The first Persian recipes were written on clay tablets 4,000 years ago, making it one of the most ancient cuisines on Earth. It's also one of the least known in the western world. I had the good fortune to be introduced to it as a child, when an Iranian college student rented the apartment above my house. Behrooz loved to cook and did it every day, in our kitchen, using the lemons and limes that grew abundantly in our California backyard. The exotic smells and tastes that resulted are now fond childhood memories.

When Moe Kosari opened Alborz Persian restaurant on Anderson Lane, I was elated that this particular cuisine had finally been introduced to Central Texas. Named after the snow-capped mountains of Kosari's native Iran, the dishes are all based on his mother's traditional recipes, and I was especially gratified that it was all just as good as I remembered when I was a kid.

Kosari owned several other restaurants in Austin before opening Alborz. Two of them were in the food court at Northcross Mall, a Pizza restaurant and Taco Arriba. When Kosari decided to experiment with selling grilled Kabobs at Taco Arriba and it turned into an overwhelming success - to the extent that the kabobs were more popular than the tacos - he decided that Austin might be open to a traditional Persian restaurant.

And open it is - word spread fast and the restaurant quickly developed a loyal clientele, particularly at lunch. It could be the extensive lunch buffet that lets diners sample a wide variety of traditional Persian dishes. Or, it could be that fans of Persian cuisine appreciate the quality and authenticity - Kosari carefully taste-tests each and every dish before it's served on the buffet; if it doesn't meet his standard of perfection, you won't see it.

Even if you are unfamiliar with Persian food and do not know whether you are a fan or not, you'll still probably find something that is to your liking. From your basic meat-and-potato types to the adventurous diner - the diverse selection offers something for almost any palate, making it a safe bet with most lunch groups.

The buffet is a good place to start for a novice. If you have never had Persian food, then you are in for a whole new culinary experience - do not expect a variation of the Indian, Greek, or Middle Eastern food that you may have had before. Although you'll probably recognize some flavors that are common in that region of the world, such as citrus, mint, and rosewater - others, such as pomegranate and barberries, are more unique to Persian cooking. The flavors are complex but not overpowering, using a wide variety of spice combinations that are exotic and mild at the same time.

Persian cuisine is dominated by three main types of dishes; Chelow (rice), (Kabobs) grilled meat, and Khoresh (Persian stew). Rice is at the center and is traditionally prepared by Persian cooks dozens of ways, ranging from a fairly simple Saffron Rice to the colorful and very elaborate Jeweled Rice that is customarily served at

weddings (representing rubies and emeralds). You can try five different varieties of rice dishes on the Alborz buffet, including the basic Saffron Rice, Jeweled Rice, and a very delicious and unusual Sour Cherry Rice (worthy on each of my visits of a second helping).

Kababs are also a mainstay of the Persian diet; skewers of meat marinated in saffron, onions, yogurt and lime juice, then grilled over an open flame. The buffet offers ground meat Kababs and chicken kababs, along with all the traditional accompaniments such fresh herbs and mast-o-khiar (yogurt and cucumbers). For lamb or beef fillets you need to go in the evening and order from the dinner menu, the selection is large and the presentation is spectacular.

Khoresh can be vegetarian or made with either meats, poultry, or fish and combined with vegetables; fresh or dried fruits; and beans, grains, and sometimes nuts. It is then seasoned and slow-simmered for hours (sometimes for ten hours or more). Several varieties on the Alborz buffet allow you to sample the vast range of flavors that this style of preparation can achieve - on the day I visited the buffet there were vegetarian and non-vegetarian varieties of Khoresh made from spinach, yellow peas, zucchini, celery, and lentils.

The rosewater-scented rice pudding on the lunch buffet keeps with the tradition of light desserts, and unless you have commendable restraint you won't have much room left, anyway. More desserts, such as the Roulette (Persian cake, made in house every day) and Persian Baghlava (slightly different than the familiar Greek variety), are available from the dinner menu.

