19 Feb Kolbeh Persian Restaurant, Doncaster

In the middle of a small shopping strip next to the Manningham Council offices, Kolbeh Persian Restaurant is a simple and modest place offering traditional Persian dishes. We visit on a Friday, and though live music is usually happening every Friday and Saturday night, unfortunately we didn’t get to hear any on the day.

Kashk-o Bademjan – Mashed eggplant, fried onion, herbs, and garlic,dressed by kashk (whey) and walnut ($11.50)

Persian Dips – Salad Olovieh, Cucumber Yogurt, warm grain dip ($9.50)

We begin with some entrees to start. There’s a trio of Persian dips – salad olovieh (a Persian potato salad), cucumber yoghurt and an interesting, warm grain dip. Kashk-o Bademjan consists of mashed eggplant, fried onion, herbs and garlic, then dressed by kashk (whey) and walnut. It has an interesting, slightly sharp flavour.

Koobideh Kabab – 2 skewers of minced lamb served with grilled tomato & aromatic basmati rice ($17.50)

Koobideh and Jujeh with Hot Bread – Minced Lamb Skewer and Chicken Skewer Marinated with Onions, Saffron, Grilled Tomato, Rice ($17.50)

Ghormeh Sabzi – Chunky lamb pieces, dried lemon, kidney beans mixed with a finely chopped & fried herbs & vegetables ($17.50)

We all pick different mains, mostly from the kebab section of the menu. A wide range of combinations consisting of different meats with rice, or sometimes flatbread, is available. There’s koobideh (minced lamb), chicken and lamb backstrap, and all are served with grilled tomato and aromatic basmati rice. My aromatic ghormeh gabzi is a comforting feed. Chunky lamb pieces are slow cooked with kidney beans, dried lemon and finely chopped herbs and vegetables. The sauce in this Iranian herb stew is moreish, especially when mixed through the rice. Finally, the night wraps up with Persian ice cream flavour with saffron and rosewater, and a selection of Persian sweets.

Persian Ice Cream with Saffron and Rosewater ($7.50)

Kolbeh Persian Restaurant
751-753 Doncaster Rd
Doncaster, VIC, 3108
(03) 9078 5350