janine r.
Google
I have been a Taste of Tehran fan since it opened in Westwood, but life took me to the valley and I am so excited that Didar Kitchen opened up. Taste of Tehran was featured on Top Chef and Anthony Bourdain's Tehrangeles episode.
The food here is incredible. We started with pickled vegetables and eggplant dip that I am still thinking about. We had the warm quinoa salad which is a perfect blend of warm, cold, crunchy, tangy, spicy, and sweet.
For our mains we had filet mignon and lamb kebob, both grilled tender and seasoned just right. These came with some terribly addictive rice that I continued to eat well after I was full. My favorite dishes were the ghormeh sabzi and gheimeh, stews served over tahdig (crispy rice). This is where Didar Kitchen truly shines, with these flavorful, warm, comforting stews that are bursting with flavor and have the perfect balance of meat and sauce and leave you licking the plate at the end.
There are a number of Persian restaurants to choose from in the area. Didar is a standout; the ingredients are always fresh, the stews taste homemade, and the flavors have depth and richness that you don't find in the other restaurants in the area. Yes, it is slightly more expensive, but you are paying for clean, fresh ingredients, and it is so worth it.
The service was awesome. The staff was attentive, gave us recommendations, and everyone was very kind. If you are lucky enough to meet the chef and owner, Saghar, your meal will be that much better. Her smile lights up the place and on top of that, she's an amazing chef.
This is a great, cozy space (formerly the ramen place on Ventura). There are images of Iran on the walls and it is relatively quiet.