Posted by Jeff Jurmain in middle eastern, restaurant review on January 21, 2008 at 8:09 am

Pomegranate Chai House
420 College Street
416-921-7557
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and wine: $70

The room breathes Persian sexiness. It is lively every night, with tables continually full during dinner hours. Tapestries, artifacts and paintings adorn the walls. Rugs warm the floor. A “takht” (double-bed) is able to be reserved for those who like to eat more traditionally—chairless.

This is Pomegranate, a perfectly-sized restaurant that absolutely defines the tired and seldom-relevant term “hidden gem.” The tables are full, sure, but only by those who have dug to discover its charm on a stretch of College Street that does it no great justice (in my fair opinion).

The ancient land of Persia gave way to the name Iran in 1935, but the cuisine hails from the distant past and is built on rice, lamb, fruit and spices such as saffron, parsley and mint. I feel so at home and comfortable in Pomegranate that I find myself wondering if I lived in Iran in a previous life. I’m going to go ahead and assume I didn’t, and rather give credit to the husband-and-wife team that carved this vibrant sliver of Iran here in Toronto.

The décor, which includes a ceramic bath filled with fish, makes Pomegranate an interesting place to dine, but let’s get down to brass tacks. If one brings parents or a date here to impress, does the food pull through in the clutch?

Well, the tea certainly does, as alluded to by Pomegranate’s full name. You can get chai tea ($1.50) anywhere, but not served in a glass cup on a brass tray with delicately positioned squares of sugar. It’s brewed in a silver samovar that fits in nicely with the atmosphere. While on the subject of beverages, I would be remiss not to point out the impressively economic wine list. Chile, Australia and Italy dominate and all are of great value (most well under $40).

Appetizers are not to be skipped. The “noon-o paneer-o gerdu” offers a nice hunk of goat’s milk feta for $6, sided with walnuts, Barbary bread and an assortment of fresh mint, parsley and tarragon. Crunching the herbal sprigs all on their own gets me right in the Persian mood. “Maast-o khiar” ($3.75) is herbed yogurt made sweet and tangy with raisins, walnuts, cucumbers and rose petals. (It blows most servings of raita straight off the map.) Don’t miss the smoky charred eggplant dip, “kashk-e bademjaan,” ($7) laced with delectable crispy onions ($7). I mean it—don’t miss it!

Light eaters can opt for a fresh and lively “pom salad” ($7) stocked with feta cheese, walnuts, kalamata olives and barberries. But for a true experience of mains, opt for one of the hot dishes served with saffron-coated basmati, rose-dusted yogurt and background salad. Lamb beats chicken in this restaurant, the former tender and soaked with the dish’s many flavours. That said, the Persian staple “fesenjaan,” ($14) done with mushrooms or chicken, flies off the menu with a zesty stew of pomegranate syrup and ground walnut. When ordering rice, ask for it to be spiked with barberries and dates—the upgrade’s fruity kick is well worth it.

If they have a special, I might suggest someone at the table order it. In my company, the off-menu asparagus stew with lamb ($15) was the no-doubt hit of the table. Though cuisines from in and around the Middle East tend to be vegetarian-friendly, I’m sad to report that options are not overly plentiful at Pomegranate. I’ve been there three times over the years, but always lament the fact that meat dishes pack the power and though there is some effort (tossing lentils, slivered almonds, barberries and monstrous dates into its rice), vegetarian mains lack the “umph” I keep expecting.

If the grains haven’t kicked in yet, there are a few desserts (under $7) available that won’t damage any wallet, no matter how flimsy. A sticky end to the meal can be had on a brass tray: pastries deep fried and soaked in honey are accompanied by small chickpea cookies. These are fine, a little monotonous. There is a more adventurous cream cake loaded with fruits, nuts and rosewater. But for all it’s worth, a scoop of saffron-rosewater ice cream is my ideal end to the Pomegranate party.

I would expect most leave this joint satiated and pleased, with fond memories of the time they spent in another country. Oh, and reservations are a necessity.