The name of this restaurant, Shabestan, means oasis, tavern or stopping place for a journey.
The setting is overlooking the river, near the multicoloured bridge. However, I like air conditioning, and thought the indoor decor was very pleasant, understated but ethnic, with the lanterns and plates on the walls.
Plus Points
What I liked most was the starter of egg plant. All fresh tasting food, and as they said, healthy, with chopped tomatoes and cucumber salad.
The main dishes had generous portions or chicken, fish or lamb kebab. With lots of salad.
The dessert was a home made ice cream, yellow colour from saffron, with red pomegranate seeds on top.
The coffee was in pleasing crockery. But no biscuit or excitement or sweetmeat with the bill. (Makes you miss Indian restaurants in the UK and Europe where you often get a tiny biscuit with the coffee and free chocolate with the bill.
We had our leftovers packed up to go.
Tips
I went to this Persian restaurant where four of us ordered a three course set menu. I was hoping to try out four starters, four different main courses, and four different desserts, 16 Persian dishes, at very least three times four, 12 dishes. We ordered three different main courses. We received 2 different starters. Three different meats or fish, but identical rice (admittedly two types) and four of the same salad. For dessert, the four of us received the same dessert. I am a dessert person. I like to try four desserts if there are four people. So I was disappointed. At the Tanglin Club the set menu would have offered a minimum of two different dishes at each course, sometimes four or five.
If you want to try a variety of dishes, have at most one set meal, and tell them that you want to try as many different Persian specialities as possible.
I understood it is not a budget restaurant. But it is a place which has a chef, with homemade ice cream. So at Sing doĺlars 48 plus plus it is not cheap, and people might be inclined to order the set meal because they want to know the final price and not be taken by surprise. Also to save time when you want to talk, and would otherwise need each unfamiliar dish explained.
I have looked carefully at the menu to see what I would order if two of us went back. One set meal, for two of you. Two set meals with different main courses and starters for four of you. The meat or fish portions are enough for two people. Plus one soup. Both are the same price. A main course, the cheapest being three dollars more than the cost of the set meal. You might have to go for vegetarian, but you have enough meat or fish from the set meal. A different dessert, if you want to keep to the cost of the set meal plus three dollars opt for the cheapest. That way you get to taste more of those tempting dishes.
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