Brittany B.
Yelp
Stumbled upon this place via Yelp a few months back. The tahdig appetizer piqued my interest the most (I'd never had it), but when I called to place an order midday I was told this dish was only available close to closing.
Note: Though it doesn't say so on the menu, Tahdig is only offered towards the end of the night, and can only be served under certain circumstances so it's not commonly available.
Fueled even more by the fact I had to wait, I kept this dish in my mind, and called to try and order it at least twice a week for at least a month weeknight dinners. Each time I was told they didn't have the dish that day. Finally, on like my eight time calling, I was informed that the reason it isn't available often, is because there is a delicate balance between perfect and burned at the bottom , and if it is burned then they choose not to sell it as to not turn off customers.
Which I understood, and again it fueled my desire for it more.
Then finally, one glorious night I called and they had it! I eagerly ordered it for to go/pickup, adding a fish kabob in case the appetizer wasn't able to fill me.
The good news is, the appetizer took up a full to go box, so it was more than enough. And the meat/stew was moist and flavorful. The bad is, my understanding of Tahdig was that most of the rice was soft and light, with a thin crispy layer on top--however the plate I received was nothing but a hard layer of tough, chewy rice, not at all softened by the stew. It actually looked like they were cooked separately and the stew topped the crisped rice instead if it all being cooked together like I was led to believe.
While flavorful, the rice was so tough to chew that overall the dish was a let down from the months if waiting I ensured to try it.
However, the salmon in the fish plate was blackened and flavorful, as were the veggies that came with it. The basmati beneath the fish was much more the consistency I expected the non crispy layer of Tahdig to be, although at that point I was over rice. The plate also came with a humongous piece of pita--bigger that the too and bottom of a to go container.
Three stars because of the pent up anticipation and letdown of the Tahdig. BUT because everything else was good, I'll likely try here again for an in person experience where I can ask questions about what the Tahdig should look/taste like, before I order it again.