Yekta Kabob - Huntington Beach, CA [Eating]

Posted by Chubbypanda at 1/10/2008 08:50:00 AM

(Pictures for this review taken with my Motorola Q.

Apologies for the image quality. This was an unexpected lunch stop, so I didn't have my cameras on me.)

My new job up in the LA area is great. I love the people I work with, the atmosphere in the office, and the variety of food close by. The commute from Irvine, on the other hand, is less than stellar. On a good day, the round trip usually takes about two hours. On a bad day, it can take over three. This means that by the time I get home, I only have a couple hours of free time during which to food blog. A minor detour, such as a clogged toilet, picking the wife up from working late, or making dinner, can take that free time down to zero. Once you realize that life is full of minor detours, you'll understand why I haven't been blogging half as much as I'd like to. On the other hand, job good!

I'm sure I'll get a new posting schedule figured out soon. In the meantime, here's a quick "Panda Bite".



I first stumbled across Yekta Kabob after an Afghani coworker from my last job recommended it to me as decent Persian restaurant. Since his wife is Iranian, I figured he knew what he was talking about. Besides, scuttlebutt had it that he ate there every day. How bad could it be?

The answer was, not too shabby. Yekta Kabob is a low-mid range, counter-service eatery with a good selection of very authentic eats. They have everything from Koobideh and Kabobs (both types of meat on sticks) to more esoteric dishes like Ghormeh Sabzi (Lamb Shank & Bean Stew). The interior is amazingly nice for that type of restaurant, good for a quick workday lunch or a more prolonged business lunch.



Yekta Kabob's real claim to fame is their All You Can Eat Buffet Lunch, which retails at a stunningly awesome $8. What a spread. You get as much bread, hummus, grilled meat, stuffed grape leaves, meat stew, and veggie stew that you can shovel down your gullet. As is the case with most buffets, it's more about quantity than quality. Still, the food is pretty good. The only thing I had to get used to was the amount of lemon they use in everything. I asked my Afghani coworker about it, and he told me that Persians are infamous in the Arab world for using an insane amount of fresh and preserved lemon in their cooking. According to him, the flavorings at Yekta Kabob are more authentic than the average Persian restaurant in the US. I'll take his word on it.

Yekta Kabob - A great place to fill up on some authentic Persian eats for cheap. The flavors are decent, but you'll probably want to get a drink as well. They use a lot of lemon.


Bill:

All You Can Eat Buffet Lunch ~ $8


Flavor: B-
Ambience: B+
Service: B
ROI: A+

Overall: B+


Yekta Kabob
17441 Beach Blvd.
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
1-714-843-0655

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7 comments:

  1. Chef Ben said... 1/10/2008 03:46:00 PM

    Congrats on the new job! But sorry for the killer commute. So what else is new in LA? The kabob place looks good. I actually like a lot of lemon!  

  2. Lyrical Lemongrass said... 1/10/2008 05:47:00 PM

    I do miss reading your posts, but there's no denying that unclogging toilets comes first in life! This restaurant does sound interesting. It's great that nowadays we don't need to travel so far to sample the various culinary delights.  

  3. Daily Gluttony said... 1/10/2008 07:52:00 PM

    hey cp,

    congrats on the new job!!! looks like you've got my opposite route (sorta)...i drive from the SGV to anaheim everyday. not quite as painful as your commute, but still far nonetheless. good for you for still blogging though, and have fun exploring LA eats! :)  

  4. Bill said... 1/10/2008 08:21:00 PM

    Congrats, are they still hiring? ;-)
    Nice of you to review places close to where I live. Thanks!  

  5. foodhoe said... 1/14/2008 02:29:00 PM

    $8 buffet sounds fantastic.. and I love preserved lemons too. Well aside from the up to 3 hour commute, the new job sounds great-plus it's so much fun exploring new food options. Congratulations CP!  

  6. Wandering Chopsticks said... 1/14/2008 02:58:00 PM

    For lemon lovers like me, that's a good thing. :)

    Congrats on the new job. I here ya on insane commutes.  

  7. Chubbypanda said... 1/23/2008 11:57:00 PM

    Chef Ben,

    I haven't gotten to the LA places yet, but hopefully I will. We'll see what I'm able to get to during my lunch break.

    Lyrical Lemongrass,

    I miss your posts too! I have to wait until the weekends to have time to read them.

    Hey Daily Gluttony!

    Thanks! Eeew... That's a commute worse than mine. Do you at least get to go to Disneyland after work? I have friends who work in Anaheim and bought the year pass. They go after work a few times a week, ride some rides, and hit the freeway after most of the traffic has cleared.

    Bill,

    They're always hiring. You live in an area with a lot of good food.

    Foodhoe,

    $8 buffet makes the food extra tasty. =)

    WC,

    You crazy lemon lovers. I like lemons too, but the amount they use at Yekta rides that fine line between pleasure and pain.

    - Chubbypanda  

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