Sadaf Beverly Hills
If you’ve eaten much Persian food in The Valley, you’re probably familiar with Sadaf. The Encino standby is known for reliably delicious staples built to be shared like gigantic koobideh platters, stew combos, and creamy eggplant appetizers. The menu at the Beverly Hills location is the same. The only difference is the dining room, which is small and subdued compared to the big-party original. Groups over four will have to squeeze into tight banquettes, and there is no private dining. That said, this location works for more intimate meals, (or takeout) instead. And considering the nearest comparable ghormeh sabzi is in Westwood, Sadaf is a nice place to bookmark if you’re near Mid-City.
The sauteed eggplant-yogurt mixture is smooth and smoky with little bits of fried onions for crunch. But what takes this dish to another level is the fragrant sautéed mint leaves on top.
photo credit: Brant Cox
All three of Sadaf’s stews are excellent, so you might as well get them all on one plate. There’s the sour ghormeh sabzi, pomegranate-based fesenjan, and the best of the bunch, tangy gheimen bademjan made with sautéed eggplants, yellow split peas, and dried lime.
photo credit: Brant Cox
No false advertising here, this chicken is juicy. So much so, we prefer it over the koobideh and various skewers. Be sure to swap out the saffron rice for zereshk polo mixed with slightly tart barberries (for an additional fee).
photo credit: Brant Cox
