Opening hours
- Daily
12noon–2.30pm, 6pm–11.30pm
| Definitely 29% | Probably 14% |
| Not Sure 0% | Probably not 29% |
| Definitely not 29% |
Average
Approx. S$35 – 45 per pax
Based on 8 reviews
Specialities
No reviewer input yet.
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Shiraz vs Banoo: Shiraz 0, Banoo 1
Mar 13, 2007Since having been on a news assignment in Iran in 2004, I've been hankering for authentic Persian food. Was delighted to find the opening of Banoo and Shiraz in Singapore over the last 12 months, and over this past weekend decided to do a face-off between them.
Shiraz lost.
I really wanted Shiraz to work out, too. The bar was so pretty and the bartendar friendly, chatty and attentive.
But once our group of 6 got seated, we had to get on the verge of waging nuclear war to get 1) missing napkins and cutlery, 2) menus, and 3) our food orders taken and 4) our bill with the correct items listed.
Wanting to try everything, we opted for the mixed mezze (dips) platter. While even in horrifically expensive places like London this means sharing-size portions for the table with baskets of pita bread, this particular platter that came back was more reminiscent of mini tapas. We parsed out a teaspoon of each dip, feeling like Oliver Twists.
The meat platters thankfully were of a generous size and the beef, and chicken on the bone, was appropriately spiced and succulent. But by then we were deep into the skirmish for cutlery and ice water and in an increasingly unsettled mood.
Shouldnt S$70 a head, even with wine, buy you a more comfortable dining experience? Or, after the belly dancer and ornate furnishings, did they run out of budget for waitstaff training?Must Tries
Beef whatever. Sparkling shiraz
I also recommend this place for
Atmosphere : Vibrant/Noisy, Alfresco/Outdoor Dining, People Watching -
Iranian or Not?
Apr 10, 2008Im kind of consfused with this place as I have been to the Middle East and neighbouring Iran a few times. There is a very big difference between Iranian and Arabic culture and food in the same sense that Japanese is different from Chinese culture and food.
I beg for someone to prove me wrong but these guys have copied the menu off some Lebanese restaurant and added a few Iranian modifications and come up with an Iranian restaurant.
Belly dancing is not Iranian, these are an Islamic country with hijab (Islamic headscalf), you can barely see their ankles!
Their music is all Arabic tunes, as heard all over Arabia, Dubai, Bahrain, Lebanon...
Mezza is so not Iranian, hummus and all that stuff is Lebanese!
They dont know what to put for desserts, they just want to sell so they have stuck Tiramisu and creame caramel: Is that Iranian?
The Baklava which they cannot even spell is Arabic...ggrrrhh!
The positive side of things:
Mains were very tasty, very large portions but overpriced, my plate had two lamb kebabs, rice and cost over $40, but hey let me disregard the price... we shared it. That was the positive.
Service: Would have been nice if they had napkis on the table, would have been appreciated if we didnt ask for cutlery, would really like it if I didnt need a chiro after sitting on uncomfortable seating.
Belly dancer...she's a local and fare enough she tried hard but it was momentarily as we were not interested, again so not Iranian.
Try Banoo on Mohamed Sultan Road for Iranian
Try Sanobar on One Fullerton for Lebanese
Try anywhere else.
My recommendation is for CQ to re-evaluate their standard...Spent about
S$90 / paxWould You Return?
Definitely Not -
Bellydancing to Entice More Consumption of Kebabs?
Aug 8, 2007Come Back So Soon, ah?
Having self-appointed myself to determine the best Persian food in Singapore and with a Caucasian friend from Lebanon leaving after a two month sojourn in the region, I decided to re-visit glitzy Shiraz even though my previous visit was only a week ago.
