Persian House

This place came out of nowhere and made my gloomy Monday bright! We were on our way back from a stroll downtown to the tailor when we decided to stop in at the Persian House for dinner (apparently they chose Twitter over maintaining their actual business website, so click here for the menu, and here for details on the restaurant per my beloved Yelp). We were the first patrons of the night in the small, minimal yet authentic space, and were happily seated in the window overlooking Morrison (great spot to spend a nice dinner with your significant other; three other groups rolled in while we were dining). We were searching for something healthy, and the menu had exactly what we were looking for. Appetizers included Middle Eastern/Greek favorites such as hummus/tabbouleh/baba ghannouj as well as some Borani-E (yogurt) dishes that sound irresistible. They also offer a few wonderful salad options, authentic style and American. Entrees include traditional Persian dishes, with plenty of meat and vegetarian choices throughout.

You are served water and crispy pita bread upon arrival (nothing special here, but don’t be turned off). We chose to start with the simple Organic Salad (organic salad blend with organic tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, carrots, hazelnuts, radish and organic balsamic dressing), which was full of the freshest vegetables and topped with the perfect amount of a balsamic vinaigrette dressing (the cherry tomatoes were exceptional, as were the hazelnuts!). For entrees, I ordered the Chicken with Artichokes (breast of chicken marinated in fresh lemon juice, herbs, oregano and artichokes), and my boyfriend ordered the Lemon Chicken with Barberry (tasty lemon chicken covered with barberries, small Persian tart berries that are simmered in saffron, cinnamon, and brown sugar). I thought I was in heaven digging into these dishes! I have a huge issue with the way my chicken is cooked, and this chicken was so moist and flavorful, I could barely stop myself from shoveling it in! Every bite of the Chicken with Artichokes dish was a burst of perfectly seasoned deliciousness. Nothing too overpowering, just the right blend. My boyfriend agreed that the Lemon Chicken with Barberry was divine, but the berries got to be too sweet for him by the end (too sweet - must be a man thing?). Both dishes were served with saffron rice, which was a great consistency and a moderately light accompaniment to the chicken. There was also a special spice on the table that accompanied the chicken dishes, and it was a nice addition. The portions were right on, plenty of food but nothing out of control. Pricing was accurate, and completely worth it for the quality/preparation of the food ($50 w/tip for 2 adults, which included an appetizer salad and two entrees, no drinks). Service was very friendly, but I must say the food took an excessively long time reaching the table, both for the salad and the entrees (I think they may just have been letting us enjoy our evening, but unfortunately we happened to be very hungry and in a hurry – not the best combo for patience!).

This place is a Portland gem, and we are so happy we stumbled into it :) We already decided we are going back to try one of the many lamb dishes, as I am sure they are amazing!

*Jayne