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04/08/1998 This should happen more frequently than it does: You walk into a neighborhood restaurant, receive a warm greeting and flawless food, pay a very reasonable price and, upon your departure, are cheerily invited to return.

That’s the scenario that unrolled at Noon O Kabab during a recent weekday lunch. It was an ideal Cheap Eats experience.

A small corner storefront on the city’s Northwest Side, Noon O Kabab was opened a year ago by Amin Naghavi and his son, Javad. The elder Naghavi is frequently visible in the kitchen and 20-seat dining area; his son is the front man, charming customers with good will and enthusiasm. He’s a comedian with a sensitive palate, a rare combination.

The cuisine is Persian, which means the owners are from Iran. Javad says that Tabriz, the family’s native town, is home to the country’s best cooks and says everyone in his family cooks well.

This may be the secret of Noon O Kabab’s culinary success. The food is home cooking at its very best, prepared daily with care from impeccably fresh ingredients. There are no showoff elaborations here. Nothing, including seasonings, is excessive. Portions are generous. So what to order?

Above all, try the rice. The remarkably fluffy yet substantial pure white grains heaped on platters with all entrees is a revelation in both taste and texture. A scattering of saffron-colored rice atop the white grains provides color contrast. (A generous side order of this delightful treat is a mere $1.95.)

Meat-eaters will like the options. Barg, soft as silk, slightly smoky marinated filet slices ($7.95, or $9.95 for a larger portion), is irresistible. Chenjeh (or tickeh kebab, $8.75) is two skewers of marinated rib-eye. The meat is drier and has a firmer texture than the filet, but it is delicious. Even more intriguingly flavored is koubideh ($5.95), a combination of ground beef and ground lamb wrapped around two skewers. Grilling imparts a haunting smoke flavor.

Joujeh kebab ($8.75), squares of marinated chicken breast, come off the grill golden and moist. All these entrees come with charbroiled tomatoes and rice. Various combination plates are available too.

For those who love braises and stews, the lamb shanks ($8.75) are a must-taste item. They are cooked in a tomato and ginger sauce until perfectly tender. Ghormeh sabzi ($7.45) is a tasty beef stew with spinach, herbs and dried lime slices.

Vegetarian offerings include an eggplant plate, a zucchini plate and a “vegetarian mix,” each $5.95.

To go back to the beginning, the first item served is a plate containing some feta cheese, bits of onion and tomato and fresh herbs. The appetizers, all fresh and distinctive, include yogurt salad ($1.95) with cucumber and mint; borani ($2.25), yogurt with spinach, onion and garlic; olovieh ($3.45), a tasty chicken and potato salad; and the delightfully smoky, eggplant-based dip, baba ghanouj ($1.45 or $2.95).

Noon, the restaurant’s name, means bread, Javad says, and the house bread is a soft and flavorful naan ideal for making your own sandwich with kebab pieces, or for mopping up any juices or bits of food left on the plate.

Desserts include saffron-colored, highly perfumed Persian ice cream ($1.85), dough balls the size of large dates called bamieh (95 cents) and baklava (95 cents). Drink fragrant Persian tea, thick Turkish coffee.

If you are eating there (as opposed to carrying out, which many customers do), you pick up your silverware, plastic cup and paper napkins, cafeteria style.

Small as it is, the place is free of the intrusive scent of cooking oil and very clean. Fresh flowers stand on a shelf. A small caged bird sings along with recorded Middle Eastern music. Though the decor is uninspired and the most that can be said for the furniture is that it serves the purpose for which it is intended, the ambiance created by the host and his interplay with the customers is delightful.

11/12/2016

Noon O Kabab restaurant expands in Albany Park By Steve Dolinsky CHICAGO (WLS) — After two decades in business, the venerable Noon O Kabab has expanded across the street. They’ve added a large catering kitchen, which also now serves as a fast-casual dining destination. It’s the same old menu, but now you don’t have to wait for a table.