Bellydancing to Draw in the Gawking Crowd
Bellydancing has nothing to do with Persian cuisine or culture, of course, but sitting al fresco this time the speakers blared, the sylphlike figure appeared, bosom and torso appropriately exposed, writhing rhythmically to the tantalising contemporary Arabic beat, stopping a passing group of what appeared to be third world tourists dead in their tracks, who gawked without emotion, flashing camera lights. Two numbers later, show over, crowd dispersed. There was no enthusiastic hand-clapping and wolf-whistling accompanying and egging the dancer on, as would have happened in a Middle Eastern environment. To her credit, the solo dancer, who was obviously a local competent bellydancing student, wore a well taught permanent smile throughout. I tried my solo effort to bring the crowd in without any success but the wait staff should all have followed my lead at least, since aren’t they importing this corrupting influence on Persian culture to create the ambiance, to draw in the crowd, to create business? May be I got it all wrong; may be all those fleshy gyrations were meant to entice the diners to consume more kebabs!
My recommendation to management would be to provide soothing live traditional santoor music (if they can find a player in Singapore) instead of the incongruous bellydancing that from this one night observation did not bring in one additional customer but merely provided free momentary entertainment for the passing crowd.
At Least the Food was Authentic and More Alluring
Ghormeh Sabzi with lamb ($24) is as classic a Persian dish as it gets. Common ingredients normally comprise boneless stewing lamb or beef, onion, dried/fresh limes, black-eye beans or kidney beans, potato, spring onions, spinach, parsley, coriander, chives, fenugreek, etc. Once again as with most Persian stews, there’re a lot of ingredients. If you’re vegetarian inclined, you can consume the whole dish sans meat as a complete meal. Served with saffroned chelow (steamed rice, cooked as only the Persians know how) it was wonderful. The slightly sourish nature of the stew combined with the “sweetness” of rice was perfect though the uninitiated palate may need to get used to the influence of the fenugreek.
Sabzi Polow with fish fillet ($28) comprised two distinct parts – polow (rice) and grilled fish fillet. Parsley, dill, coriander, fenugreek and spring onion ends were the herbs used to infuse the polow with its wonderful aromatic flavour. I didn’t try the fish fillet but was given the thumbs up by both my dining companions.
Once again my pièce de résistance was the chelow kebab, this time choosing Kebab Soltani with lamb ($43), which combined Kebab Barg (fillet) and Kebab Kubideh (ground meat). I don’t understand the huge jump in price from $28 for the Kubideh to $43 for the Soltani just because one of the two kebabs served was the fillet instead of ground meat! The kebabs were juicy, tender and succulent as per my previous visit. In fact partaking both kebabs side by side, alternating one with the other, magnified the contrasting flavours. One could not but acknowledge the Kubideh, being mixed and marinated with ingredients had the edge from the flavour point of view over the pure lamb fillet which only had the benefit of being marinated.
The accompanying Tah Cheen, previously explained in earlier review, was delectable. I asked for more and also for my much loved Tah-Diq, the bottom of the pot golden brown crusty chelow/polow. We got a plateful of each at no charge – most obliging service. The Tah-Diq was nice and crunchy, not too hard. However, I still would have preferred had they used potato slices at the bottom of the pot. But then how many of their clientele would have asked for it since it’s not on the menu? So next time I’ll have to sweet talk the maǐtre d' into getting the chef, who’s a genuine Iranian, by the way, into doing this just for me earlier in the day!
The complimentary starter was the substantial Paneer/Panir Sabzi, previously reviewed. My Lebanese companion loved the feta cheese so much we ordered an extra serving (only $5)!
I tried the Doogh ($5) yoghurt drink. Normally it would have been carbonated mineral water with yoghurt, plus dried mint, salt and even pennyroyal. I couldn’t see any mint but it was pleasantly light and the ice cubes no doubt made it even lighter as the drink progresses. It was definitely not as heavy as the typical Indian or Turkish lassi, so was a good accompaniment to the meal.
