Bandar Menu

Bandar Restaurant Review:

Former Iranian architect Behrooz Farahani fell in love with California and moved his wife and daughters to San Diego; thus was born Bandar, the first, and still the best, Persian restaurant in the Gaslamp. Bandar is a family-run establishment, with modern sophisticated décor and a touch of the exotic. Before you order from the corduroy-bound menu, know that all dishes arrive in ample quantities. Start with the cucumber and yogurt dip infused with mint and dill, the herbs a subtle prelude to more intricate flavors to come. Take a spoon to vegetarian soup dense with lentils, garbanzo beans and Persian noodles; it whirls in a mélange of herbal texture. Lamb locks up several prominent spots on the menu, highlighted in several preparations. Cut away chunks of boneless lamb tenderloin from kebabs and team it with its charred tomato and pepper companions or sink a fork into shank meat so tender it falls away from the bone and into an eggplant, yellow pea and cooked-down tomato concoction. Vegetarians will appreciate the savory eggplant stew. Adas polo is marinated chunks of chicken and rice dotted with lentils and dates. For a sweet, creative bite, try the black cherries mixed into rice.