Lala Rokh: Restaurant Week

After my previous exceptional experiences at Bin 26 Enoteca, I felt that I had to try their other restaurant, Lala Rokh. Lala Rokh was the first restaurant opened by the brother and sister team of Chef Azita Bina-Seibel and Babak Bina. Since its doors opened in 1995, it has received much acclaim and positive press. Lala Rokh was participating in Boston Restaurant Week but their menu was not posted online but I decided to take a chance anyways.

Lala Rokh is a Persian restaurant, offering authentic dishs from various regions, so it is rather unique to the area. It is a rather spacious restaurant, though broken up into several different rooms so it is does not look as large as it does. Plus, the smaller rooms provide a more intimate atmosphere. When we entered the restaurant, Azita Bina-Seibel was at the hostess desk. It is always nice to see the chefs and owners at their restaurants.

They have a full list of cocktails and wines, including some with a Persian flair. The wine list is interesting and seems reasonably priced with plenty of bottles under $40. We chose a bottle of Domaine du Pegau Plan Pegau Rouge ($36), a simple Rhone style blend. It was a good wine, easy drinking and went well with much of the food we ate.

As for the food menu, there were many interesting dishes but many were not to my preference as they had too many vegetables. That certainly does not mean the food is not good, it is just not my preferred cuisine. But if you really like veggies, then you will likely enjoy this place.

My wife ordered off the Restaurant Week menu. She started with a salad of bitter greens, cucumber and tomato topped by a vinaigrette. Everything was fresh and she enjoyed it very much. I chose not to start with an appetizer.

For an entree, I had the Kebab E Bareh ($23), which had pieces of roasted lamb, a ground lamb sausage, a small pile of Basmati rice and grilled veggies. The lamb was excellent, tender and flavorful. My wife enjoyed the grilled veggies. She had a veal entree, a slow cooked dish mixed with spices, veggies and rice. The veal pieces were very tender and had an excellent taste. She thoroughly enjoyed the entire dish.

For dessert, she had a type of custard with rose water, strawberries and almonds. Again, my wife enjoyed the dessert though it was not my style.

Lala Rokh has very good cuisine, but make sure that you enjoy the style of the cuisine. Though it is not my preference, I still would recommend it, especially as it is a rather unique place.

Lala Rokh
97 Mt. Vernon Street
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-720-5511