The only disappointing thing was that the Persian tea did not come served with rock sugar but with sugar cubes that melt easily in the mouth. Rock sugar is readily available in Singapore and there’s no reason having to compromise the traditional way of sipping Persian tea with a piece of rock sugar in one’s mouth.Must Tries
Kebab Kubideh, Tah Cheen, Ghormeh Sabzi
I also recommend this place for
Type of meal : Lunch, Dinner Occasion : Large Groups/Gathering, Romance/First Dates, Client Meetings/Business Dining, Fine Dining, Boys Night Out, Girls Night Out, After Work Atmosphere : Vibrant/Noisy, Alfresco/Outdoor Dining, People Watching Spent about
S$49 / paxWould You Return?
Definitely
-
The food is ridiculously overpriced and not tasty at all.
Mar 12, 2010I think my title just about summed up my experience in Shiraz.
Oh, wait, you guys have to know that the service here is just awfully slow. It took more than 30 minutes to serve our food. From what little taste we could get, we were left wondering why it took so long to make and server our food when it didn't taste like they did anything at all to the meat. Or to the vegetables for that matter. It seemed like all they did was stick the meat the and veggies in a skewer, pass them over the fire a couple of times, and serve.
Even getting the bill took a long time.
It was just awful.
We left Shiraz very unhappy and very unsatisfied.
PS. The starters were okay though, but still! 95% of the experience was very bad.I also recommend this place for
Type of meal : Supper/Night Dining Occasion : After Work Atmosphere : Vibrant/Noisy Spent about
S$35 / paxWould You Return?
Definitely Not -
Good appetizers, bad service
Jan 5, 2010Went to Shiraz for Persian appetizers. The food was quite good, the flavours came out well. The hummus was nicely done although the taste was somewhat different to what we were used to from authentic middle eastern restaurants in USA. The Shirazi salad was fantastic: a fresh creation of diced tomato, cucumber, onion and radish expertly put together - highly recommended.
The service was another story altogether. It was strange to see the wait staff walk right past you as if you were invisible when you first wait to be seated, which took a while. Thinking that everythig may take some time, we ordered right away as we were being seated, which worked out well (we had plenty of time to browse the menu while waiting to be seated). We sat outside which was pleasant, and my toddler son was fascinated by the belly dancer's freqent performances.
The shocker came when I asked our waitress for iced water. She came back to our table with our food but no water. My wife gently reminded her about the iced water. She reappeared and said that they do not serve iced tap water outside (outdoor seating), but that we could order either botled water or sparkling water. I asked the manager as to the reason why customers who were seated outside were not privy to iced tap water. The explanation I received left me rocking in disbelief: "Outside seating is generally for drinkers and shisha smokers. If they see you drinking iced water they will all ask for iced water". Afraid of what other bizarre response I may get, I did not ask the obvious as to why it was so blasphemous to serve everyone iced tap water...instead, I pointed out that, as a very basic requirement, I want water served with my food. Then the manager did the improbable task of topping his previous statement: "I will bring you a glass of iced water but I will put a slice of lemon in it to make to look like an alcoholic beverage". He produced a half-glass of water, loaded with ice and complete with a slice of lime and mini-straw. I promptly gave the gin-and-tonic look-alike to my two-year-old. See what the "boozing shisha smokers" will say about THAT. Very bizarre.Must Tries
Shirazi salad
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Overpriced but delicious Middle Eastern
Dec 1, 2009Some strong and very polarized opinions here about this restaurant, which is nice to see. Throws the rating scale a bit out of whack though, especially with if reviewers give unreasonably low ratings across all criteria for hygiene (a single issue), and for the wrong establishment (albeit a sister outlet)!
This is our second visit here over the past 2 years, and we’re still very happy with the food. That is, if you can get past the terribly inconvenient seating – squeeze in with the crowd on tiny chairs/tables outdoors, or be put in awkward corner tables indoors if you’re a small party. Marshall larger group and make reservations, and you get prime spot in the dining hall. Service is fine but get a bit frazzled during peak periods, which isn’t to say they don’t try hard to please with smiles and suggestions.
