Dining Review

Young Chang

A foreigner to the food, I quietly asked a friend while at the buffet

table at the Orchid Restaurant the name of the dish before me.

We looked. My friend guessed. And then a woman from across the buffet

loudly said, “Falafel.”

She was comfortable admitting to eavesdropping, not at all shy about

publicizing the fact that I didn’t know what falafel was.

We said thanks.

At the vegetable bar, I met another helpful soul. He was older and

amused, I think, by how displaced I seemed. He explained before I even

asked, broke down the ingredients for me as if giving a lecture about the

science of Persian cuisine.

I was well-taken care of.

Located in Costa Mesa near South Coast Plaza and the Lab Anti-mall,

the Orchid is a gathering place for native Persians who pronounce

everything right and know the names of the foods they’re eating.

Chandeliers hang overhead and red pillars give you a royal-palace feel.

And if you’re new? Regulars will take it upon themselves to make you a

part of the royal Persian family.

It’s a colorful, spacious world with orange eggplant dishes, orange

saffron rice, crispy rice sheets that are beige, and green and white

spinach dips that look cold even if they’re not.

Most lunchers choose the buffet ($7.99), which offers a good mix of

such staple Persian foods as the koobideh kabob and chicken koobideh, as

well as lesser-known (at least to me) foods such as the sambooseh.

This was my favorite. Fried dough shaped in a triangle and stuffed

with potatoes and spinach.

The koobideh kabob, which is skewered and charbroiled lean ground beef

served with grilled tomatoes and onions, is like a thick hamburger patty

in strips but much saltier and tastier than a random McDonald’s patty.

The chicken koobideh is a poultry version of the above. A bit dry, but

preferable probably for the grease-conscious diner.

The tadique, a crunchy rice, was crispy like a cookie. My friend

enjoyed eating this with his hands.

The falafel, a blend of garbanzo beans with Mediterranean spices, was

deep fried and perfect for combining with a light and cool tahini dip.

The tabbouleh, a Mediterranean salad with parsley, tomato, onions and

wheat, was fresh but too bitter for my taste.

And the gheimeh bademjan, a fried eggplant dish mixed with yellow

beans and cooked in a tomato sauce, went well with rice.

But if you’re not sure what goes with rice and what doesn’t, just ask.

Intuitive patrons might notice anyway.

* Young Chang writes features. She may be reached at (949) 574-4268 or

by e-mail at o7 young.chang@latimes.comf7 .

FYI

WHAT: The Orchid Restaurant

WHERE: 3033 S. Bristol St., Costa Mesa

COST: Average

CALL: (714) 557-8070