Gypsy Boy wrote:

Darren72 wrote:I like Noon-o-kabab a lot, but I always seem to get stale pitas.

Hate to say it, but we have the same problem. We like the people--very accomodating and helpful--and we love the food. But their pita is the worst. Always dry/stale.

not remotely so last night.

The first thing I thought about when I read Kenny's post was the stale pita. I'll definitely have to try them again soon and specifically ask for fresh pitas.

Kennyz wrote:

Gypsy Boy wrote:

Darren72 wrote:I like Noon-o-kabab a lot, but I always seem to get stale pitas.

Hate to say it, but we have the same problem. We like the people--very accomodating and helpful--and we love the food. But their pita is the worst. Always dry/stale.

not remotely so last night.

Glad indeed to hear it. It must be coming up in our rotation, so time to check it out again.

I have to sing the praises of Noon-O-Kabab after my most recent trip there. It's long been a favorite of mine, particularly since they deliver to me and the food travels really well making it my go to for Middle Eastern food (hummus and baba-ghanoush are not Persian, but they do a fine job). Surprisingly this past weekend was only my second time actually eating at the restaurant, but it really opened my eyes to how great their food is.

I'm a big fan of the two rice dishes, Adass Polo and Shirin Polo. Adass Polo mixes lentils, raisins, and caramelized onions with their standard, fluffy, buttery saffron rice to created an earthy yet sweet side dish that really accents the mild, but juicy kababs. Similarly, the Shirin Polo is rice mixed with orange peel, carrots, and raisins making for a uniquely sweet and sour side dish that really works for me. I also tried the Tahdig for the first time which is basically a disk of rice that's cooked until it's crispy. It's like a rice cake with a crispy crust and fluffy interior. I ate it like bread next to the kababs.

On this particular occasion the beef kababs were solid, but a little overcooked (still tasty and not tough), however the chicken kababs were tremendous. The chicken breast kabab was remarkably moist but with crispy edges and lots of floral saffron flavor. Also the ground chicken kabab, loaded with parsley, was juicy and satisfying, particularly with a spoonful of Adass Polo. Also a pleasant suprise was the Fesenjan which is a chicken stew with pomegranate juice and ground walnuts. The stew is pretty thick and tart making for an interestingly complex and pleasing combination of flavors.

On this particular occasion our pitas were fresh and I'm pretty sure sourced from the nearby Sanabel bakery. We requested barbari, which I've had in the past and really enjoyed, but they were out of it.

The place was packed on Sunday night so I guess the word is out. It's light years ahead of Reza's and I don't know of any other Persian options anywhere near by, though the cuisine is similar to Afghan food. I'll be back again soon.

I've eaten the food from the Albany Park location several times. Loved it. I've also had Reza's and loved it as well.

I just heard they're opening a Noon-o-kabob on Elston and Milwaukee in Norwood Park East. Sweeeeeeeet.

Culinaria wrote:I've eaten the food from the Albany Park location several times. Loved it. I've also had Reza's and loved it as well.

I just heard they're opening a Noon-o-kabob on Elston and Milwaukee in Norwood Park East. Sweeeeeeeet.

I used to like noon-o-kaob a lot more than I do now. That could be due to my broadened appreciation for middle eastern food, or perhaps they aren't what they used to be. I'd like to believe that it's the former and that noon o kebab is still the same as ever. I drove by the new Elston location today and I'm glad to be able to give them a try once they open, since it's basically in my neighborhood. So far, there are a couple of vinyl banners up, but little activity inside. Hopefully they won't have to do very much work on the kitchen, but the place was long overdue for a remodel even before the previous tenant closed down.

DK; we do Middle Eastern probably once a week in some form, and we've always preferred the quality of Noon-o-Kabab to, say, Reza's. OTOH maybe it's the stuffed peppers with bulgur and tomato sauce slanting my opinion...and agreed that the polo offerings are very tasting. But now we have to try the Tahdig: IIRC the crust formed at the bottom of a rice dish is considered a delicacy in Persian cooking?

The only comment I'll make is that a while back we ate there and the sumac I love to sprinkle grilled meats with tasted stale, which was enough to get me to run across the street to the Arabic grocery store a few minutes away and buy fresh.