Bread course – Always very impressive to see the large flatbread and accompanying condiments (feta, gherkins, chives, olives etc). Yummy and all too easy to overeat at this point…
Mashed Eggplant – I forget the name, but this was an appetizer of roasted mashed eggplant mixed in with lamb meat. Rich, heavy and a portion good for 2-3 folks eaten with bread. I’m partial to eggplant so this was lovely, but a tad monotonous so perhaps another yoghurt-based side would liven things up.
Mixed Kubideh – One chicken and one lamb minced kebab marinated with exotic spices and grilled to juicy, mouthwatering heaven. It’s an achievement when a simple stick of grilled meat and some rice can steal the show at the table. Never had a juicier or more flavourful kebab.
Lamb and Okra Stew – Very hearty and home-style tomato-based stew, perhaps a little stingy on the lamb (although very generous with the ladies’ fingers). Delicious with the accompanying rice, but overshadowed surprisingly by the Kubideh.
I can understand the mixed opinions about this place. On one hand, the food is heavily overpriced (although portions are ample), restaurant layout is a bit of a pain, and diners averse to noise/distraction should avoid the belly dancing periods. On balance, most of the food is exceedingly delicious, which is the main point after all, and quite authentic (although I’m no expert, and Banoo put up a strong fight when it was still around). I’ll definitely be back, though not often, as it’s pricey for what you get.Spent about
S$43 / paxWould You Return?
Probably -
Great Late Night Doner Kebab
Nov 22, 2009Tried the lamb, chicken and Falafel doner kebabs and they are all fabulous.... especially after a late night of drinking. Careful with the jalapeno pepers because they can be a bit spicy.I also recommend this place for
Type of meal : Supper/Night Dining, Cheap Eat/Budget, Take away Occasion : Boys Night Out Atmosphere : Vibrant/Noisy, People Watching Spent about
S$10 / paxWould You Return?
Definitely -
Good place here
Sep 24, 2009Its very very rare to find persian food here.
And this is a good place.
We only ate their speciality which was Kebabs.
Best kebabs EVER. serious. High quality meat used and the chef was skillful in cooking them.
Lamb was favorite.
They gave basmati rice to go with.
Basmati rice is one of the most expensive rice avaliable (much more valued than Japanese short grain ones).
You can eat a plate of only basmati rice hands down. And they gave the higher grading ones.
Only went once so far and only ate a large range of kebabs and basmati. So my view can be a bit biased. Thumbs up for this experience.
Note: Items can be quite pricey over here, but since you don't see alot of persian food around, i'll gladly pay a premium -
Shiraz Mazzeh
Jul 15, 2009hygiene at this place used to be nice till i saw that they never wash their hands. these guise has plastic gloves on when they make the rolls of kebab but common they go out and sits on the payment with the trash bin for a smoke with the gloves on and that is the same one they use when they come back too.
the place is just awful i wonder how they got past the health crew. they should be shut downI also recommend this place for
Type of meal : Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Take away Atmosphere : Vibrant/Noisy, Live Music, People Watching Spent about
S$10 / paxWould You Return?
Definitely Not -
Nice ambiance and food which you overpay for. Ignore the belly dancer
Mar 29, 2009Nice place to sit, the starters you get are fantastic. Their price is included in the other food you eat.
Good food, would be nice if there was a little more meat on the kebab. Overall overpriced.
I read about bad service, we didn't experience that the two (believe in a second chance) times we've been there.I also recommend this place for
Type of meal : Dinner Atmosphere : People Watching -
Iranian or Not?
Apr 10, 2008Im kind of consfused with this place as I have been to the Middle East and neighbouring Iran a few times. There is a very big difference between Iranian and Arabic culture and food in the same sense that Japanese is different from Chinese culture and food.
I beg for someone to prove me wrong but these guys have copied the menu off some Lebanese restaurant and added a few Iranian modifications and come up with an Iranian restaurant.