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Middle eastern extravaganza, family-style, at Alborz

Fertile, Pleasant

Combination Kabob Plate
photo by John Anderson

Alborz Persian Cuisine

3300 W. Anderson Ln. #303, 420-2222

Mohamed Kosari isn't new to the restaurant business. An Austin resident for almost 25 years, the native of Iran got his start working for Mr. Gatti's before he took off on his own, opening a series of pizza places around town, the most recent of which was in the food court of Northcross Mall. He also owned an adjoining food stand called Taco Arriba. A few years ago, he started selling some basic Persian dishes from the Taco Arriba stall, adding Chelo Kabob to his collection of food-court restaurants. Before long, the Persian kabob and rice dishes were outselling the tacos, and Chelo Kabob became a destination for fans of Middle Eastern cuisine in Austin. Encouraged by the success of Chelo Kabob, Kosari decided to purchase a nearby restaurant space when Northcross Mall closed last year. Within two weeks, he and his wife transformed an aging Italian restaurant into Alborz Persian Cuisine. As the doors opened on Alborz, the décor still bore testimony to its former incarnation. Fake ivy twined around plastic grapes, and rope-covered Chianti bottles garnished the walls and tables. Today, the grapes and Chianti bottles are gone, replaced by artwork and trinkets that evoke Kosari's Middle Eastern origins. In its own way, though, Alborz has blossomed into an establishment not unlike its Italian counterpart. Comfortable and unpretentious, it is one of those places that may be as perfect for a first date as it is for a casual business lunch, or even an easy family dinner.

Middle Eastern cuisine isn't well represented in Austin. And the cuisine specifically related to the region known as Persia is particularly nebulous, in part because of shifting geopolitical boundaries throughout the ages. Though Persia has centered around modern-day Iran since the Iron Age, its cultural sphere has diffused through parts of Iraq, Afghanistan, its neighboring post-Soviet republics (the "Stans"), and even into Turkey and India. Persian cuisine comes out of a deeply rooted food tradition that is both exotic and strangely familiar to the American palate. The influence of Persian cuisine on the Medieval and Renaissance European culinary traditions cannot be overestimated. It is said that Persians invented the fork. Persian spice traders brought saffron to the Mediterranean. And long before the Genoese first ground together nuts and basil to make what we have come to call pesto, the Persians were doing it with mint, coriander, and dill to make stews served over rice and bread. Saffron, pomegranates, mint, dill, nuts, lamb, apricots, and sour cherries -- these are the flavors that dominate a cuisine that is at once simple and complex. Its cornerstone dishes are grilled meats, rice, and slow-simmered stews. More simply spiced than their South Asian cousins, Persian dishes incorporate the repetition of a few basic flavors to form an integrated composition that is complex and satisfying -- like a Kilim prayer rug, or an illuminated manuscript.

Alborz captures the essentials of Persia's rich culinary heritage, and presents them in a more formal restaurant setting than the former Chlelo Kabob, although by most standards, the atmosphere at Alborz is still casual and family-oriented. The menu features many of the dishes that made Chelo Kabob such a success. Appetizers include hummus ($4), baba ghannooj ($4), and some excellent rice-stuffed grape leaves ($5) that are minty, lemony, and tightly bundled in their bite-sized packages.

Among the entrées, the outstanding marinated and grilled kabobs continue to dominate customer preference. The Koobideh ($9), a ground-beef kabob, redolent with sumac, onions, and other seasonings, is thoroughly enticing. The chicken-and-beef kabobs ($10) are tender, tangy, and comfortingly familiar to a dining public raised on fajitas and barbecue. A hefty portion of fluffy rice, and a generous serving of tahdig -- the crunchy pot-bottom crust made from rice, bread, potatoes, or sometimes even squash -- give additional substance to an already abundant meal. Aficionados of Persian cuisine insist that the tahdig is the most sought-after portion of the rice, and at Alborz it's easy to see why. Buttery, crunchy, and caramelized, it's delicious moistened with stews or just on its own.

