San Diego - November 2002

This past month has involved a lot of eating out. First and foremost, I've got to mention this Iranian place on 5th Avenue, on the outskirts of the downtown area - Darband.

Darband is located at 1556 Fifth Avenue. I was a bit skeptical at first because it advertises itself as an "Iranian Deli," which is a bizarre concept to me, but as soon as I smelled the fragrant aroma of sumac and saffron I knew that the place was authentic. So far, I've tried the Zereshk Polo, Jujeh Kebob, and the Kebob Kubideh and they approach my Mother's dishes which is the same thing as saying that they are close to perfect. Every day, they offer a different special from a selection that includes well known Iranian dishes such as Lubia Polo and Ghorme Sabseh. Unlike Bandar and Sadaf, the restaurant is more about the food than the ambience and any true aficionado of Persian food will quickly see the place for the hidden gem that it is.

Driving through Karlsington, I was pleasantly surprised to see a relatively non-descript little restaurant with the moniker, "Seoul House."

Outside of Claremont, the only Korean restaurant I've tried is Tofu House, located on University Avenue in Hillcrest, and I was a bit disappointed by the bland Jigge and the Westernized décor of the place. Therefore, I was happy to see that A. Seoul House is owned and run by a first-generation Korean family and that B. They don't pull any punches with the spice quotient in their food.

I went there with Sooyun, my eternal Korean restaurant companion because coming from a Korean family, she has a true appreciation for food that literally makes you sweat while you're eating.

I tried the Yuk Gae Jang and the Kun Mandu and was delighted by the quality of both. The service was extremely pleasant and friendly and the interior has a comfortable, intimate feeling.

Seoul House is located in Karlsington at 4670 Alabama Street.