While at N.O.K. a couple months back the manager who we recognized from the Albany Park location struck up conversations with us and mentioned that the Albany Park location was moving. Apparently they were able to secure the old KFC site across the street and will be expanding!

I have to give a shout-out to these guys today. I stopped in the takeout shop on Kedzie because the bakeries/shops on the way to the Brown line were closed. Apparently they open at 11, but one of the employees had the door open to start their day. I asked if they had some baklava on hand. She ran back and forth in the snow to the main location (I did offer to skip it!), then cut them in halves and laid them out on a platter when a simple takeout container would have been fine. She also offered to sprinkle them with extra nuts, and I ended up with one freebie. She put the platter in a paper bag and stapled it against the nasty weather. All this with such a sweet attitude when at that time of day I can barely stand upright.

I was also there on Saturday for Thanksgiving (the main location) and the food was fantastic. I had the lamb stew with spinach and red beans. And that dill rice! Love that stuff. They give you enough to last a week. The pita was soft and chewy and warm for us, and we made a nice dent in it.

Glad to hear -- my experiences with Noon-O-Kabab have always been equally positive . . . happy to find someone else experience the great food and charm.

I just had the baklava too. Actually, I had seconds. I don't even like baklava. Everyone in the meeting thought they were incredible, too.

Four of us had dinner there this weekend. I haven't been in a few years. I really liked this place a few years ago, and the food was just as good as ever. It was packed on a Saturday night, but they never rushed us through our dinner. All in all, I think one of the better middle eastern restaurants in town.

We've been to the Elston/Milwaukee location several times in the last few months.

Consistently delicious especially the sides.

Fast Casual Noon-O-Kabab Opens Next To Its Swankier Sibling

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2016110 ... on-o-kabab

Is there something wrong with Milwaukee/Elston location?
I mean real estate itself, because they just put it up for sale again. Or could it be Milwaukee Ave has not developed Middle Eastern taste buds yet? I shop in Andy Mikolajczik Deli five blocks down quite often and that place is packed any time of the day. Or is that neighborhood simply so price sensitive? But Superdawg is not that cheap.

Lenny007 wrote:Is there something wrong with Milwaukee/Elston location?
I mean real estate itself, because they just put it up for sale again. Or could it be Milwaukee Ave has not developed Middle Eastern taste buds yet? I shop in Andy Mikolajczik Deli five blocks down quite often and that place is packed any time of the day. Or is that neighborhood simply so price sensitive? But Superdawg is not that cheap.

I went to NOK on Milwaukee Ave. today and didn't see a for sale sign. They were doing business as usual around 3PM on Tuesday afternoon.

Noon-o-Kabob has moved entirely to its former carry-out location, which was accomplished by building a lavish dining room, decorated with Persian art and a chandelier, as an expansion. Prices and portion sizes have increased modestly, but the quality of a few items has markedly improved; Persian naan is now baked in-house and is served complimentary. Sabzi khordan (a plate of greens and cheese) is served as well.

I enjoy dining at a leisurely pace in the full-service wing, where I linger drinking copious amounts of strong dark tea.

At this point, Noon-o-Kabab unambiguously bests Kabobi. The fresh, house-baked bread is definitively better than the bread supplied to Kabobi, the sabzi khordan is a perfect amuse-bouche, and the tea is stronger at Noon-o-Kabob.

Taste preferences for individual dishes might vary; I like Kabobi's soups more, but the palao dishes are more to my liking at Noon-o-Kabab.

Cyriaco wrote:At this point, Noon-o-Kabab unambiguously bests Kabobi. The fresh, house-baked bread is definitively better than the bread supplied to Kabobi, the sabzi khordan is a perfect amuse-bouche, and the tea is stronger at Noon-o-Kabob.

Good to know you feel this way and thanks, for letting us know. I've gone from initially not getting Kabobi, to loving it, to -- over the past few months -- feeling pretty let down by it. I'll give NOK a shot next time I'm in the area.

=R=

Quick tasty socially distant Noon-o-kabab delivery. Highlight tadig, could have put this in best thing I've eaten lately.




Tadig, count me a Fan!