Bijan (Formerly Alborz) in Fremont Disappoints – Alborz Downhill Alert?

[katya]

Seeing so many positive reviews of the San Francisco Alborz on Chowhound, and itching for Persian food, we decided to visit the Fremont location this past weekend. However, when we arrived at the strip mall there was a new sign – for Bijan Persian Restaurant! The server told us that Bijan has the same chef and owner as Alborz, despite the name change, but I’m still curious to know if Bijan is still part of the Alborz family.

At 6 p.m. on Sunday the restaurant was mostly empty. Bijan is fairly nicely decorated, and the classic guitarist (the schedule indicates that various belly dancers and musicians perform weekends) made for a refined environment.

Our meal started with a basket of lavash that was served with a plate of feta, raw onions, mint, and basil. We ate the accompaniments with the bread – they were welcome since the bread would have been boring on its own. However, it was no Khayyam’s bread, and this is where I must make my first of many tangents. Khayyam’s was a restaurant on Solano Ave. in Albany that simply had the best Persian food I’ve ever had. Their bread came warm sprinkled with seeds (poppy?), and stood on its own merits. Cold lavash doesn’t really make for a good bread that comes before the meal.

I started with an order of crispy rice (usually called tah-dig, which is supposed to be the crunchy rice at the bottom of the rice pot) served with two stews ($6.50). For our stews we chose the fesanjon (dry roasted crushed walnut cooked in pomegranate sauce), which was annoyingly sweet, and the gaymeh badamjoun (tender lean beef, cooked in fresh tomato sauce, lentils and dry limes topped with eggplant). The sauce on the gaymeh was a little on the watery side and the taste reminded me of ketchup. I’ve had this dish many times and this was not a good rendition.

For my entrée I had the zereshk polo with chicken kabob ($14.95). Now at Khayyam’s the zereshk polo that is served with this dish is so impressive that we call it “rice mountain.” At Bijan it consists of simply basmati rice, barberries, and saffron, and is saturated with oil. Better versions have a more diverse selection of fruits (currants, orange peel) and nuts (pistachios or sliced almonds), but my main complaint about Bijan’s is that it was greasy and not light and heavenly tasting like it should have been. The chicken kabob that accompanied it was lemony and tender breast meat. I thought it was the highlight of our meal, but my boyfriend was unimpressed. A tiny portion of buttery vegetables (carrots, squash) was served alongside, and made me wish there were more of them.

Friends of ours ordered the fillet of lamb ($16.95) which consists of one skewer fillet of lamb with onions and bell peppers, marinated with a special sauce. Though I didn’t have a chance to try it, they rated it highest of all our dishes, and said it was very tender.

Our server was very nice, but made us feel awkward as he slowly explained what our dishes were, and all the ingredients therein as each dish arrived (even though all the information about the preparation is in the menu). Though we didn’t order anything from the beverage menu, it includes dough, juices, soda, and beer.

I notice that there have been reports about Alborz in Fremont saying that it’s not quite as good as its sister restaurant in San Francisco. However, this experience makes me wonder if either the cooking and management have changed with the name change, or if Alborz has generally gone downhill. My boyfriend and I really enjoy Persian food – in fact his graduation dinner was at Pomegranate in Berkeley – and we hope more and better Persian restaurants open in the Bay Area.

My ranking of Bay Area Persian Restaurants

1. Khayyam’s – Albany (the master against which all Persian restaurants will forever be judged)
2. Pomegranate – Berkeley, Walnut Creek, Concord (great barg and joojeh kabob with zereshk polo; pomegranate chicken is good but sweet taste can be cloying)
3. Rose Market – Mountain View (rated so highly because of the value; need to re-evaluate because I only had a small sample of food)
4. Yas – San Jose (really impressive selection of polos – “rice mountains” but other food is just OK)
5. Bijan - Fremont
---
Visited and have trouble remembering, but not near the top of the list:
Kabob House – Pleasant Hill
Papa’s - Berkeley

On my list to try:
Maykehdeh – San Francisco
Caravan – San Mateo (does anyone have an opinion on this place?)
Any other suggestions?

39935 Mission Blvd. (at Las Palmas Ave.)
Fremont, CA 94539
510.440.1755
www.bijanrestaurant.net
Two belly dancing shows Fri. & Sat. 7:30 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Live music Thurs. – Sun. nights

Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

[oakjoan]

Thanks for the thorough report, Katya.

I, too like Pomegranate in Berkeley, especially their walnut/red pepper spread. Their bread is always warm and I love their rice (probably has waaay too much butter in it to be good for me).