04/23/1999
AMBIANCE/DECOR 3/4
HOSPITALITY 5/5
FOOD 10/10
VALUE 1/1

A guest at a recent dinner party was born in Iran, which prompted my question “What”, I asked, “is the best Iranian or Persian restaurant in the city?” His answer came in the blink of an eye…NOON-O-KABOB, at 466 North Kedzie Avenue.

NOON-O-KABAB is in a small corner store front. There are tables with seating for about 30 people. The walls display a small array of Persian carpets and other creations from that complex and often misunderstood land. The sound of Farsi, the native tongue of Persia is heard in conversation at some tables, mixed in with English and an assortment of accents at others.

NOON-O-KABAB’s owners are brother and sister. He seems most busy back in the small kitchen, while she bustles about tending to customer’s needs. We could not have been greeted with more warmth or friendliness. Though she had never seen us before, the hostess did all she could to guide us through the restaurant’s menu, with suggestions and explanations.

We expressed an interest in eggplant which our dinner party acquaintance particularly estolled. She urged us to try an eggplant which was not on the menu. It had a deep mustard color, odd we thought its flavors were those of mint, lemons which added a bit of sharp bite, some garlic and possible saffron or even turmeric fore the color. It was delicious, especially when spread on the hot puffy bread, or noon, from which the restaurant takes its name.

The menu lists several appetizers whose names will easily be recognized by diners familiar with Middle Eastern foods, as well as a few not so familiar. But even before we ordered anything, our hostess brought out a platter with that delicious warm bread, chunks of mild feta cheese and slices tomatoes and onions which seemed to have some light seasoning.

The menu has several kebabs, or grilled chicken, lamb and beef’ in an array of styles. Skewed Norwegian salmon is an unusual addition, and white fish was also available the night we visited. In the face of so many choices, a combination platter was the puffy noon bread which was much more than a decorative touch. The flavors of the meats and chicken were exceptionally delicious, perfectly cooked, moist and tender.

The restaurant serves no liquor, hot tea is recommended. Desserts include Levantine delights such as a honey sweet baklava lavished with ground nuts under a pastry domed crust. Expect to spend about $25 a couple, or less. NOON-O-KABAB is at 4661 North Kedzie and has a K/RATING of 19/20.

08/20/2008
A Persian carpet dealer and friend of a friend, strongly recommended this restaurant. So last night my friend and I went there for dinner – and the recommendations were spot on. We had the lamb shank (tender, amazingly flavorful), the vegetarian egglplant plate (words fail me), the Shirin Polo with chicken (which came with still more fabulous dill rice), and topped it all off with either Zulbia or Bomieh (both are fried dough with saffron honey syrup…really sweet but also really terrific. Combined with a bottle of wine, coffee and a baba ghannouj appetizer, our dinner came to less than $80. The ambience was charming, the service exceptional, and the whole experience outstanding. I went back for lunch today (take-out), spoke at length with the very gracious owner, and went away with their renowned salmon plate and something new on the menue Adass Polo (mis of lentils, raisins, caramelized oneions, saffron and Persian barberry served with white rice). Wonder what I will get tomorrow?

04/23/2019

A bustling lunch crowd appreciates the welcoming hospitality at this family-run Persian favorite in the heart of the North Side. Intricate tilework and patterned wall hangings offset the closely spaced linen-topped tables and add touches of elegance to the homey space. Kashk-e-bademjan is a savory mash of pan-fried eggplant garnished with caramelized onions and yogurt, perfect while perusing the kebabs on the menu. Succulent, hand-formed lamb koubideh and beef tenderloin skewers are juicy and charred with a hint of spice, and vegetarian offerings like tadiq with ghormeh sabzi play up the textural contrast of crispy pan-browned saffron rice against flavorful stewed spinach. In a hurry? Head across the street to the fast-casual sis for lunch specials.

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