IT was a sunny Wednesday evening and I had a craving for barbecue.
A quick survey of the contents of my refrigerator confirmed that a trip to the butcher was required.
A nagging suspicion also prompted me to check the gauge on my barbecue's propane tank. Empty! A marathon grilling session the weekend prior had left me tapped. Feeling too lazy to tackle both a meat and a gas run, I opted to dine out instead, selecting Cazba Restaurant in the 100-block of West 16th Street as my destination.
My companion for the evening was my frequent dining co-conspirator, Gil. We arrived at Cazba just after seven o'clock to find the restaurant hopping with diners. Cazba occupies an ambitiously large footprint; between its expansive interior and spacious patio, the restaurant easily houses more than 100 seats.
The patio, where we were immediately seated upon arrival, is a delight, offering bright and airy al fresco dining, an all too rare seasonal experience in our rain-soaked city.
I must confess that convention and past experience with Persian cuisine in the neighbourhood had me expecting a meal principally comprised of kebabs.
To be sure, Cazba can deliver on this front if that is what you are looking for, but I was actually pleased to find a number of menu options, some of which I had never encountered before, that completely defied my expectations.
As we were reviewing the menu, Gil and I sipped on chilled doogh, a Persian specialty beverage made of yogurt, mint, salt and sparkling water. Doogh is something that I am determined to like, eventually. After all, it contains ingredients that I enjoy individually and it is a drink happily consumed by millions of people every year. I have learned over the years how to develop an appreciation for foods that I initially find off-putting through systematic re-trial. As I continue to sample these foods, I can begin, at least in theory, to understand their appeal and, in many cases, I can convert myself to a fan of them in practice. It is through this method that I have developed a taste for kidney, tripe, lapsang souchong tea, and Marmite. For the time being, however, I can only say of doogh that I find it. .. interesting; it's sort of like drinking a slightly more viscous version of Alka Seltzer.
By contrast, the food courses that followed at Cazba required no disciplined regimen to appreciate. The restaurant offers very tasty fare at a truly exceptional price point.
The first item we devoured was baghali polo, a slow-cooked, whole lamb shank served with fava beans and heavily dilled basmati rice. The tomato-based braising liquid was rich with the flavour of the lamb and provided ample coverage for the generous bed of herbaceous green rice.
The lamb was falloff-the-bone tender and subtly scented with garlic and advieh, a traditional Persian spice blend that typically includes a host of ingredients, including turmeric, cumin, cardamom, cloves and saffron. At $7.95 the dish is a steal.
Next up was gheymeh stew, a hearty dish of split yellow peas and tender chunks of beef in a thick tomato sauce, topped off with a handful of crispy matchstick potatoes and served with a choice of salad or saffron-scented rice. The stew was fragrant and filling, and contained a generous portion of beef.
Cazba's approach to Persian cuisine involves subtle, understated spicing, making it a suitable destination for the whole family; I suspect my sometimes spice-averse son and daughter would enjoy a meal there very much.
Our dinner progressed to a course of grilled meats, with Gil enjoying the vaziri, a duo of kebabs featuring one skewer of koobideh (densely packed ground beef) and one skewer of joojeh (marinated, white chicken meat).
I had the chenjeh kebab, succulent strips of lean, marinated beef. I estimated the beef portion on my plate to be around six ounces, which, for $7.95 is easily one of the best steak deals around. The koobideh was the star kebab, in my opinion. Its garlicky seasoning and hint of sumac, all lightly blackened on a hot grill, made it feel like the ideal summer barbecue item. All kebab dishes are served with a grilled tomato and choice of rice or salad.
Our meal of four substantial dishes and two beverages was $42 before gratuity.
Cazba is located at 132 West 16 St., North Vancouver. Contact: 604-980-7373; cazbarestaurant.ca.
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. Contact: [email protected].