The sit-down environment of Alborz enables the kitchen to offer a number of stews (Koresht) generally not featured on the former Chelo Kabob menu. A simply seasoned, meaty, braised lamb shank, falling from the bone and juicy from its long sojourn in the pot, is one of the more unadorned platters on the menu, though it's also delicious in its homeliness. An altogether different type of stew (Koresh Gheymeh, $9) with beef and yellow split peas is delicately scented by cinnamon, saffron, and tomatoes. This fragrant concoction evokes the rib-sticking substance of a split-pea soup, Persian-style. The Gormeh Sabzi ($9) positively reeks of mint, parsley, and other green things, cooked into a leafy stew with kidney beans and morsels of beef. But perhaps the most intricate of dishes is the fesenjan ($10), a mosaic of a stew made from pomegranate, walnuts, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, onions, and garlic. Fesenjan is one of Persia's most praised dishes. Often, it's served with duck or quail; at Alborz it's served atop a more modest baked chicken. Unlike many of the koresht at Alborz, whose flavors are subtle and savory, the fesenjan is bold and lip-smackingly tart. Though I admit I have tasted slightly more sophisticated versions of this dish at restaurants in Chicago and Washington, D.C., Alborz's rendition is certainly competent -- and not to be missed.

The variety of Persian cuisine is astounding. For those unfamiliar with any of its dishes, I strongly endorse the daily lunch buffet ($6.99 on weekdays and $8.99 on weekends), which features more than 20 food items, many of which are not listed on the regular menu. Where else can you get five different types of rice? Pilaf with lamb and dill, pilaf with lentils and sour cherries, pilaf with vegetables, and white rice with saffron form the central dishes from which to build the meal. This rice extravaganza even includes a special warming tray for the tahdig. Stews with beef, stews with chicken, and marinated, roasted chicken are meant to accompany the rice dishes. Additionally, there are trays bearing vegetarian eggplant stews, sweet stews of potatoes and pomegranate, tomato and cucumber salads, yogurt and tomato salad, and lettuce salad. Don't even try to make a decision; instead, sample a smattering of each. And remember that the savory dishes served on the buffet represent only the gateway to the mine of recipes forming the Persian repertoire.

The Persian sweets tradition is equally voluminous. And though Alborz merely scratches the surface of Middle Eastern dessert-making culture, they do offer fine renditions of the well-known baklava ($3) and rice pudding ($3), in addition to lesser known favorites such as zoolbia -- a rosewater-flavored yogurt ($4). A cream-filled rolled cake, called simply roulette ($4), attests to the continuing exchange of traditions between Europe and the Middle East.

As word of Alborz spreads among the Austin community, and as the restaurant begins to attract a larger clientele, it continues to evolve. Kosari briefly featured belly dancers at the restaurant on Friday and Saturday nights, but recently decided that it interfered with the family atmosphere he wanted to cultivate. Alborz will now have belly dancing only once or twice a month. Alborz, as Kosari sees it, is the culmination of his varied restaurant experience; it is here to stay. Hopefully, its success will serve as a model for other Middle Eastern restaurants to open in Austin, serving traditional Persian dishes of quality, and at reasonable prices.

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Alborz Persian Cuisine

A Persian buffet that can take the heat

Few dishes are designed to sit for any length of time on a steam table; most of them turn soggy, gummy or some other unappealing texture within minutes.

Not so at Alborz, the new Persian restaurant in the strip mall on the northwest corner of Anderson Lane and Shoal Creek Boulevard.

Perhaps that's because many of the dishes on the daily lunch buffet ($7.49 Monday to Friday, $8.99 Saturday and Sunday) involve rice or stews, items that hold up well in that setting.

The hot portion of the buffet featured a variety of tasty dishes, including rice with sour cherries, saffron rice with chicken, basmati rice with herbs, flame-grilled tomato wedges, squash and tomato stew, cherry tomato and potato stew, celery stew, baked chicken and ground beef kabobs.

The cold portion contained diced cucumbers in yogurt, salad greens with a creamy dressing, a tomato-cucumber-onion salad, watermelon, tabbouleh and a traditional Persian rice pudding made with saffron and rose water.

The selection and quality make the lunch buffet a good introduction to Persian cuisine and provide a solid reason to return in the evening for the regular menu.


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