for your entree
* Their weekly specials include a number of my favorite Persian dishes:
-- Zereshk Polo (saffron-flavored barberry rice and chicken) on Mondays
-- Baghali Polo (rice with dill and lima beans, served with chicken or beef kabobs or a lamb shank) on Thursdays
-- and Khoresht Fesenjan (chicken in a tart yet savory pomegranate-walnut stew) on Saturdays
I've had the barberry rice and pomegranate chicken specials and, given the short amount of time they have to put these out (and therefore taking a few unauthentic shortcuts), they're not the most complex dishes, but they still manage to be tasty and enjoyable over a quick meal.
MY TAKE ON THE SERVICE
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The staff has always been friendly, personable and fast. I've seen the owner drop by this location and ask the patrons how they're all enjoying their food. He's even offered me hot tea after seeing me engrossed in long conversation with a friend (which, of course, calls for tea).
OVERALL
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The 16th St & Camelback location has been open just recently but I'm such a repeat customer already that they all know me by now. I like the grub and the fact it's so conveniently close to me. An order of a skewer of chicken kabobs and a side of shirazi salad (kind of a Persian pico de gallo) is a sure-fire healthy meal and not nearly as mundane as the Subway next door.
It's not blow-your-mind Persian cuisine, but it's great value for the money and still tasty and will get you out in and out the door fast (especially convenient for those who work nearby and are on their lunch hour). I haven't done too many of their more "Mediterranean" dishes so I can't really remark on those, but folks I've talked to who have enjoyed their dishes.
A welcome new flavor amidst the 16th & Camelback chain hell. Hope these guys make it for the long haul.
4 stars
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