House of Shish Kabob, located in the shopping center on the southeast corner of Devonshire Street and Mason Avenue may be one of the Valley’s best-kept secrets, but to regulars it is one of the most delicious locales for fresh and healthy Persian cuisine.

Featuring dine-in, take-out, delivery, and catering, this family-run restaurant knows quality despite quantity.

Every item on the menu offers unique flavor with the simplest of ingredients. Starting with the appetizers, the combo features yogurt with cucumber and shallots, as well as an amazing fresh homus where the blend of garlic, lemon, and olive oil is subtle, while distinct. Also included is the tang of shirazi salad, a mix of tomato, onion, parsley, cucumber, and herbs mixed with olive oil and lemon juice, and unlimited pita bread.

As for an entrée choice, one would be hard-pressed to choose between the beef, chicken, or salmon. With each meat cooked with its own special blend of spice, the chef has brought the authenticity of Persian cuisine in every nuance successfully to Southern California culture. Within the salmon is a hint of lemon, while the chef grills the chicken and beef with saffron, which seems slightly tangier. He cooks it all to the perfect tenderness. The koobideh kabob is a nice blend of ground beef or ground chicken served with fluffy rice and topped with saffron.

Along with the meat, the House of Shish Kabob offers a wide and equally interesting selection of rice to compliment just about any dish. Zereshk polo rice includes seasoned barberries and balances the saffron within the chicken very well. With a little more power to the flavor, the albaloo polo rice is a sour cherry mix with rice, which is recommended with the lamb shank. The saffron rice keeps the flavor coming when served with the delectable charbroiled salmon steak.

If used to more vegetarian fare, the restaurant offers a dish called kashke bademjoon, which includes fried and cooked eggplant topped with kashk, mint, and fried onion. Or try the favorite, Dolmeh, which is cooked grape leaves stuffed with rice, tarragon, yellow split peas, parsley, and herbs.

Though there may be limited room, the dessert is so incredible that your tongue will be arguing with your stomach to keep eating. Try the baghlava, it’s a unique, flaky pastry topped with ginger. Though considered an acquired taste, consider ordering the dough, a carbonated or non-carbonated yogurt-flavored beverage with a slight tart aftertaste. It is made with cultures that help digest the copious amount of food traditional to many Persian meals.

For what seems like a small interior location within a standard suburban strip mall, this authentic Persian restaurant produces a tidal wave of flavor and authentic cultural pleasantries that will whisk away any customer -- seasoned connoisseur or first-time patron to a different time and place wholly different to the standard American fast food. For more information including a full menu, maps, and business hours, go to houseofshishkabob.com.