Belly dancing is not Iranian, these are an Islamic country with hijab (Islamic headscalf), you can barely see their ankles!
Their music is all Arabic tunes, as heard all over Arabia, Dubai, Bahrain, Lebanon...
Mezza is so not Iranian, hummus and all that stuff is Lebanese!
They dont know what to put for desserts, they just want to sell so they have stuck Tiramisu and creame caramel: Is that Iranian?
The Baklava which they cannot even spell is Arabic...ggrrrhh!
The positive side of things:
Mains were very tasty, very large portions but overpriced, my plate had two lamb kebabs, rice and cost over $40, but hey let me disregard the price... we shared it. That was the positive.
Service: Would have been nice if they had napkis on the table, would have been appreciated if we didnt ask for cutlery, would really like it if I didnt need a chiro after sitting on uncomfortable seating.
Belly dancer...she's a local and fare enough she tried hard but it was momentarily as we were not interested, again so not Iranian.
Try Banoo on Mohamed Sultan Road for Iranian
Try Sanobar on One Fullerton for Lebanese
Try anywhere else.
My recommendation is for CQ to re-evaluate their standard...Spent about
S$90 / paxWould You Return?
Definitely Not -
belly good
Feb 2, 2008i was treated to dinner at this middle eastern restaurant. the only thing close to middle eastern cuisine i have ever tasted were kebabs.
shiraz offered a different perspective to locals who have never ever been to the middle east. we had a platter for 2, the chicken, beef and fish were grilled to perfection - tender and savoury. the rice that was served with it had a yummy buttery taste to it.
yes... there was belly dancing and the dancer looked like she enjoyed entertaining the guests. but i heard from my companion that authentic belly dancer is nothing like what she did. oh well... it was entertaining. that's what counted.Must Tries
chicken, beef, salmon kebabs!
I also recommend this place for
Type of meal : Dinner Occasion : Large Groups/Gathering, Children/Family, Romance/First Dates, Private Dining Atmosphere : Vibrant/Noisy, Live Music -
Sheesh Kabob
Sep 22, 2007Fine, we'll pay premium dining prices for the free platter of dates, olives, feta and raddachio, accompanied by pita. We'll pay for the awkward luxury of arranging ourselves among cushions on our shared seats. We'll even pay for the belly dancer, even though the sudden spurts of loud music disrupted our conversation indiscreetly.
But we'll draw the line at snooty and sporadic service. Running a fine dining establishment doesn't quite give carte blanche to raise the discomfort level of your patrons, together with the prices and quality of food.
It began with a confused exchange with a waiter taking our drink orders. Without having looked at the drinks list, we asked for water -- when he gave us the option of sparkling or still, we specified that "regular iced water" would do. He returned with a bottle of still, and when we declined, we got a look of snooty irritation.
After we ordered a bottle of wine and I was appointed swirler and taster, the same waiter filled up the rest of the glasses except for mine. I suppose he felt I had had enough to drink for the night.
Then it always took a long time getting the attention of our waitstaff or hoping for them to attend to us in-between courses. Perhaps the belly dancer (quite a spectacle to behold, particularly when she had a candalabra of candles atop her head while shimmy through tables and chairs) was a shrewd attempt at covering up what was lacking in attentive service, and she did her job -- she alleviated some of the tension and frustrating of waiting.
At least, the food was tasty, particularly the mains. After starting with an appetiser platter and hummus, the six of us shared a platter for four, consisting of lamb and steak kebabs and grilled prawns and fish. We also had a lamb shank, and accompanied the entrees with basmati rice. Unfortunately, the overall experience was salty enough that two servings of the Persian delights trio did nothing to neutralise the acidity -- we had to hop over to Nectarine a few doors down to ensure the evening ended on a properly sweet note.Must Tries
Entree platter
I also recommend this place for
Type of meal : Dinner Occasion : Large Groups/Gathering Atmosphere : Vibrant/Noisy Spent about
S$53 / paxWould You Return?
Definitely Not
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