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Categories: Grocery, Ethnic Food, Delis [Edit]
Neighborhood: Kearny Mesa
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In my experience, the local family owned Persian restaurant tends to be very good in San Diego. Parsian International Market is no exception. It's like getting a home cooked meal (with large portions). Plus, it has a small market with a lot of good international, namely persian, food.
You can only get to it going one way on Convovy (away from the 52, I forgot the direction), but it's well worth the U-turn if you miss it by accident.
Their chicken kabob is the best here! It's as good as Bandar's chicken kabob! The owners are very friendly and the food service is speedy, especially during lunch rush hour.
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Although I'm far from a culinary expert, Persian cuisine is the reigning champion on my food hierarchy (narrowly beating out Japanese) so when I randomly stumbled upon this tasty haven, conveniently nestled between a 7-Eleven and bevy of automotive repair shops (two birds, one stone?), my inner fat girl did a series of back flips, of which I did not know she was capable.
In spite of the not-so stellar surrounding scenery, the market itself is quite refreshing in that the experience it affords enables "food novices" to acquaint their palates with delectable foreign flavors, minus the intimidation. The owners are incredibly welcoming and informative, so you needn't feel silly asking questions.
I recommend any of the stews, most particularly the Khoresht-e Bademjan, which is an egg plant stew (it includes beef unless you request otherwise). The entree portions are generous and accompanied by a very fresh side salad. Occasionally, I also request the tadiq, which is the tasty, brown rice crust at the bottom of the pot-- highly delicious, highly recommended. I don't eat a ton of meat, so I couldn't reliably comment on the quality of the chicken kabob, but if it's anything like the salmon kabobs I frequently order, I'm willing to bet it's equally delicious. Oh, and the pistachio-nut ice cream with rose water will make you want to smack the closest, tangible relative. Trust.
All in all, Parsian International Market is an inviting eatery that serves up good eats and offers a lot of hard-to-find international foods (hence the name). I highly recommend it.
p.s. Support your local businesses!
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I thought it was spelled, Persian. LOL! I'm ignorant again! :)
A great market with all sorts of ingredients and veggies you can't find anywhere else. They also make food there and it's a great place to grab lunch. I ordered the Chicken Kabobs with Basmati rice and cucumber salad. Tasty! I was expecting the chicken to have more of a lemony taste to it, but this chicken was actually better! It was almost buttery!
After I ordered, I noticed they also make fresh bread. There's a hearth right there in the store, and you can pick up a couple of big round slices for $1.25. I will have to try it next time along with the Cucumber yogurt!
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Really friendly owners! I picked up some lebni, zatar, sumac, whole wheat pita bread. They have produce too! Lots of different stuff I've never seen before.
This is not a bad Persian market/eatery. I normally order their gheymeh stew (beef, lentils, and a dried lime). I remembered when this used to be a McDonald's.
The best! I eat here 2-3 times a week. :)
Before this market moved to Convoy into the real estate of a one-time McDonald's, Parsian was a haunt of mine on Clairemont Mesa Blvd in the early 90's. For a unique change of pace, I highly recommend Parsian for your next lunch gathering. The koobideh (ground beef cooked on a skewer) is moist and savory, seasoned with sumac and tastes superb. I order the "mini combo" which is misleading in name. The portion is hearty and it comes with one serving of koobideh, four cuts of juicy chicken, rice, salad (complete with persian cucumbers, the best!), flatbread, and a roasted tomato. $6.99 when I write this.
I no longer eat rice, but when I did the long grain rice seasoned with a touch of saffron is amazing. If you like the rice and you like the nan-style bread, you MUST ask for a side of tadiq. Basmati rice baked into the bread that lines the pot when a batch is made... It's not on the menu, but if you ask with a wink and a smile, you should be able to score some after a lunch rush. It's buttery and crispy and tastes like a dessert!
