Babani's
$$ - average
Kurdish
The United States' first Kurdish restaurant
Kurdish food has much in common with Middle-eastern and Greek food, savory without being spicy. A good selection of clearly marked vegetarian entrees, most of which are vegan. Fairly large servings.
Added by Matt Mackall on Oct 25 02 (updated Dec 10 07)
Reviews
I've eaten here several times, and I've been impressed with everything I've eaten. The food is flavorful, though I can't say it's particularly inventive. It's a good place to bring vegetarians and non-vegetarians together. The prices are reasonable.
I really enjoyed my visit to Babani's.
I tried the Biryani, which is rice with peas, almonds, raisins, veggies and a blend of spices. It was very tasty, especially with the Traditional Silopi Salad.
My lunch companion had the Garbanzo Bean Shilla (garbanzo beans in a broth with a little curry and other spices) which was pretty good, not mind blowing. However, mixed with my dish, it was excellent. The tabouli salad was quite good, too.
The food was very satisfying and really hit the spot. I'd like to try the other dishes and the soup.
I wish I had more good things to say about this restaurant, especially since it claims to be the first Kurdish restaurant in the U.S.. But, in the couple of times I have been there, nothing I tried was exceptionally good and some vegetables tasted a bit freezer-burned. I'm sorry to say that I can cook better food than I had there.
I got the dolmas and tabouli salad which were decent, but I was not overly impressed, especially as the waiter put us at a table by the door where everyone had to inch past us with an unsteady table. When we complained, the waiter put a napkin under one of the table legs when clearly, open tables were available.
Yes, the vegan soup and the bread are excellent. I also really liked the tabouli. None of the other dishes we had (I went with a group and we tried pretty much all the vegan dishes) struck me as being great but they were all pretty good. Another reason I'm giving them a 7 is that they don't have any vegan desserts and I like having something sweet when I go out.
The soup everyone is raving about it really good - and the servings are large. The Kurdish bread is also wonderful - and large. Soup and bread is easily a meal, but if you want to order something else, try the dolmas. The dolma plate comes with six or seven dolmas wrapped in grapes leaves and cabbage leaves - as well as salad (get the tabouli - it's great), rice, and soup (why not try the Niskeena?). Very very good.
The Niskena soup is awesome and that bread is also really great. and the lemonade too. that's what i would get if i went there right now.
No one has mentioned the Kurdish lemonade, which is absolutely fan-flippin'-tastic. Sour, almost bitter, earthy... not your grandmother's lemonade (unless you're Kurdish, I suppose). The dolmades are great: not just stuffed grape leaves, but stuffed cabbage, onion, and tomato as well. There's a rice dish with mushrooms and dill that's also pretty darn to-die-for.
They have a number of vegetarian dishes but I have never been impressed by them. The dishes I've had have been bland and generally disapponting, especially their chick pea dish. However, their bread and feta cheese are good
I like the niskena soup, too. Most of the entrees are what I call "simple food"... rice-based dishes: nothing special, but pretty good. Try the baklava, if you're a skinny gourmand like me and still need something more to eat. It's much more nutty and less sweet than the usual baklava.
I enjoy the atmosphere (I nearly gave this rating an "8") and location most of all. Babani's a good reason to go to downtown Saint Paul instead of Minneapolis!
I once drove all the way to Babani's from minneapolis in a nasty snowstorm in a car with no heat when I was feeling like crap just to get myself some Niskena and fresh bread. It's the perfect comfort food.
The Kurdish bread and niskeena soup are excellent, as are the dolmas
This restaurant is great! The tiny seating area allows a view of the kitchen, the waitstaff is friendly and full of suggestions for dishes to try, and veg*ns have quite a few options to choose from. Portions are filling and full of flavor, though not spicy. A fun option for those looking for an alternative to common Mediterranean or Indian food.