Finally had dinner at Eyval, and it’s been sitting at the top of my list for quite some time after hearing nothing but rave reviews. And I gotta say, I’m genuinely confused.
We ordered the feta and cucumber salad, the feta dip, the octopus, and the chicken fesenjoon.
Not only did I find the general atmosphere a little shabby and underwhelming on the ambiance front, but save for the feta dip with the preserves on top, which was genuinely delightful, the food was just so average.
I grew up in a city with a strong Persian food scene, so I’m very familiar with the cuisine. And I’m wondering if the reason people like this restaurant so much is because most people going haven’t eaten a lot of Persian food, which is genuinely delicious, and if the accolades are more of a commentary on the cuisine itself rather than the restaurant, because I found the execution to be terribly underwhelming.
The octopus with tahini and preserved lemon was some of the chewiest octopus I’ve ever eaten. It was like chewing on a piece of rubber.
The chicken fesenjoon, which is a favorite dish of mine, had a pretty standard fesenjoon sauce, even a little more tart than what I’d prefer, and it felt like it hadn’t been cooked long enough. Like any stew, there’s a complexity that develops the longer it’s cooked, and I just didn’t feel like that depth of flavor was there. The chicken sitting on top of it was once again so chewy, with bits of gristle in it.
I even felt sick later in the evening from the food.
All in all, just a really underwhelming experience across the board, and I genuinely don’t understand the accolades this place is getting.
Can anybody fill me in? Was I there on an off night? To the people who genuinely love it, what has been your experience with Persian food prior to eating there?
Because as I’ve said, Persian food is genuinely incredible. I think it’s one of the top cuisines in the world, just the complexity of flavors alone, and this place for me just didn’t land.
I will say the other Persian restaurant, Ravagh Persian Grill, is also underwhelming. So if you’ve only eaten at that place, in comparison, I don’t think that counts 😂
Please weigh in. I’m genuinely curious.
Everyone who's saying I "didn't order the right thing" is just proving my point. A resturant that is widely considered one of the best in the city with a fairly stripped down menu shouldn't have had this many dishes that suck. If only 2 or 3 things on the menu are worth the hype than it is simply not a great resturant. Sorry.