I also like to round out my meal (mini combo with no rice or bread) with a serving of mast o musir, a yogurt with shallots. Chase it all down with a bottle of doogh and enjoy the fresh air on the patio before stepping back in for a little shopping! (I recommend you pick up some kefir, pistachios, pomegranate juice, oh who am I kidding, it's all insanely good!)
If you come to Parsian once and like it, do yourself a favor and try EVERYTHING in the photo menu at the counter, one at a time of course, and you will not be dissappointed. The cutlet, various stews, aush (soup), salmon skewers, baba ganoush, and "greek" salad with dolmades will have you tapping your foot and pulling out your hair with indecision each return visit.
If you manage to save room for dessert... Parsian has divinations that will have you buying in bulk.
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Great place to pick up delicious kabobs, flatbreads and other delicious Persian goodies. I always leave the store with a pistachio ice cream sandwich..yum!
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For a place this small, the market is pretty well stocked. I didn't have much time to look around last time I was there since I was in a rush and just found what I needed and ran out. I would want to go back again soon. As from what I've seen, they have all sorts of snacks, spices, pickles. I've never been to other Persian markets, but this place is pretty clean and it's just comfortable to look through the isles, comparing to most ethic food markets. For an ethic food addict like me, It's like an adventure to go to the store. =)
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A co-worker introduced me to this little gem of a restaurant/market. When we pulled up to what used to be an old McDonald's building I have to admit I was fearing that my lunch was going to take a turn for the worse, boy was i wrong! The portions are huge, so if you are looking for the after lunch work coma, i highly recommend. I had the chicken kabob plate which comes with a type of flat bread, basmati rice, and a cucumber-ish salad. They also have beef, veggie and other similar combos. The hummus is great as well. Inside there is a small store with all Persian foods, spices, kinck knacks etc.. They have a small patio too, a perfect lunch spot i'm adding to my rotation!
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huge, HUGE selection. any pickled vegetable you could want, all sorts of jams, ready to make mixes, ice cream/faloudeh, frosted almonds, yaz, toot, and other assorted pastries and sweets as well as fresh produce.
i haven't tried the deli, but the pictures looked promising.
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something about seeing middle eastern ladies makes me smile inside .. LOL. i grew up with armenians, persians and arabics, so i've grown addicted to their people, culture and foods and had yet to find a convenient location in SD where i could go for a quick kebob fix--but i think i've found it !!
the mini combo really is BOMB and a good value for 7 bucks--the lavash, basmati, koobideh and chicken were all money$$ .. shoulda got some cucumber yogurt with it though .. next time ! (and oh there will be a next time !!)
i could only stay for a short while since i was on a short lunch break but next time i'm gonna make an effort to chill on my meal outside with the seating they have offered.. i think i saw a small fountain too. trickling water, shining sun--all i need to ease my mind over some good food amidst a hectic day at work in the bustling semi-ghetto-ness that is convoy :D
i was also short on cash but next time i'm DEFINITEly gonna pick up some lebni, lavash and hummus and tebouleh if they have it. siiick !
Cool neat persian market, they sell a lot of stuff. Stopped by there a few months ago and had food, the food was great.
I've been to a few Persian markets in the past, and based on my limited experiences, I think this place is on the nicer side (cleaner and less cluttered). Pomegranate paste, dried fenugreek leaves, basmati rice, pickles, olives, feta cheese, all sorts of spices, cheap pita bread, cool yogurt drinks, and finger-licking sweet and crunchy baklava can all be found here. They also carry a few Persian cultural tidbits: hookahs, shisha, some Irani movies and music. And their grill menu offers a variety of kabobs. I've tried their chicken kabob combo, and it isn't bad. ~$8 for the kabob, bread, rice, and a salad. They also have a beef kabob combo which looks pretty appetizing.
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I eat here very often. The food is wonderful. Everyone working there is very kind and helpful. It's my favorite casual Persian dining spot. The market is full of Persian treats as well, it's a great little spot.
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