House of Kabobs

Part of this article was also posted on Yelp.com under the name Visa C.

It wasn’t the first Persian/Iranian restaurant to which I went; that title goes to Chellokabbabi in Sunnyvale. It’s not the fanciest either; those adjectives go to Arya in Cupertino and another place in Campbell, whose name I’ve forgotten. But House of Kabobs (HoK) in downtown Sunnyvale remains one of my favorite places to eat — Iranian/Persian or otherwise.

It’s run as a fast-food place. Line up, take a number, sit down, and ponder the uses of Pomegranate seasoning during your short wait. But the quality of dishes would give more formal sit-down places a run for their money. Nothing like a place run by the owner himself.

As with many Filipinos, a meal for me isn’t a meal without rice. So I gravitate towards the offerings that come with this grain. Perhaps I gravitate too much because each time I come in these days, the typical greeting is “Hello my friend! No. 19?”

The number above refers to Combo #19, a mouth watering assortment composed of:

1. Rice (all important)
2. Koobideh (a ground beef dish that looks like a skinless sausage)
3. Lamb kabob
4. Grilled tomato
5. Slice of Lemon

I don’t know how to prepare lamb (yet), so I usually order it whenever it’s available. But this place’s Koobideh was what really won me over. Koobideh is my get-to-know dish for Persian restaurants, the one I use as a basis for comparison. Most versions of the dish I’ve tried typically . . . need contrast . . . half way through. HoK’s doesn’t, and is good throughout the meal. It’s already good all by itself, but drizilling it with Lemon — to paraphrase Emeril Lagasse — “kicks it up a notch”.

Two other options that are ideal for the rice lover: #17 with Chicken kabob instead of Lamb, and #18 with Beef kabob. A Pinoy can’t go wrong with these.

I must admit to procrastination when it comes to trying out their other dishes. But given how the three options listed above are already enough to keep me coming back . . .

. . . will blog about it once I’ve tried.

How to get here

You can find it along Sunnyvale-Saratoga road. The parking lot tends to get full at lunch, but the Macy’s parking lot is only a short walk away.

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