Quick Bites: Grab and Go Persian Restaurant (North Vancouver)

One of the biggest reasons why I love living in Metro Vancouver is the incredible diversity. We’ve got great restaurants dishing out cuisine from nearly every corner of the globe. And many of these are very reasonably priced too. When I had to head up to North Vancouver last weekend to pick up a few things, I decided it was a great opportunity to get some Persian food. That’s how I ended up at Grab and Go Persian Restaurant in Central Lonsdale.

To my understanding, there is a significant Persian population in North Vancouver. If you want great food for a certain part of the world, it’s usually not a bad bet to visit where the people live and work. Many folks yearn for a taste of home, after all. In the case of Grab and Go Persian Restaurant, it lives up to its name. This isn’t a “lounge around and eat slowly” kind of place. It’s not “fast food” either; rather, it’s great food, prepared quickly, that you can take with you.

Admittedly, my knowledge of Middle Eastern food is fairly limited. And I know there are definitely some nuances and differences between regions. Syrian food isn’t the same as Lebanese food, just as Korean food isn’t the same as Malaysian food. So, while the Halal Guys in New York City dished out “meat and rice” too, Persian food like that from Grab and Go is different. (To my understanding, Halal Guys is “American halal” and the founders are Egyptian.)

One prime example of this is the one liter jug of homemade dough ($5) that I grabbed from the self-service fridge. It’s a Persian beverage with yoghurt, salt, pepper and some Persian herbs. Grab and Go also offers single servings for $2 each. But, how is the food?

Kubideh Kebob

Double skewered ground beef kebob served with saffron rice and grilled tomato ($10)

Between the Kubideh Kebob and the Joujeh Kebob (skewered chicken, either boneless or bone-in), you could probably name one or the other as the “default” order at a place like this. It’s like ordering pho at a Vietnamese restaurant or the chicken souvlaki at a Greek restaurant. The ground beef is well-seasoned, but not overly salty, packing plenty of flavor into each succulent morsel. This is also the only menu item that comes with two skewers by default.

The longer grain rice is prepared with real saffron, adding a great aromatic dimension to everything. This is one of those dishes that’s super hearty and remarkably satisfying, especially if you’re hungry. You’ll want to have a drink on hand (like the homemade dough, along with a glass of water) to cut through, though, lest you want to endure some heartburn.

Lamb Shank

Marinated lamb shank served with saffron rice ($10)

Whereas the Kubideh Kebob is a “dry” dish, the marinated lamb shank is served with a good amount of its juicy marinade. I don’t know if I was “supposed to” do it or not, but I liked mixing the sauce with my rice for an added punch of flavor. The lamb itself was fall-off-the-bone tender and richly infused with depth and complexity. I love lamb shank, broadly speaking, and this preparation is juicier than Greek versions I’ve enjoyed. No grilled tomato, but you get the same saffron rice.

I Need More Persian Food

The nice lady behind the counter tossed in some bonus flatbread — Khubz Arabee? It’s like a pita — and a chunk of raw onion. I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to do with the onion, but I enjoyed dipping the flatbread in the lamb shank juices.

As I said in my Instagram post, I want to try more Persian food. My local neighborhood in North Burnaby has a lot of great food, but we don’t have a Persian restaurant. There is a Turkish place, which should be similar but exactly the same. To my understanding, Cazba will be joining the new food court at The Amazing Brentwood at some point. That’s a start. While I perfectly enjoyed Cazba at Lougheed Town Centre, I’m definitely giving the edge to Grab and Go Persian Restaurant. I need to go back to Central Lonsdale for the Ghormeh Sabzi (stew) or the Lamb Chenjeh Kebob.

What are the Persian restaurants in Vancouver? Celeshmet Restaurant on Victoria Drive seems popular, as does Persian Gulf Restaurant on West 15th Street in North Vancouver. There’s a world of food out there to explore and I plan on eating it all, one bite (or platter) at a time.