Lamb Mandi at Restoran Parsia in Taman Universiti, Skudai, Johor CLOSED

I am a big fan of lamb. I especially love lamb that has rich smokey gamey flavours, tender bite and smooth mouth feel.

Couple the moist flavourful lamb with a bed of fragrant fluffy yet non starchy saffron perfumed Basmati rice and eating it with tangy, refreshing herbs and juices - this is a lovely meal that takes me to food paradise like a magic carpet from Arabia.

Fortunately, in Johor Bahru, we don't have to pay a King's ransom to enjoy a wondrous meal like this. In Restoran Parsia, we can have it for under RM20 with a drink thrown in :)

In case you are wondering - this is no short cut, mass produced meal but an authentic Iranian classic. Lamb mandi or grilled lamb prepared the tedious traditional way with a large old style tandoor - the only one there is in Johor Bahru. Come to think of it, I haven't seen anything like this tandoor anywhere else in Malaysia or Singapore 😝



Amin, a hands on boss, personally putting the final touches in preparing the Iranian lamb mandi using the large tandoor.





The fluffy, airy, non starchy, non greasy, saffron perfumed Basmati rice is also made with this large tandoor for that authentic, almost sensual aroma.

Was it worth all that trouble just to cook rice? Well, this picture speaks for itself 😄

Amin the boss, and Jahangir the Chief Chef of Restoran Parsia

Amin who hails from the Shiraz district of Iran, set up Restoran Parsia to serve authentic Iranian comfort food for the Iranian community here in Johor Bahru. For example, Restoran Parsia serves Dizi which is the iconic Iranian everyday staple. As a large part of the Iranian community in JB are students at UTM (Universiti Technlogi Malaysia), Amin prices Restoran Parsia's food with their budget in mind.

Restoran Parsia is tucked away in Taman Universiti, and its interior decor is simple and basic but the Iranian and Arabian food served here is delicious. The portions are large and satisfying, and reasonably priced.

Restoran Parsia is a place we return to regularly for our Iranian and Arabian food craving fix. 

Restaurant name: Parsia Restaurant (Iranian and Arabian cuisine)
Address: 63-01, 64-01, Jalan Pendidikan 4, Taman Universiti, Skudai, Johor Bahru
GPS: 1.545076,103.629237
Hours: 11:00am to 11:00pm
Halal

Dates visited: 16 Dec 2012, 16 May 2013 | Updated 15 Jul 2021

Restaurant is permanently closed