So good they named it twice

For a taste of Iran in glittering surroundings, you can't beat Persia Persia, says Natalie Long.

During a recent jaunt to Iran, I scoffed when the guidebook warned me that I might succumb to something called “kebab fatigue". As a seasoned voyager-eater (my concept of travel is inseparably tied up with breaking new culinary ground), I just don't fall prey to the ailments that bother my (weaker) fellow travellers, I told myself.

Famous last words. Although only there for a few days, even the astonishing array of kebabs available in Iran there must be millions wore me out. There must be something else I can eat apart from grilled skewers of chicken or lamb, I pleaded.

Thank goodness, then, that the Iranians excel in doing anything and everything with the aubergine, which they call bademjan. There it is, crisply fried and doused with mint and yoghurt, grilled and pounded into a smoky dip, or stewed into soft sweetness with meat and pulses.

Wafi's standout Iranian restaurant, Persia Persia, ticks all the boxes when it comes to Iranian food well, at least in my short Shiraz-based experience of it. After we were welcomed into the gently glittering surroundings (more on that later), our waiter, the informative, if not totally informed Adam, proudly brought us the appetite-opener enjoyed all over Iran: sabzi. It's an eye-poppingly green assortment of fresh herbs, green onions, the chalky-salty Iranian feta cheese and a cluster of walnuts.

Persia Persia has its own clay oven, in which sheet after sheet of pockmarked lavash bread is baked in what seems like seconds. It arrives at your table in an instant, to be folded around the pungent greens and cheese before it takes on a cardboard-like character (which happens quite fast).

Adam was more than willing to guide us through the menu, making suggestions on starters, which led us towards the Borani-e- Esfenaj, a dish of sautéed spinach with garlic (yum!) doused in the ubiquitous yoghurt. Unprompted, I chose olives in a pomegranate and walnut sauce (Zaytoun Parvade) to which Adam rejoiced. “My favourite," he said, grinning and winking as he dished out more lavash.

Unexpected but pleasant

Seeing as I am hopelessly addicted to them, I can't fault any olive dish, but I'd expected the parvade to taste more of pomegranate, be a little tangier. It turned out to be a creamy olive salad, unexpected but still pleasant. As with all simple recipes, the spinach was spot on.

Now things get sticky (and grilled and meaty). Yes, I went for a kebab, under the hypnotic suggestion of Adam. No, I did not have room for it, even as I ordered it, chowing down as I was on piles of bread, spinach and cheese.

And Persia Persia's kebabs are not something to trifle with. Two huge skewers laden with minced lamb, fragrant with herbs, spices and lemon arrived, charred and sticky from the grill. It's impossible not to eat them, but somewhere around the fifth bite, I hit a wall. That, my friends, is kebab fatigue.

My dining partner sidestepped that danger, choosing from the long list of braised dishes, which, according to the menu “are cooked over a lazy flame". What a cute phrase! Our choice, the Khoresht-e-gheyme bademjan, consisted of chunks of lamb stewed with yellow lentils, tomato and aubergine. It's rich, warming and can't be beaten when served with fluffy white rice topped with melting pats of butter.

The best way to get past kebab fatigue that I've found? It's the same cure for dim-sum-overindulgence: have a cup of tea. (It's probably no coincidence that tea is drunk all over Iran, at various times of day.) While you're slowly sipping, take a look around: eating in Persia Persia is like sitting inside a softly glowing pearl. A cool white majlis beckons from the side, teardrop lighting hovers overhead and wafting fabrics and coloured lights line the room. Now sit back, relax, and think about your next kebab.

Checklist
Where: Persia Persia Wafi, Dubai
Contact: 04 324 4100
Must try: Spinach with garlic, kebab koobide, aubergine, lamb and lentil stew.
Best for: Great interior design and superb, friendly service.