The vibrancy of colour in Persian cuisine is nearly unmatched.
Bright yellows are achieved with saffron and preserved lemon, oranges and reds from pulses and tomatoes, intense greens from exotic herbs, and deep, caramelized browns from grilled meats and crispy, fried onion garnish. A table decked out in a Persian spread is certainly a thing to behold, immediately instilling notions of celebration, jubilance, sophistication and elegance.
I think because of its visual appeal, I am continually surprised by the typically mild and understated flavours of the cuisine. Having lived on the North Shore for 13 years now, I have heard much opining on the subject.
Some suggest the food is bland and under-seasoned, particularly when contrasted with cuisine from nearby, neighbouring countries. Others claim that Persian food is not bogged down by overzealous seasoning and therefore retains a uniquely fresh, light character that permits the quality of the base ingredients to shine through effectively.
Still others scoff at the debate altogether, citing the ubiquitous use of perfumed, heady flavours like rose water, sumac, orange blossom, barberry, mint and tareh (Persian leek) as definitive proof of the cuisine’s boldness.
I have eaten at a lot of Persian restaurants in this job and have also had the privilege of sampling the cooking of friends and neighbours from Iran who have given me a glimpse into family recipes and regional delicacies. What I can say definitively is that Persian cuisine does not bash me over the head with unapologetic intensity.
I feel like I need to work at it a bit, to take the time to appreciate the delicacy and nuance of its ingredients. Eating Persian cuisine, I have never once, for instance, reached for my drink in near panic as a disguised chilli pepper force-flushed my sinuses (I’m looking at you, Thailand), or felt my tongue go all numb and fuzzy after biting into a sansho-coated creation (what’s up, Japan?). No, Iran’s is a cuisine of subtlety and allusion more than one of brashness and hubris.
This opinion was confirmed for me on my recent visit to the newly opened second location of long-running Lonsdale institution Yaas Grill House. Yaas has been a bustling purveyor of both sit-down and quick takeout fare for as long as I’ve been on the Shore and their new location, in a sprawling space underneath The Boardroom at 21st Street and Lonsdale Avenue, suggests their popularity hasn’t diminished in spite of the countless new entries into the market that serve similar fare.
An open kitchen sits behind the new restaurant’s hot food service section, in which various stews, pilafs, soups, and other specialties are presented in steam trays. There is a tandoor from which issues a Yaas offering called Extra White Tandoori Bread, a supple and light flat bread that is like a cross between naan and Wonder Bread, at once heat-singed and spongy, ideal for mopping up sauces.
I ordered a Wonder Naan to accompany my takeout meal, which consisted of two appetizers and two entrees, shared with my wife DJ. A starter of Kuku Sabzi (herb frittata) presented reserved flavours and an impossibly lightweight texture for a dish bound with egg.
The second starter, Kashk-e Baadamjaan (eggplant dip with sauce), held deeper, garlic and onion-tinged flavours and benefited from a crispy dusting of deep fried herbs (principally mint, I suspect). It was a good expression of eggplant and the sauce in question was creamy and rich, having been made from the traditional solidified whey specialty, kashk.
The star of the meal was Ghemeh, a traditional tomato and split yellow pea stew, served here with generous morsels of very tender beef and a topping of crispy fried shoestring potatoes. The stew bore the signature tartness of dried lime, a key ingredient in the recipe, and had a thick, filling quality that makes it a great alternative to the popular kebab offerings that hungry diners commonly seek.
The final entree was Lamb Shank, slow braised in a tomato sauce and served with rice. Unfortunately, Yaas had run out of saffron rice for the evening, so I had it with plain rice, which, when paired with lamb that I felt needed some additional seasoning, made for a decidedly safe dish. The meat was, however, fall-from-the-bone tender.
A tangy Shirazi Salad (finely chopped cucumber, tomato, onion and herb mixture in Yaas citrusy dressing) accompanied our meal, which we finished with saffron rice pudding, a creamy treat.
Our meal was $46 before gratuity. Yaas Grill House (second location) can be found at 2057 Lonsdale Ave. yaasgrill.com 604-990-9099
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Vancouver Magazine’s influential Restaurant Awards were handed out recently and, not surprisingly, contemporary French restaurant Café Ca Va took 2017’s top honours in the North Shore category. My experience dining there back in September certainly supports the award nod; service, décor and cuisine were outstanding.
That said, I recently received a short, matter-of-fact email from chef Alain Raye, informing me that he has left the restaurant and no longer wishes to be associated with it; he is apparently moving on to an opportunity in the Philippines while his ex-wife Brigitte Raye and their son are slated to open a new restaurant on the North Shore.
Taking second spot in the awards is the excellent Terroir Kitchen, chef and owner Faizal Kassam’s energetic, flavour-forward ode to rustic, southern European small plates. Indian Fusion rounds out the top three, with honourable mentions of the airy and modern Maru Korean Bistro and perennial Horseshoe Bay crowd-pleaser Olive and Anchor.
Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. A self-described wine fanatic, he earned his sommelier diploma in 2001. He can be reached via email at [email protected]. North Shore News dining reviews are conducted anonymously and all meals are paid for by the newspaper.
