Rumi’s Kitchen, a beautiful Persian restaurant located in Sandy Springs, consistently gets high marks for its cuisine. I hadn’t been to the new location of Rumi’s, so thought I should visit. Your only parking choice is valet. After our near death experience of half the car hanging out on Roswell road because the idiot ahead of us wouldn’t pull up to the valet stand, we were a bit shaky walking in to the restaurant. We quickly recovered, with Rumi’s pretty and elegant atmosphere putting us at ease.
The restaurant, which seems a decent size, was completely full. You would think it was a Saturday night, based on how crowded they were, but surprisingly it was only Tuesday. As with most Persian restaurants, you’ll start with a plate of herbs and cheeses. We couldn’t have been more pleased with the appetizers – Mirza Ghasemi – smoked eggplant, tomato, garlic. This was so aromatic and the perfect amount for our party of three to share. And the Grilled Shrimp (they should really be called prawns as they are HUGE) were divine with garlic and saffron. They also came with a feta sauce, though it wasn’t even needed as the shrimp could stand alone.
Our seating was interesting in that it was tables which surrounded a giant centerpiece. About the time we were deciding on entrees a server accidentally knocked a glass of red wine over at the adjacent table. While the table and floor bore the brunt of the spill, some did get on my purse, seat, etc. The server was completely apologetic and rushed to clean everything up. During this time our server appeared telling us the we should get our order in because it would be about 20 minutes before the entrees would come out.
Not only did our server seem oblivious to the wine spillage, which I was a bit more concerned about than my entree order at that point, but was completely disconnected with us the entire evening. We had to try several times to flag him down so my friend could order a glass of wine. I’m not sure if they were short staffed or just what. Ironically, Rumi’s website states “Our staff works together like the gears in a clock in making sure all our patrons’ needs are met..”
Shortly after we were prodded into placing our order, we decided on three very different dishes: Koobideh Kabob – seasoned ground beef, Lamb Shank, and Salmon. The ground beef was two long sausage shaped pieces and was flavored exquisitely. The cheapest of our entrees, it was my favorite at $17. The Salmon was a close second.
However, my entree, the Lamb Shank, was rather disappointing. Not only did it look unappetizing (see picture below), but it lacked any real flavor. Sure, the meat was tender, juicy and just about fell off the bone, but it had no flavor whatsoever. It was as if the shank was boiled in water with zero spice. What a huge disappointment.
I would have given our server feedback if he had checked back with us during dinner at all. Unfortunately he waited until some other servers had come by to clear our plates, at the end of the meal, before checking with us. As I noted by displeasure with the dish, he was kind enough to take it off the bill.
One thing that was consistent with each dish was the rice overload. But I was glad to see they didn’t skimp on the meat as those were generous portions too. I’d certainly go back and have some of those tasty appetizers and share the ground beef entree. Even if they are jammed pack, they have a gorgeous and expansive bar to sit and enjoy small plates.
Rumi’s Kitchen Website
6112 Roswell Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30328
