Classic Persian Restaurant
Ian Jones, Food and Drink Editor
Classic Persian Restaurant, a hidden gem located on Bradford’s Little Horton Street, serves up classic Iranian/Persian cuisine. Because of Iran’s unique position, this means you can expect to find a diverse mixture of Turkish, Caucasian, Mesopotamian, Levantine, Greek, and even Russian cooking styles. A lot of the magic is made with cunning combinations of herbs and fruit and rice and meat.
Chargrilled meat dishes include various kinds of Chello Kebab. The Koubideh is the minced lamb version, whereas the Bargh is made of lamb fillet. The Ghafghazi is a mix of chicken and lamb. The Joojeh is marinated in lemon juice and saffron. Be wary of assumptions about kebabs. This is the real thing, made with care, not just your standard takeaway offering.
You can expect to find a diverse mixture of Turkish, Caucasian, Mesopotamian, Levantine, Greek, and even Russian cooking styles
Things may sound meat-heavy so far, but there are also many vegetarian options, including Dolmeh, stuffed vine leaves with lentils and rice, and the Kashk Bademjan, baked aubergines with walnuts and fried onion, in a mix of garlic, herbs, and spices, and topped with whey. You can also get the Mirza Ghasemi, a grilled aubergine, with sautéed garlic and onions, eggs, and tomato. This, by the way, is real traditional food that happens to be vegetarian, not an afterthought.
A highlight of the Persian menu is the slow-cooked stew. Look out in particular for the Fesenjan, diced chicken breast, sautéed with crushed walnuts and thick pomegranate sauce, and the Aloo-mosama, sautéed lamb thigh, with aubergine, dried plums, and chopped onions and a blend of spices cooked in tomato sauce. The Mahicheh is a lamb shank cooked in crushed tomatoes with spices. Then there’s the Khorak, a stew of aubergine, courgettes, yellow split peas, green beans and coriander cooked in the Chef’s secret sauce. In these dishes the ingredients blend together over time, reaching an especial tenderness.
