I visited the Turkish and Persian restaurant "Sabalan" in Jiyugaoka Department Store for lunch with a friend. Being unfamiliar with Turkish cuisine, I decided to try one of the lunch sets, "Mirza Ghassemi." Mirza Ghassemi is a dip made from mashed eggplant and tomatoes, with eggs mixed in. The lunch set included a spicy wheat soup, salad, Mirza Ghassemi, naan, fresh dates for dessert, and chai. While the garlic flavor in the Mirza Ghassemi was a bit strong for my taste, it seemed to be an authentic representation of the dish. The fresh dates, sprinkled with coconut flakes, were a delightful treat. It's rare to see fresh dates compared to the more common dried ones, and they were delicious. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience, and I appreciated the chance to explore genuine Turkish flavors.

+3

Based on my visits in late 2020. Though small, the place has warm and authentic feel in it. However, the cramped size of the eatery means that at times it smells cigarette and shisha, since the customers are allowed to do both. Although I ordered a takeout, the owner treated me with a very nice cup of tea and a savory custard (I forgot the name). The fessenjoun (pomegranate and meat stew) and saffron rice tasted just fine, although I feel that the former might be better consumed for a dinner in a cold night to warm the body up. The kebab set, on the other hand, was sort of left to be desired. The chicken kebab was too hard, as if it's microwaved twice. Moreover, it's quite pricey too for such quality and size of serving.

Local joint to get Persian food with cool vibe and friendly owner. The guy also had a kebab stand in the area which is good. The hummus is definitely worth getting and the falafel was solid. Prices are reasonable for Tokyo. Some interesting beer and shisha selections as well.

+2

The food was average - traditional, but nothing particularly special for the price. In short, is overpriced. The place is small, for 3-4 people feel crowded and uncomfortable. Also there is a smell of shisha and tobacco that's always there. The service: The owner first came across as super warm and cheerful — he even asked to take a photo with us, which felt friendly at first, but things got uncomfortable pretty quickly. At one point, he turned to our 4-year-old and said, “Do you want some juice?” in a casual, kind tone — so naturally, we thought he was just being nice. But later we saw he charged us a ridiculous amount for it ("Natural Juice"). Basically selling to a kid without making it clear to the parents. That really didn’t sit well. Another of his tricks was to say, do you want a beer? and before you actually choose one he is opening one that's the most expensive in the restaurant. Then you cannot pick another one. All these tricks where subtle but slowly building up until, he handed us a handwritten bill with no prices at all. We asked for a proper receipt, but were never given one. The total amount felt made up, no correlation on prices, and the worst is that he told us I give you a discount, no worries. That really pissed us off. Last point is that we were also forced to pay in cash, which added to the lack of transparency, and of course what I don't even need to mention.

Was really hoping to find a good Adana kebab. This place has an ok one. Portion of everything seems small too may it be from the rice, tea, etc. The place and food is more Turkish than Persian really.