Shandeez Grill (Austin, TX)

A week ago, a few friends and I decided to try a so-called Persian restaurant 30 minutes north of Austin, TX. Little did we know that it was Mexican, too! (On the menu, they claimed to harbor Mexican cuisine, but the menu items did not reflect that.) Let me preface the rest of this saucy tale by mentioning that the three of us had already tried another Persian restaurant nearby called Alborz, so we all had something to compare Shandeez Grill to. Now, down to business...

We wanted to try as many menu items as possible, so we decided early on that we would share our meals and order different things. Who wants ghormeh sabzi? A green stew made with vegetables (type depends on the chef), herbs, kidney beans, lime, and traditionally lamb, all served over basmati rice. As I reluctantly let someone else order the ghormeh sabzi, I realized that this was one of those moments in life when you have to make a sacrifice for the benefit of others. To balance the stew, M and I decided to get kabobs - one soltani each. Soltani is the typical name for a combo kabob dish (you might wonder if the name is derived from sultans and their rich lifestyle, but I have no way to verify that). Anyway, we both ordered chicken and beef, but we differed drastically in beef, with M on the koobideh (awe-inspiring, seasoned ground beef) and me on the barg (marinated, thinly cut, tender steak). Since I was the only one interested in doogh, a minty yogurt drink, we opted for a communal mast-o musir instead, which is a side of yogurt with shallots mixed in.

I must say it all looked fantastic when it arrived - perfect beds of rice, kabobs carefully laid over the top, sweet aromas. I surreptitiously eyed the ghormeh sabzi as I ventured a first bite. Success! The chicken had a sweet, tangy marinade, the koobideh was juicy, and the barg was tender and cooked to perfection. As far as I could tell, the ghormeh sabzi was in good taste but unusually watery, which was somewhat disappointing. The rice, too, was less than perfect, and acquired a noticeable mushy consistency half way into the meal. Unfortunately, this could not be completely concealed by the combined flavor extravaganza of grilled tomatoes, mast-o musir, onion, ghormeh sabzi, and kabobs, but that does not mean I would give up on Shandeez that easily. Indeed, I shall make my presence there again soon with renewed enthusiasm and expectations. Even with the watery nature of their ghormeh sabzi and rice, Shandeez is certainly the best Persian restaurant in Austin.