Kabob, or sometimes kebab, is a dish that is associated with and found in many countries around the world, and each one seems to taste unique in its own way. I have traveled near and far to find my favorite kebab, some of which include the Turkish version at Doner Kebab House in downtown Toronto, Canada as well as Kapitol Kebab in Pescara, Italy. However, kebab is also popular in Greece, Lebanon, Israel, and Iran. Here in Rochester we've been lucky enough to have an Iranian kebab restaurant open up at downtown Village Gate Square. Chortke House of Kabob is a fast, casual, build-your-own Iranian kebab restaurant owned and operated by an Iranian native, Yasha Aghdasi, who fell in love with a Rochestarian and opened his own business here. From our brief observance and discussion with him as he himself was turning the kebab meat on the grill, we learned that his wife, Rana Rezaei, also works at and co-runs the establishment, and she was there ringing up the orders right at the front counter. From the cute industrial chic decor to the plentiful, but simple, food options, I also fell in love right away with Chortke Kabob.
As you enter, you are given the choice of freshly grilled meats, such as ground beef, chicken wings, or kebab chicken or beef. You could also choose grilled veggies, roasted eggplant, or falafel. They also have special house combinations, as well, if you feel like trying more than one. Your choice for a base is either rice, salad, rice and salad combo, or in a wrap. All of the dishes come included with a creamy cucumber dressing similar to a Greek tzatziki. Each dish costs around $9.50 to $14. If you want something extra or are just coming in for a snack, there are sides available in hefty, 14 oz. portions for $4.50. This restaurant will suit almost any diet, as you could definitely customize your kebab dish to be paleo- or even vegan- friendly. All of the food is made gluten-free apart from the wraps. I went with both of my parents and we all had a fairly quick and easy time ordering in the line, and the staff was all very helpful when we had questions.
Within about ten to fifteen minutes from ordering, our food was ready. My dad and I both chose the house seasoned beef kebab, called the "Chenjeh Beef Kabob" on the menu, over a base of half rice and salad. My mom ordered the "Joojeh Kabob" which was essentially the chicken version. Along with a delightful seasoning of saffron on the rice, the dish also had a nice surprise of delicious feta cheese on the salad portion, as well as juicy grilled tomatoes. If you ordered a vegan version without the cucumber dressing, you would not have to worry as the tomatoes created a bit of their own happy sauce for the dish, keeping it from potentially becoming too dry. Some of my favorite things about kebab is the presentation of vegetables with the protein, and Chortke did not disappoint. The crisp vegetables in the salad were very hearty, and also created a beautiful rainbow of color for the dish.
From my one and only experience with Iranian kebab, I would say that the flavors seem a bit smokier, in a good, freshly grilled way, but overall everything was very well-balanced. Nothing in the dish overpowered anything else. I am curious to return and try either the chicken wings or the spicy chicken, as I'm sure that would make a unique twist on what I'm used to within the Turkish kebab realm. The only criticism I would give Chortke is maybe giving customers the option to use eco-friendly compostable or ceramic dishes and metal silverware when dining in the restaurant itself. The to-go containers were indeed recyclable, but the heavy plastic silverware seemed like an unnecessary waste after using it only once.
In terms of overall aesthetics, this place has it. The logo is simply genius - "chortke" is the Persian word for abacus, and the logo is an abacus made out of the skewered shish kebob! The location makes parking easy since there is plenty of it in Village Gate. The large windows allow for plenty of light to enter and there is an abundance of seating, to boot. I find this rare, as typically the grab-and-go style kebab joints are small and maybe have a table or two in the back. There were a few minimal decorations, and I of course enjoyed the natural wood-topped dining tables which seem to be popular in new restaurants lately. I also always love when I can see the food being made while ordering, so it was entertaining to watch Yasha prepare everything on the grill while we dined. I would say this is a great place to take family or a group of friends, as it would be fairly easy to combine tables to account for a larger group. In addition, I felt that the large room design actually made it easy to hear everyone in conversation and nobody was drowned out.
Chortke is boasting a 7-day open schedule with hours from 11AM until 9PM Monday through Saturday, and 12PM until 8PM on Sundays. They are located in Rochester, NY at 352 North Goodman Street in Building H at Village Gate Square. Right now, you can follow them on their Facebook page for updates for any news and special dishes they may have. Thank you for reading my restaurant review, keep an eye out for more articles like this by following my Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram for post updates!
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