Last couple of times we ate there, though, it was pretty empty. I hope it's going to survive.

Have to try some of your other mentions.

[Epicurious In Fremont]

Great information Katya! Yes, I LOVE PERSIAN cuisine also and I have tried several different Persian restaurants in the S.F. Bay Area. However, even though I live in Fremont, I will never recommend or dine at Bijan/Alborz again and I share my disappointments as well.

My Dining Experience at Bijan/Alborz :
One evening we had a craving for Persian cuisine but we did not want to travel far (i.e. San Mateo or San Jose for good Persian restaurants). Thus, we decided to give Bijan/Alborz Restaurant a try in Fremont. Having enjoyed a variety of Persian dishes in restaurants and home-cooking, I would say that I have a fine palate and am able to discern between what's good and bad. In any case, for an appetizer, we ordered one of our favorites kashk-e-bademjan which is cooked pureed eggplant, topped with Kashk. (Kashk is a creamy sauce made of yogurt) and sautéed mint. The serving was minimal with just a very thin layer covering a small salad plate. When we tasted it, it tasted BURNT unlike the other times that I've had tried it in the past. In any case, when we asked our server why it tasted "burnt", she played it off like it was supposed to taste that way and just walked away. I really don't think so. Just to be clear, we did not order Mirza Gaasemi which is supposed to taste a bit "smokey": grilled eggplant, tomato and egg tossed together with garlic and other spices. Furthermore, for my entree I had ordered baghali polo with lamb (Broiled lamb shank served with dill weed & lima bean rice), but the rice was dry and not very flavorful. My sister was also disappointed with her kebab kobideh which was dry and not too flavorful.

OVERALL REVIEW FOR BIJAN/ALBORZ: It gives Persian a cuisine a "bad name". Persian Cuisine should be full of flavors and spices which makes your "mouth dance"! However, for the price you pay at there, it does not measure up and you are NOT getting your money's worth! :(

On a positive note, let's talk about RAVING REVIEWS, shall we?? Anyone looking for an AWESOME PERSIAN RESTAURANT within the S.F. Bay Area?

Here is my #1 RECOMMENDATION:
============================

SHALIZAAR RESTAURANT
Address: 120 W 25th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94403
Phone: [phone]
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 11:00 am to 10:00 pm
Closed on Monday

Website: http://www.shalizaar.com

SHALIZAAR RESTAURANT OVERALL REVIEW = A

Note: I would give it an A+, but just in case there is another Persian Restaurant that I might have missed and haven't tried yet, I will be a bit conservative :)

AMBIANCE = Sophisticated & Classy with rich wood accents and a fireplace.

SERVICE = Excellent! However, on weekend evenings, they get really busy and you may have to wait a bit for your entree to be served since they may be serving a couple of tables with parties of 8 or more. However, IT IS WORTH THE WAIT AND YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!

FOOD: "To Die For"!!
I highly recommend their specialty--Shislik (Rack of lamb marinated in the chef’s secret Persian sauce served with buttered rice). However, since I like LOTS OF FLAVOR, I usuallly kindly ask if they would substitute the buttered rice with baghali polo (dillweed/lima bean rice) instead. YUMMMY!!!! :
)
Be adventurous and try the other entrees as well. The kebab kobideh is very flavorful and juicy!
Other winning favorites include:

* Ghormeh Sabzi (Stewed beef and kidney beans, seasoned with sauced spinach, parsley, and cilantro)

* Fesenjan (Broiled chicken cooked in a delicate sweet & sauce made of Pomegranate juice and ground walnuts)

* Gheymeh Bademjan (Broiled tender lean beef, cooked in fresh tomato sauce with split peas, covered with tasty eggplant)

* If you would like any recommendations, don't be surprised if you find yourself meeting and speaking with the friendly Owners. Husband is named Saeed and wife is Nargis (spelling??). Please tell them "The friends in Fremont" HIGHLY recommended this place to you through this AWESOME website!

SIDE NOTE: Katya, you mentioned Caravan in San Mateo. All I can say is try Shalizaar first since you get the "best bang for the buck" + the ambiance. Isn't Caravan considered a Mediterranean/Persian Restaurant? If so, when we tried it, it was a BIG DISAPPOINTMENT. This restaurant location has had many change of ownerships for Persian Cuisine. A few years ago, it was called Zeeba's. Then, it changed to Yas (same one as the one in San Jose which I have not tried), and now Caravan.
***************************************************
#2 RECOMMENDATION - IN SUNNYVALE (South Bay):

Chelokababi
1236 Wolfe Road
Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Phone: [phone]
Website: http://www.chelokababi.com

OVERALL RATING: A-

This restaurant only received "A- Rating" since I am partial to Shalizaar in San Mateo.

