Colbeh Persian Kitchen and Bar

           I feel a little weird reviewing a restaurant that hasn’t quite gotten itself established yet.  Colbeh Persian Kitchen has the potential to be a great Decatur restaurant.  They just haven’t gotten the hang of being a restaurant yet.  They specialize in authentic Persian food.  My family and I love international foods, so that’s why we wanted to give it a shot.

          The restaurant is trying very hard to have their customers try many different types of Persian food.  The moment we sat down, we were given a three-dish starter, as well as an authentic type of bread.  This won my mom’s heart, because they made sure she had food right away.  The decoration and feeling in the room was very pleasant.  The tables were a good distance apart, the lighting wasn’t too harsh or too nonexistent, and the brick wall across the side added tons of cool character.  The only negative parts of the atmosphere were the frantic waiters.  They had probably five waiters on staff, and there were only about four tables.  They were trying very hard to get everyone served and seated quickly, but they were a little too fast and determined to make you feel comfortable.  The waiters were constantly running around, like they might at a hectic full restaurant, but that night was neither hectic nor full.

My mom's Plate

My plate

My dad's plate

          The menu has a series of deconstructed plate options; there are all different choices for meat skewers, vegetables, and rice.   Then, they have the more completed, all-in-one plates focused around the meat.  They also have an assortment of intricate Persian stews.  My mom ordered the lamb, which was a small portion, but the meat was flavorful and cooked well.  My dad and I were going to order the same thing, but the waiter gave us a choice of a half or a whole order.  My dad wasn’t extremely hungry, so he got the half order while I got the whole.  Little did we know that portion size wouldn’t be the only difference.  When mine got out, it came with a long cut of well seasoned chicken, fragrant, delicious, rice, and a roasted tomato.  When my dad’s plate came out, it had half the chicken, no rice, and no tomato.  His chicken wasn’t nearly as good as mine, and we thought we’d receive the same thing.  His was the consistency of being ground and then overcooked, because it was extremely dry.  Mine, however, was moist and string-like, and it was very delicious.

          As always, we ordered two kinds of dessert.  We ordered the red velvet cake and the cream puff.  I have no idea if either of these is authentic and Persian, but they were tasty.  The red velvet cake was moist and thick, and it had a fantastic cream cheese frosting.  The cream puff was even better.  It was crispy, but also doughy, and it had a wonderful creamy filling.  The presentation for both desserts was impressive.

Red Velvet Cake

Cream Puff

           In time, I think that Colbeh Persian Kitchen will be a great addition to Decatur.  They just have a few flaws that they need to sort out, and then they will be very successful.  If you’re in the mood for something international but still simple, give the restaurant a try.  You’ll have a nice meal.

Thanks for reading,

The Teenage Foodie