For our anniversary, my Dear and I had dinner at Arya Persian Restaurant in Greenhills, San Juan. I've been convincing her to try it there, but she only agreed when she saw that it was one of Tatler's top 10 restaurants for 2007 (hmmmp).
I consider Persian cuisine one of the world's fundamental cuisines-- along with Chinese and Mexican-- which profoundly influenced other cuisines (more on this next time). Indian cuisine was once in my list, but I had to revise it when I learned that many of its signature dishes-- such as naan, paneer, biryani, and korma-- were actually from the Persians.
Ambience in Arya is nice-- it is a very pleasant experience to dine there-- and service is friendly and efficient. My closest experience with Persian culture was in Tajikistan (the Tajiks consider themselves Persian), and I have to say the decor in Arya is spot on. Nice Persian touch with the carpets and the seats.
For my beverage, I tried the yogurt drink with rose water (P85). I expected some heavy and sour drink, but I was happily surprised with a light and sweet drink. And yes, you do have a mild taste of rose in this drink, which I found pleasant.
My main critique here (if you can call it that) is the bread-- they only serve pita bread at P60 for three pieces. I would have preferred some Persian nan, which is thicker and more risen than pita bread and has a bit of crust to it. Pita bread is already fairly common here, so some authentic nan would have made the dining experience more exquisite. But then I'm nitpicking.
A meal in Arya can be expected to cost around P600 to P700 per person for an appetiser, a main dish, and a drink.
Now for the scores:
Quality = 8.0
Size = 7.0
Taste = 8.0
Ambience = 8.0
Service = 8.0
Value = P936.78
Price = P700
Sulit Rating = 1.34 > 1
Arya is not exactly cheap eats, but its quality and authenticity make it well worth the cost.
 Arya Persian Restaurant
Musaka (P205)
Salad E Irani (P185)
Shish Platter (P425)
Mahi Kabab (P345)
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