AMBIANCE: A touch of elegance with ethnic decor and a walk-in wine cellar. For all you wine drinkers out there, they have an extensive collection for you to select from ;
)
FOOD: Overall, the selections are delicious.

SERVICE: Very good, but I have not gone there recently to be able to comment for current status.

******************************************************

Katya, thank you for listing quite a few Persian restaurants. I will have to try some of those especially Khayyam’s (but it is a bit far for me).
Although I haven't tried myself, regarding Maykehdeh in S.F. on Green Street, I was told that it was a bit pricey and the food was just okay.

Any comments from others on this?

Anyhow, I hope you and everyone else will get a chance to try out Shalizaar in San Mateo. Please post here and share your experience with me!

If there are other suggestions, please post. Thanks.

Link: http://www.shalizaar.com/

Image: http://www.shalizaar.com/images/shish...

[Arlene]

there seems to be a new Persian restaurant,Mariam,in Fremont. Jonathan Kauffman's EastbayExpress review here: http://www.eastbayexpress.com/issues/...

Mariam Restaurant 41043 Fremont Blvd. Fremont, CA 94538 Phone:[phone]
J Kauffman recommends: Fesenjoon, Mariam, Fremont: One of those simple combinations of ingredients -- chicken, pomegranate juice, walnuts, a few aromatics -- that over time blends into something rich and strange.
Mariam Restaurant
11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m., Sun.-Thu.; Fri.-Sat. 8:00 p.m.
Payment: Cash, V, MC, ATM

Mariam
Mast-o-musir $3.49
Tahdig $5.99
Assh reshteh $4.49
Koobideh platter $9.49
Three-kebab combination $26.99
Fesenjoon $10.99

[katya]

I'm really impressed with your knowledge of Persian cuisine! You should post more often. I DEFINITELY want to try Shalizaar. I'm lucky since it's so close to us, too (we live in Millbrae). I love fesenjon and gormeh sabzi, so I'm glad they have good versions of it.

My old roommate was half Persian, and when we found that out while we were interviewing her, we immediately started peppering her with questions about our favorite Persian dishes - like, "Can you make us zeresh polo?" She thought we were nuts!

Don't try to go to my beloved Khayyam's. It's been closed a couple years now. I'm just sad that I haven't found a place as good as it. :(

[Epicurious In Fremont]

Sorry for the delay...there appeared to have been a glitch that did not allow me to respond & post in this thread these past couple of weeks.

Thanks Katya for the positive feedback. I hope you had a chance to try out Shalizaar. Just an FYI regarding the 2 dishes you listed if you are to dine at Shalizaar:

FESENJAN: Shalizaar serves their version on the sweeter side and not tart. The chicken is nicely complemented with the pomengranate sauce infused with walnut.

GHORMEH SABZI: Just like home-made IMHO. The stew meat is fork-tender and the vegetables are stewed to perfection to a nice thick consistency. I think they make their stew from scratch without the use of freeze-dried vegetables like some other restaurants and they add kidney beans. The Persian "Black" lemon is left whole in the stew for you to either enjoy or not. I prefer it and love cutting it into little pieces to enhance my tasting experience! And if you order it and are lucky enough to get CRISPY Tahdig arriving at your table (Crust from the bottom of the rice pot) to serve Ghormeh Sabzi on top, ahhhhhh yummmm, you'll be in heaven. However, the Tahdig MUST BE CRISPY and not soggy! Otherwise, forget it!

Look forward to your review on Shalizaar and reading other great postings from you!

Bon Appetit!
"Epicurious In Fremont"

P.S. Since I last posted in this thread, I have figured out how to put together and post my own photos of Shalizaar Restaurant and some of the dishes discussed (Dishes pictured bottom L-R: Shislik, Ghormeh Sabzi & Kashe e Bademjan). Enjoy :)

Link: http://www.shalizaar.com/

Image: http://us.f3.yahoofs.com/users/42c270...

[Epicurious In Fremont]

Whoops! We're experiencing a bit of a technical difficulty with the picture. Let me try again.

Dishes pictured bottom L-R:
Shislik--ordered with Baghali Polo Dillweed Lima Bean Rice instead of Plain Rice, Ghormeh Sabzi, &
Kashe e Bademjan

Bon Appetit!

Link: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/epicuriousinfremont/album?.dir=cb30&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/epicuriousinfremont/my_photos

Image: http://home.comcast.net/~lavitadolceb...