Darya Restaurant

Darya Restaurant Restaurant Review:

Darya delivers traditional and satisfying Persian comfort food, and a visit here is special because of its South Coast Plaza Village location and opulent décor, which includes a profusion of marble columns. Prime your palate with a creamy eggplant, yogurt and onion borani dip, or order up the hearty grape leaves full of ground beef, rice, onions and fresh herbs. Instead of the usual beef kebab, try the tender and juicy chicken koobideh (ground chicken marinated overnight in lemon juice and saffron) and pair it with zereshk polo (basmati rice mixed with saffron and studded with tiny tart and tangy barberries). The more adventurous seek out Persian stews with ingredients like walnut pomegranate sauce and dried limes. End the meal by sipping some calming cardamom-scented Persian tea with a sugary dessert such as a pear chocolate torte or apricot mousse cake. The lunch crowd can stop by and enjoy a scaled down version of the dinner menu. The solid wine list features a handful of half-bottle selections and a somewhat surprising number of highly-acclaimed labels. When it gets late on weekend evenings there’s always live music, family-style dancing and a belly dancer or two.