Trying Out Maman Joon

There is a Persian dish that I really like. It’s called Zershek Polo and is a mouth watering half baked chicken that comes with rice made with berberries. It is a Thursday special at Maman Joons. And since we can now order on line we thought we would try out the place. We have been going to Moby Dicks since we moved to DC eighteen years ago. So we felt a bit disloyal! The menus are typical Persian fare. Aside from the chicken we ordered the usual items that we always get. We were very impressed with the packaging of the food and my husband was very impressed with the cleanliness of the establishment. I absolutely loved the chicken - so much so that I would go there every Thursday just for that! The Koobideh kabob was also very good. As for the salad, soup, bread, baklava, and eggplant side dishes I think Moby Dick’s is better. The servings T ‘a man Joon’s are also larger than Moby Dick but they are also more expensive. So we now have two Persian places for pick up. I’m glad we tried it and look forward to going back. 

Joon Restaurant

It is such a rare thing to go out for lunch. Before the pandemic we went out at least once a week. Now we rarely go, and if we do it’s for brunch/breakfast. So when we read about the Persian restaurant Joon opening in Vienna and getting stellar reviews, we thought we should give it a try. It’s not an easy place to navigate because you have to use complimentary valet service or park in the garage. The place itself was nice enough and the waiter was very pleasant. We had a seat in the window but the table was tiny. We not o only ordered what we were having for lunch, but also two extra items to take home for dinner this week. We have been to many Persian restaurants and my husband is from Iran so he knows how Persian food tastes. You can’t really go wrong with the kabob, but the chicken sandwich was just okay. The bread tasted like rubber. The French fries were good but that’s not the point. We took home a stew and I have to say it was almost inedible - the lemon was overwhelming and the pieces of lemon should have been removed. It left an awful taste in my mouth. The eggplant appetizer was “sweet” and not in a good way. My husband thought the rice was undercooked. When we looked at the reviews they were glowing - except not from the Persian names. Needless to say neither one of us would go back. I suppose we are spoiled by the neighborhood Moby Dick that we have been going to since we moved to DC seventeen years ago. It’s not unusual that we don’t like what most people do. I suppose this is just another example. 

Moby Dick Rewards?

We have been going to Moby Dick House of Kabob since we moved to DC seventeen years ago. We used to drive to Arlington from DC for pick up. When we moved to northern Virginia four years ago there was a Moby Dick located about a block away. We have also been using the app consistently. Last month we earned silver status which translates in to a seventy five dollars coupon. So when we ordered last week we used the coupon. When my husband went to pick up the order they didn’t have it, so he reordered and came to get me to clarify what happened. So I went in to show them the email confirmation and the app. For whatever reason the transaction misfired. We ended up getting our tip refunded, but we added another tip for the new order. Following this episode we received another coupon saying we earned another ten dollars off and the following day we got another email saying we earned another five dollars off. All of these credits are supposedly added on the app somewhere. I’m not sure what will happen the next time we order. Technically there is a ninety five dollars credit in total available to use. I have a feeling something else will go wrong. We should actually get the next order for “free” but that’s what I thought the last time.

Stick With Moby Dick

We just don’t go to sit down restaurants anymore. It’s sad but that’s the reality of it. The places I miss the most are two breakfast places in our neighborhood. We did go to several lunch and dinner spots too. A few have closed and we still do pick up at a few others. What’s even sadder is that when we do pick up, we are oftentimes disappointed with it. We actually prefer our own cooking, but it’s nice to have a break from that too. What’s nice about going to restaurants is actually going to, sitting down and ordering what you like but that’s just not the case for us anymore. But one place continues to be our all time favorite. It was always a pick up place to begin with so nothing has changed. When we lived on Capitol Hill we had to drive to Arlington to pick up Moby Dick kabobs. Now that we live in northern Virginia there is a Moby Dick a block away from us which makes it all the more convenient. We always get the same thing and are never disappointed. There’s a new competitor opening soon just a couple of blocks away called Maman Joon/Z Burger. I’m sure we’ll give it a try. But in the end I have a feeling that Moby Dick will always be the place for us. The food is just perfect. It’s the same as it’s always been. 

Marjan Persian Food

It’s been a while since we were there last. We drive by it almost every week and comment that we should try it again. So last Friday - before the storm - we drove over to Marjan in Vienna to get some Persian food. It’s a lot like a deli and is authentic home made - which my husband doesn’t care for. He’s a big fan of Moby Dick - another Persian take out that we have been going to since we moved to DC sixteen years ago. So we looked at the menu before we went in and had a good idea what we wanted. The most important item was the chicken with the berries that is mouth watering tender and melts in your mouth. You can’t get that at Moby Dick. We got two different soups  - barley and noodle, an eggplant dish, a potato chicken cold salad, and vegetable frittata. It was enough to last for three dinners - too much. In the end the food was good but not something you would want to eat all of the time. Apparently they do a big catering service. It’s amazing how many Persian restaurants there are in this neighborhood. There are three within walking distance from our house. There is something about the food - it’s pretty healthy and tastes good. What else would you want? 

