*This venue is now closed.
When the Michelin guide awarded Shalazeh on the Upper East Side a star in 2010 and 2011 it was not enough for the dining public to travel north of Manhattan. Except for the people that live in the neighborhood, no one has heard of this Persian restaurant. Nevertheless, the few people I know that have dined at the place all have nothing but good things to say.
Located in the Yorkville section of the Upper East Side, Shalazeh is a neighborhood restaurant where the locals are the majority of the patrons. Regulars are greeted like family members, while new comers are welcomed with opened arms.
The interior of Shalazeh is simple, the spacious front space is dominated by tables covered with white cloth and chic French windows that open up on good weather; a portion of walls are exposed bricks while the rest are purposely colored in rust. A large 19th century map of Persia and its regions are on display next to marble bar; and a curtain in the middle of the restaurant serves as an entrance to a more intimate space in the back.
When I first visited this restaurant and I must admit that I have very little knowledge about Persian cuisine. The menu, however, listed dishes that looked very similar to that of other nations in the Middle East.
My entrée was the Saffron Chicken breast meat. Marinated in saffron and onion, the scent was unforgivably delightful. The chicken was soft and tender, and with each bite the saffron-marinate comes to life creating a nice flavor profile.
I started with the Yogurt Trio which consists of individual yogurt with cucumber, shallots and beet. It’s addictive—especially when it is graciously given as a dip to the bottomless basket of bread that the restaurant provides. The yogurt was light and each individual has distinguishable flavors of the ingredients.
I was impressed with my previous meal that on my most current visit I brought along three dining companions who were curious about trying Persian food.
Just like my first time at Shalazeh the staff was welcoming and pleasant. We started out with some appetizers that are mainly vegetarian like the Sambusa, Dolmeh and of course the Yogurt Trio which I recommend to them. The Sambusa is an appetizing chickpea puree stuffing and is very similar to what you use to stuff an Empanada. Along with the Dolmeh, these starters are more like an Amouse Bouche. My companions enjoyed the Yogurt Trio a little bit too much that I had to tell them to ease up on the unlimited bread to save room for the entrees.
Our entrée consisted of Salmon Kebab, which cooked so simple. The salmon was moist in the inside and nicely seasoned. We also had the Fesenjoon or chicken stew made with pomegranate juice. The juice provided the sweetness of tender pulled chicken meat. I’m not big fan of lamb but when one of my companions ordered the Lamb Stew I had to try it. The meat was soft, clean and has a lot flavors from the herbs and spices used in the stew. It was tasty but there just something about lamb meat that my taste bud rejected.
The Branzino on the other hand was the best dish I had at Shalazeh; whole fish excluding the head, deboned grilled and sits on a bed of sautéed spinach topped off with asparagus and creamy sauce. The fish was grilled to perfection; the cream sauce is absorbed into the meat of the fish creating a very rich buttery taste.
It is typical in Persian cuisine to have rice to be eaten along with other dishes. In Shalezeh there are two types of rice that compliments their dishes; the basmati rice with lentil, saffron and raisin, (which I prefer with the stews to soak up all its goodness) and the basmati with marinated cherry that goes well with kebabs.
The Roasted Pineapple with ice cream for dessert was to my liking topped off what was already a fantastic meal. The caramelization of the pineapple created a nice texture while the ice cream on top gives the sweetness.
Surprisingly, Shalezeh has a respectable six pages wine list that is mostly French and California. Never would I expect for this restaurant to have bottles that cost as much as $425 to as low $20.
At the end of this dinner, my companions and I were satisfied and in agreement that there were no dishes that we disliked.
My visit at Shalezeh has been no less than stellar. Their food is flavorsome, the staff is friendly and accommodating and the atmosphere is casual with a local vibe.
In a city that has over ten thousands plus restaurant it’s easy to overlook the likes of Shalezeh, but dining here is a wonderful way to experience the flavor of Persian cuisine.
Shalezeh
1420 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10028
(212) 288-0012
Official Site
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