Published: 4 March 2010
by MATTHEW LEWIN

"YOU got to keep the customers satisfied” sang Simon and Garfunkel all those years ago. I doubt whether they ever ran a restaurant, but they had the right idea.

I wonder whether anybody at Mahdi Restaurant has ever heard the S&G song? They sure understand the message, and we were so satisfied when we left, that we hardly noticed the frozen pavements and sleet.

The last Persian restaurant we went to was Lavash, quite a posh joint up in Temple Fortune. But Mahdi, opposite the northern side of Waitrose, felt much more authentic, and was jam-packed with Iranians to the extent that when we walked in it almost felt as if we had come into a private members’ club – except for the warm welcome we received.

There are Persian paintings from Tabriz on the walls, wonderful antique stained glass windows made in Isfahan 270 years ago and amazing floor tiles from masters of the art in Iran.

They brought us more delightful fare than we could eat and then presented us with a bill that amounted to £28.80 for the food. Add £2.20 for a whole jug of freshly squeezed orange juice, and a 10 per cent service charge, and it still only came to £17 a head.

Our starters included a terrific kookoo sabzi, which the menu describes as a soufflé of eggs and herbs. I would say it is more like a fluffy omelette, but whatever the description, it was very good. It was sprinkled with pomegranate seeds, from which the kernels had been removed. 

The other starter was nice but not nearly as interesting as the sabzi. This was a salad olivieh, which was a bit like egg mayonnaise but also included gherkins, petit pois, carrots, lemon juice and potato.

These were accompanied by a whole basket of excellent toffee-coloured Iranian naan bread sprinkled with sesame seeds, for which there was no charge.

My Chief Culinary Adviser ordered the same main course as she had had at Lavash – a khoresh fessenjan – pieces of lamb shank cooked in an almost black pomegranate sauce with chopped walnuts, served with saffron rice. It was intense, with a richness of sweet and sour flavour that is quite startling.

I also decided to compare the food with Lavash, and ordered a chelow kabab barg makhsoos – two skewers of lamb, one comprising pieces of baby lamb fillet, and the other of minced baby lamb. 

Of the two, the minced lamb was much better, with lots of spices and moisture. And there was so much meat that I just could not finish the dish. 

It normally comes with steamed rice, but I asked for that to be substituted by marassa polo, which is rice with flaked pistachios, almonds, orange peel and saffron. 

We did not intend to have desserts, but when we asked the waiter what the unfamiliar names on the dessert menu were, he insisted on bringing us a selection to sample, and two little glasses of aromatic Iranian tea – on the house!

One was like a little deep fried doughnut then drenched in honey or syrup, and the other was spun rice starch which was fried and similarly doused in honey. 

Quite irresistible, and a wonderful gesture.

Thank you, whoever it was out there, who alerted me to this restaurant.

Summary 

Great value, authentic Persian/Iranian food in large portions. Open every day (from 11am) for lunch and dinner. Expect to spend around £18 for three courses before drinks (no alcohol served) and service. Buffet lunch Monday to Saturday, £6.99.

Rating:  4 out of 5

Mahdi restaurant
2 Canfield Gardens, NW6 •  020 7625 4344
www.mahdirestaurant.co.uk

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