Moby Dick House of Kabob

It’s not the reason we moved to Virginia, but it could be counted as a side benefit. When we first relocated to DC thirteen years ago, we discovered a “take out” Persian food restaurant in Georgetown. It was called Moby Dick and we really liked it. The kabobs, bread, and eggplant side dish were great and the price was even better. Since then we usually picked up the Persian food in Arlington about every six weeks or so because it was the closest shop. They didn’t deliver that far away and never put a restaurant on Capitol Hill - although it was talked about but never materialized. We would also pick up dinners when we had out of town as well as in town guests. Since our Capitol Hill family members moved four years ago we sometimes pick up a smorgasbord of treats and bring it with us when we visit for special occasions. There are a few other sit down Persian restaurants in the area as well. We like Yekta in Rockville the most. But Moby Dick actually tastes the best - but they don’t serve alcohol and it’s more for pick up than sit down. So when we moved to Virginia we knew Moby Dick was hardly two blocks away from our new condo. And we have gone there a few times already in the last two months. So it was sad to learn the owner of the 15 or so francises died this week. He certainly wasn’t very old. It felt like a friend of ours was gone. Hopefully it won’t affect the restaurants and his legacy continues to live on. It’s become a staple for us. 

An Alborz Lunch

It’s like we went grocery shopping. The big bag of leftovers from our lunch was more than usual. We generally go to Alborz Restaurant during the week about every six weeks or so. But since they were predicting severe thunderstorms yesterday evening, we decided to go out for lunch instead of our traditional Sunday dinner. We really like Moby Dick for Persian food, but just for take out because they don’t serve wine. And Yekta is nice but a bit far away in Rockville. Alborz is in Vienna so it was a nice afternoon drive. My husband usually gets kabob, but for whatever reason he ended up with a sandwich rather than the platter with rice. Maybe it’s because I ordered the chicken sandwich and the waiter thought he meant the same - we had never had this waiter before, but he was really nice. We didn’t know we got the wrong order until we came home because we asked for the entrees “to go” and hadn’t seen them. We had also ordered four appetizers and knew we would be full. We end up taking a bite or two of the entree and wrap it to take home anyway. So we just munched on salad, eggplant, yogurt, and a chicken/potato salad with bread and tea. We added a few dessert pieces and had plenty of food for two more meals. I’m not sure my husband is looking forward to the same dinner tonight since he didn’t get what he really wanted. It’s all about the rice and we didn’t get any this time around. 

Moby Dick Swag Shop

We love Moby Dick! Not the book, the Persian food. Ever since we moved to DC eleven years ago, we have been picking up food from Moby Dick. It's not exactly a sit down eating spot - they don't serve alcohol. But they have the best kabobs in town and have several sites all over the DC area. We've been to Georgetown, but prefer the shop in Arlington and McLean. Unfortunately they don't have a location on Capitol Hill and we don't live in a delivery service radius. We used to go to Reza's in Chicago several times a year when we lived in the Midwest. So this is a great Persian food fix for us if we want something casual.  As a matter of fact we picked up Moby Dick last night for dinner and we have ordered and taken it out of town for special occasions. We have even picked up the house specialties for friends so they wouldn't have to cook when we went to visit them. The big family platter works well for those events. We got an email last week saying Moby Dick now sells ready to wear in their new swag shop. So I looked at the offerings and found some merchandise we hope will bring a smile to some folks we know who moved from DC three years ago. They also loved Moby Dick and there is no Middle Eastern cuisine in their neighborhood. It's more of a joke than anything else, but we are hoping it will bring a smile to their faces. I'm not really sure what this name has to do with Persian food, but it hardly matters. They just opened a new restaurant in Baltimore. If you have never had a kabob you don't know what you are missing! Now you can have a t shirt to match! 

A Belated Happy Birthday, Christmas, and New Year Moby Dick Party

Since we were sick with the horrible viral respiratory illness for several weeks, we canceled our Christmas - and then New Year get togethers with family. There were also a couple birthdays in between that were missed. We traditionally have pierogis and kielbasa. Since we are finally feeling better and the Polish fare is long gone, we rescheduled the holiday feast to a much more casual dinner for tomorrow late afternoon. It will be a Moby Dick take out dinner with all the "fixins." So we will all gather here and order from the now ragged menu, the drive to Arlington to pick up the kabobs, salads, bread, and eggplant dishes. To make it a little more festive, we thought it would be nice to have an assortment of desserts and ice cream, and fresh tulips. Of course, the requisite tea will be served when all is done. Luckily, none of us are die hard football fans, so we won't be missing anything. It's just nice to know we have family in the area, and can plan a celebration at any time of the year.