We were in Kirkland overnight on Easter for an early surgical appointment on Monday. After walking…read morearound to stretch our legs from the drive we ducked into Zeitoon Grill House for some Persian cuisine. Based on decor I wondered if it had been a pub or steakhouse once in its life: lots of paneled and coffered wood, chandeliers, and wooden booths with coat hangers. We started with the baba ghanouj and ordered the fesenjan and a beef kobideh for meals. The meals came with a salad to share rather than small individual salads on the plate which was a nice touch. The staff was able to provide some veggies with the baba ghanouj since my partner in crime can't have bread. The baba ghanouj was great - exactly the smoky eggplant flavor I was craving when I saw the sign for Persian cuisine. The kobideh was nice and tender - you could taste the onion. The fesenjan was also extremely good. One question: Who eats this much rice in one dish? The rice was very good - but it is a lot of rice. I haven't had Persian like this since we had Persian neighbors who invited us over.

Zeitoon opened in downtown Kirkland many years ago, replacing the Central 21 Steakhouse. Much of…read morethe interior still has the original dark room steakhouse décor. The center area hosted a huge group with multiple tables pushed together. I have avoided Zeitoon all these years because they are higher cost, not necessarily justifiable since there are lower cost Persian foods or similar Mediterranean restaurants in the area. I finally decided to try them. Our server answered my questions, including his favorites. Two questionable/sketchy things happened: 1. Our server recommended the Mirza Ghasemi, which he said is great with the optional soft-boiled egg. Sounds good. We ordered it. The optional egg is $2, which is not identified on the menu. (See photo) 2. When he recommended the Mirza Ghasemi, we asked him to remove the Mast O Khiar which we initially chose. I said we only want one appetizer. He nodded and said OK. When the Mirza Ghasemi arrived, so did the Mast O Khiar. They put both on the table and immediately left. I flagged the original server to remind him we said to remove it, but a different person showed up instead. He: "You want to cancel this? No problem." and took the yogurt away. I did not order this; it is not me canceling. Minus 0.5 stars from overall rating. The Food: Mirza Ghasemi + egg, $14 +$2 - 2.5 Stars This eggplant dish is the one recommended by our server. We do enjoy eggplant dips, especially warm versions. The optional "soft boiled egg" is not an American version but tiny threads of yellow egg bits mixed within the eggplant mixture. Honestly, we cannot taste the egg. It is borderline a scam. This dish would be 3.5 stars if it was $14 at the menu price, which is already on the high side. A $16 eggplant dish is delusional. Lamb Shishlik Kebab, $36 - 3.5 Stars Menu: Lamb rack marinated and chargrilled (see menu photo) I knew I would not see a rack of lamb on my plate. I got four lamb chops. Meat quality wise, this is excellent. It comes with a ton of basmati rice and a salad with a refreshing light dressing. This is a bit spendy for the quantity of meat, but taste is good. Soltani Shishlik, $42 - 3.5 Stars This is the exact same dish as above except add a skewer of grounded beef kebab. This kebab, and I quote my hubby, is "not that good". Same comment for the rest of the dish. A basket of lavash bread arrived at the table. I believe it came with the Mirza Ghasemi. We have eaten many lavash breads, commonly used as wrap so it is grilled and/or heat-pressed with oil on the surface. These lavash breads are simply warmed. I learned they taste terrible that way. The surface has a sandpaper texture and still taste like sandpaper when eating it. If I paid for this separately, I would be upset.

food that's basically always good Absolutely lovely people…read moreeasily one of my favorite places to swing by and pick up dinner.

Best hummus I've ever had!…read more I checked out Falafel Fresh in Kirkland and it did not disappoint. The restaurant is clean and has a great, fresh vibe. While they seem to do a massive amount of takeout business, eating in was just as good. The Beef and Chicken Shawarma were both highlights--perfectly seasoned, juicy, and authentic. But seriously, the hummus is the star of the show. It is easily the best I've ever tasted. Fresh food, clean spot, and great flavors. I'll definitely be a repeat customer!

Alanya Doner is a family friendly neighborhood eatery that many people seem to like. The…read moreproprietors are very nice. Located near the Kirkland waterfront, they are a small-ish eatery with a few tables inside and two-ish outside on nice days. I really wish I like them more. I have tried them twice. We reacted both times with a shoulder-shrug kind of "it's ok", not great, not horrible, either. Their Turkish type of beef and lamb doner meat is the meatier variant. It looks like actual meat, less processed than some Mediterranean doner/gyro meats, but also oilier. We must have arrived during a slow period because our meat pieces were chewier and drier with a deeper brown on most pieces, which mean the meat have been rotating for a longer time, in between orders. Unfortunate. Doner Sandwich with lavash bread, beef and lamb, $15 - 3 Stars Doner Plate, beef and lamb, $19 - 3 Stars

Very friendly mom and pop shop ran by a friendly couple. I got their Turkish pizza which was made…read morefresh and it definitely hit the spot. The place was quaint with a couple of tables. It looks like a lot of people come for pick up. I will definitely be dropping by to try some of their other stuff!

I had an amazing first experience with Malaysian food at Reunion Malaysian Cafe + Kitchen in…read moreKirkland! Since I'd never tried this cuisine before, the staff were super sweet and helped me navigate the menu. They suggested the Beef Rendang with Roti Canai, and it was delicious. The beef was incredibly tender and flavorful, and that flaky 'bread thing' (the Roti) was perfect for dipping. It's a cozy, family-run spot where the service really makes you feel welcome. If you're a first-timer like me, don't be afraid to ask for help..they'll point you toward something great!

