Arya Global Cuisine restaurant in Redwood City, California, is decorated with handmade Persian rugs, colorful glass and enamel hookahs, and antique scroll paintings on lambskin.
Two well-appointed dining areas are separated by brocade curtains and lit with stain glass fixtures hanging over white tablecloths and comfy banquettes and chairs. Add to it an outdoor patio, a sparkling-clean open kitchen with a wood-burning pizza oven, and two cozy wine lounges, and it becomes clear why people tend to linger long after their desserts have been finished.
On Friday and Saturday, the place is packed for live music and belly dancing performances.
It’s not only the warm-hued ambience that makes this newcomer a welcome addition to the bustling downtown restaurant scene in Redwood City.
Chef Mike Hashemi’s authentic Persian cuisine with some well-executed Italian and American classics keeps them coming back for more.
Starting with a Mediterranean platter is a good idea, as it combines tender tahini hummus, delicate borani with sautéed eggplant and fried onions, dolmeh, filled with ground beef and rice, and salad Olivieh – my personal favorite of potatoes, chicken, peas, eggs, and pickles in a light mayo sauce.
Taftoon flat bread from the pizza oven is topped with garlic and butter, and is great on its own or with any appetizer.
Vegetarian sambosa in phillo dough has a cilantro chutney on a side, and is stuffed with seasoned potatoes and fresh herbs, and crisped to perfection.
If you crave a more substantial appetizer, pomegranate and pistachio meatballs should not be missed. Meaty, fruity and nutty, they taste wonderful dabbed in a pinot noir and molasses sauce. Pomegranate is king in Persian cuisine, and so a special Persian stew Fesenjoon is a flavorful mixture of ground walnut and pomegranate juice served on crispy saffron rice.
Meat courses at Arya are numerous and very hard to choose from – everything is good, prepared with lots of love, and comes in generous portions.
Koobedeh combination is a must-have dish with ground beef kebab and ground chicken breast right off the skewers, placed over basmati rice with saffron, and accompanied by grilled tomato, parsley, and lemon.
The ever-popular Shish Liek is made of marinated bone-in lamb chops char broiled and served over rice mixed with lentils, dates, raisins, and saffron.
No matter how much good and filling food you eat at Arya, do not skip dessert.
Mango panna cotta is a thing of beauty – it disappears from the plate before you know it, while traditional baklava sprinkled with pistachio crumbs is fresh, chewy, and sweetened with honey just enough to make you feel happy.
Arya Global Cuisine will celebrate the Persian New Year on March 17, March 23 and March 24 with a $49.00 (excluding tax and gratuity) three-course prix fixe dinner served from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., live music and belly dancing. A children's (12 years old and younger, under 3 are free) menu will be available for $29.00. The celebratory Persian prix fixe menu entree choices will be Filet Mignon Shish Kebab; Sabzi Polo Mahi; Chicken Kebab; Baghali Polo with lamb shank; Fesenjoon; Koobideh Combination; or Zereshk Polo. The restaurant's regular a la carte selections will also be available.
Arya Global Cuisine is located at 885 Middlefield Road in Redwood City, California. Reservations at (650) 367-4939 or www.AryaRestaurant.com.
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