We went to Ariana Produce, a middle eastern market located in this Mira Mesa strip mall...
The market also had an eatery in the back, our lunch destination.
Everything listed sounded good. TC and I shared the Shami Kabob (ground beef) plate. I also ordered the sambosas while Mary ordered the Tikka Kabob (beef chunk) and the Bolani Kachaloo, a flatbread filled with potatoes. The decor is minimal, just a few wall hangings. The market is something I'd like to come back to so I could explore in more detail.
One of the workers slicing some meat for another customer's order. Oh yeah, since this place is also a meat market (they sell goat meat here), just be aware that there is a bit of a "raw meaty" smell here.
This was a lot of food, which still doesn't include the flatbread Mary ordered. Both of our kabob plates included another type of bread (I didn't care for the texture). The white sauce in the containers was a tangy yogurt sauce that went well with the meats and samosas.
Both kabob were delicious. The beef chunk was quite meaty and tasty. Both TC and I enjoyed our ground beef and the sumac dusted rice.
After a few minutes, the flatbread platter (and yes, it was quite a big plate!) came...Now THIS was good! The flatbread had a nice grilled surface that was both crisp and chewy in parts. The filling was potato with onions and curiously cilantro (which according to one of my Armenian friends is not typically used in Middle Eastern food). Mary was kind and generous enough to let us try one and also take a few pieces home. When I come back here (and there will be a next time), I plan to order this.
Here is Mary's writeup on our lunch at Arian just a few days ago.
Ariana Produce and Cuisine
11261 Camino Ruiz
San Diego, CA 92126
(858) 566-7700
They do not have a website but here are the reviews from you know where.
The folks who work here are friendly and welcoming. I'd love to explore the market in more detail in the future as well as try other menu items with Bert and TC.
2 comments:
Oh good, I'm glad one of us remembered to take a photo of the inside of the flatbread. Hah! I was pleasantly surprised at how good the food tasted and I'm glad you were willing to go here with me! Yay for food adventures! I want the kabob you guys got next time I come here, it was so tasty.
Mary, this was such a great place! I really liked your flatbread and totally want it again!
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