I've been to reunion a few times. I always forget they don't have complimentary water. I got their…read moredrinks before but this time I just ate my food without water. I was a bit disappointed with the portion of my Nasi Lemak with Pork Belly seasonal dish. The rice took up most of the dish. For the price it seemed a small proportion. No one raved about the food as we ate either. I forgot to ask everyone's opinions. The decoration was cute and almost like a hostel with all the Malaysian and USA flags. The staff was very kind and friendly.

Super yummy hand pies! I'm always excited when I see that the Tabassum food truck is coming to my…read morearea. The hand pies seem to be already prepared, so the food service is extremely quick. Chicken Curry Samsa: The chicken was plentiful and very good, didn't feel too dry at all. The curry flavor was delicious, but not too overwhelming. Beef Samsa: The beef felt a little dry, but no big deal. There was a lot of beef, onion, and cumin, making it a very flavorful snack. The puff pastries did not feel too oily or buttery, which is something I often find with pastry-type foods. Overall, Tabassum has some pretty good hand pies and I can't wait to have more!

In short: You've had hand pies several times from other…read moreculinary traditions; think of these as being similar to empanadas, just known by another name. In long: I've had these samsas a few times now, because they used to cater lunch at the office at my old work. They've been consistently delicious for 5 years. They're a little smaller than your hand, and stuffed with maybe an inch of filling. 2 of them will fill up quite a few people. The truck itself is hard to miss. It's a Sprinter van, and the longest one I've seen. Big signage on the sides. They posted up Friday in a neighborhood near me. I ended up getting dinner for everybody, so I got to try most of the menu, at least in bites here and there. We got the beef, cheesy beef, chicken, squash, and spinach samsas. The squash ones seemed almost dessert-y, because baked squash is not far off baked pumpkin, which the typical American (like me) thinks of as dessert pie in the autumn. The others were all unmistakably savory entrée pies. The great thing about these is how light, flaky, and un-greasy the dough is on every one. The fillings are fantastic, too, but they've absolutely nailed the dough. Each one was about $6, and they do offer sides, though I just loaded up on samsas and off I went. I hope to see this truck more often for sure.

Service was stellar. Staff was very friendly and welcoming. We went to Noon on a recommendation…read morefrom friends. Did not disappoint. Husband and I shared the Noon mixed grill and had the eggplant appetizer. Both were delicious. Great experience and quality food. Will definitely be going back.

Noon Café is a family-owned Persian/Iranian eatery in a plaza called Totem Square with plenty of…read moreparking. Noon Café is a casual family diner offering traditional grilled kababs (aka kebab), appetizers, sandwiches, and pizzas - all Persian/Iranian style. The interior is basic, decorated with photos of Iranian landmarks (I assume). Currently, they have a memorial due to the ongoing war. (Peace to all...) Service is warm and friendly. Be sure to ask questions if the dish names are unfamiliar. The Food: Soltani, $32.99 - 4 Stars Soltani includes one skewer of Koobideh (ground beef) and one skew of Barg (flank steak). Both are well-seasoned with excellent flavor. We ordered the flank steak medium rare, but it was medium with no pink inside. The steak was tolerable, not as tender as it could have be. This dish was served with rice per the menu. After I saw another table has their kabab served with a bread, I asked the server. She said other than rice, there is a choice of Persian bread (flat bread with sesame) and salad. Curious that wasn't in the menu nor did she say it. Not a dealbreaker. Her reply did raise my eyebrow. Zaboon, $16.99 - 3 Stars Menu: Veal tongue, simmered and fried, tomato, pickles, parsley Based on the description, the texture completely threw me off. The meat is mushy to the point of spreadable. The flavor is light with minimum seasoning. I applied hot sauce liberally to the sandwich. Portion size is large. I ate only half. Fries, $6.99 - 3 Stars Menu: Golden and crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside Some pieces aren't crispy enough. Some pieces are too thick such that the inside has the potato gritty texture. The sauce is a house-created flavor. We like the sauce more than we like the fries. The food is closer to 3.5 Stars. I like the family vibe and am rounding up to 4 Stars for the overall rating.

We have been coming to this shopping center on a regular basis for 10 years to get the delicious…read moreand fresh bread from the bakery here. Never once have we stepped foot in this place. And that maybe was a big miss. We tried the butter chicken, naan, the chana masala, and another chicken curry that I can't remember the name of. Like most Pakistani food, it was very rich, which honestly is a sign that they are taking great care to make the food luxurious. A few bites of each dish was enough to satisfy us. We thought the dishes were a bit expensive but they ended up lasting at least two meals. I had a little bit of leftover after the second meal to take to work, which I was quite happy to do. This was probably the best butter chicken any of us had ever tasted. So tasty and the chana masala was also above average. We really enjoyed this food, although it was a bit too rich for our tastes.

The wait staff was amazing. They helped answer all our questions and helped us differentiate…read morebetween all the chai tea choices. I loved how authentic this restaurant felt. As I'm not from their culture I cannot say with certainty it is authentic but the food was certainly delicious. If you're looking for modern and shiny, this place isn't for you. They are going through renovations but it's obviously not an establish trying to impress by interior designs, but through your stomach. Everything was well seasoned. The garlic naan was perfect thinness. The samosa chaat was delicious. The chicken Biryani was one of the best I've had. This place exceeded my expectations.

We are absolutely delighted to have discovered ARIS FOOD & BAKERY! The owner is delightfully…read morewelcoming and friendly. He is most pleased to share the information about anything you wish to purchase. The BAKERY items are fabulous and fresh! The Feta cheese and house made yoghurt will KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF! Prices are quite affordable and the inclusion of the house bread for their yogurt is a delight! Please take a moment to drop in and explore the ARIA FOOD & BAKERY your palate will thank you! HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Bad people or bad service. He was friendly to others when they spoke their own language, but when I…read moretried to take the order, he spoke to me as if I were nothing. He can't even give me the menu as a human.And food is expensive for such a place