Parmida Restaurant

I came here and the lady looked at me like I didn’t belong. She then asked me if I even knew what Persian food was. I immediately walked out. You lost a customer, sucks because I love Persian food.

Nice to find a local persian place…
Food was good, service was good…
Sad they’re gone :(

They have one of the best kashk o bademjun! I’m sadly to say that they are now closed.

The food is excellent and well worth the $ 30 you will most likely spend for dinner. They are a little heavy handed with the rice though and charge extra for yogurt.
I would recommend you do take out and call ahead, as they take a long time and as many other reviews have indicated, no ambiance in the restaurant.

After reading some of the reviews here on Unilocal,my wife, son and I went to Parmida expecting some great food and a pleasant dining experience. Unfortunately, those expectations were quickly dashed when, not even two steps into the door, the hostess/​waitress rushed over to us and proclaimed that the kitchen was closing and that they were no longer serving guests in the dining area. She said she «may» be able to do take out but had to check (she ultimately allowed us to order food for takeout).
You may be thinking that we arrived right at closing time and that it may be unreasonable to expect them to serve us, on a Sunday evening, post-​closing however; we arrived at just after 6pm (about 6:08 according to my watch) and both their sign out front, and their menu online, clearly state that they are open until 7pm on Sundays. Another assumption might be that they didn’t have any customers and decided to close early, again, that would be incorrect. While we sat there — clearly inconveniencing the hostess/​waitress — six (and, yes, I counted) other couples arrived for dinner. Of those six, two were «allowed» to order takeout while the other four (those that arrived after 6:30pm) were turned away entirely as they were told the kitchen was closed they were not taking new orders.
We did take the food home and it was good but definitely overpriced for what you received (our bill was just under $ 50 for the beef barg, a chicken dish and the eggplant stew… sorry, I don’t remember the exact names of the dishes). They also, quite literally, included about 3lbs of rice with the dishes which is simply excessive.
If you’re thinking of giving this place a shot, I’d call first to make sure you’re actually going to arrive at a time that’s convenient for them to serve you (since their stated hours are, apparently, just there for show). They get two stars simply because the dishes (sans tons of rice) were above average.

Parmida and I have a long history … The first time I ate here I was served under cooked chicken and I was appalled and vowed never to return! The manager did offer to throw my chicken back on the grill, but it was too late, I was thoroughly grossed out.
So my quest for decent Persian food continued and brought me to nearby Kassra. Kassra has the exact same cuisine, equally tasty, but much more expensive. So being the cheap-​o that I am, I ventured back to Parmida and that’s when my perception changed.
This time I had the mind-​blowing eggplant dip appetizer and lentil lime lamb stew and Parmida snuck back into my heart. Now it’s my go-​to place to bring my Mom and sisters when they visit. The low-​cal kabob dishes are a draw for the diet conscious type and the ground meat kabobs pack some fabulous flavor. Parmida is a win all around.

Been here twice for lunch, both times it was empty and I’d say not much for ambience. The owner is kind and has greeted us each time. The good was good, not exceptional. Perhaps I’m a bit more picky since I’m Persian.
The best experience I had was with their catering. I ordered chicken and kabob sandwhiches with other appetizers. Price was great too! Although he arrived an hour late for delivery but the food was excellent.
I definitely recommend for catering. At their prices, it’s not worth making yourself.

I love Persian food, and this place does it perfectly! I discovered Parmida several months ago by chance, and now it’s a can’t miss meal every time I head South! I always get mine as take out, but the restaurant itself is beautiful, even if it is pretty intimate (small).
My favorite entrée is the Koubideh, skewers of seasoned beef which arrive over a bed of the most amazing Basmati rice ever and accompanied by grilled tomatoes. Tip — ask for extra grilled tomatoes; they are too good to pass up. The meat is tender and juicy, seasoned with spices that are to die for. I love all different types of mediterranean food, but there is just something different about the Persian spice mixes; they have a sweetness to them that I love.
The sheer amount of food that comes in an order makes this a great taste and a great value for your money. The people who run this restaurant are incredibly nice. I once dropped in to pick up a large order one rainy night and they volunteered to carry the entire order out to my car for me. I guess chivalry isn’t dead after all.
I can’t recommend this place enough!

One of my new favorites!
Tried this place out with a Groupon Now ($ 10 for $ 20). I got the boneless lamb kabob and was blown away. Amazing flavor and incredibly tender (ordered it medium and it came out more medium rare — which is fine by me). The basmati rice is the best I’ve ever had — drizzle some lime juice and break up some of the Persian basil in it and it’s absolutely wonderful.
Their online menu does not have all the items and the prices have been raised since it was loaded to their site. They have lots of options from kabobs to stews and specials.
Will definitely be back!

Solid 4 stars.
Came here on a Monday for a late lunch and the place was empty. The food that we ordered however was damn tasty and portions huge!
dolmeh — usually I find this dish just ‘meh, but here it was super flavorful. Its very fragrant and addictive.
Soosage sandwich — it sounded weird, so i had to try it… and am glad I did. It was a pretty unique sausage wrap sandwich full of meat and veggies. I’ll definitely order this again as soon as I get through the rest of the menu.
beef koubideh — giant plate of rice with a skewer of juicy beef koubideh. no complaints here. This dish alone could have fed 2 of us.
chicken koubideh sandwich — like the above sandwich, this monster was packed with tasty goodness.
I want to come back here soon — they have belly dancing later this month!

Calm ambiance, warm décor, light background music, friendly staff and the delicious abundant Persian food made my experience at Parmida restaurant five stars! A few of us came here for lunch and had a pleasant time!
For started we ordered the Shirazi salad. It was so tasty and flavorful! Just the right blend of chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and seasoning, in a light dressing… yummm! We also tried the Most o Khiar, creamy yogurt and cucumbers was so delicious.
For our entrée, we ordered a variety of Kabobs and Mixed Rice combinations. Each item was truly delightful, cooked perfectly, and full of flavor! The highlight was the Shish Kabob of Filet Mignon charbroiled chunks and veggies. WOW! The Filet Mignon was cooked perfectly! It was so tender and seemed like it melted in my mouth!
We also tried the Lamb Kabob, Chicken Shish Kabob, and Chelo Kabob (Koobideh) all super flavorful and delicious! The variety of Rice was also delightful, fluffy and tasty. I especially enjoyed the Rice/​Lentil combo.
There was soooo much food we all walked away with leftovers for lunch the next day!
This is a local family owned business, and the owner even came over to our table to greet us. It is perfect for Lunch and Dinner and they even provide catering and delivery service. There are so many options on the menu to choose from! I really enjoyed our visit here at Parmida restaurant and look forward to returning soon!

I went here a few times over the summer and the food was delicious :))) I had tahdig with 3 stews (appetizer) but this was so huge, it was my whole dinner. I loved each of the stews, especially the gormeh sabzi. The lavash bread was the same as I’ve had at other Persian restaurants, nothing out of the ordinary. I like to put butter, sumac & raw onions wrapped in the lavash :) I ordered a dessert that had rosewater & ice cream but they were out of it. They only had baklava but I can get baklava at almost any Greek or Middle Eastern restaurant. I would have preferred something more exclusive to Persian cuisine so I skipped dessert.
I’ve also ordered the beef koobideh a couple of times & it was juicy & flavorful and the basmati rice was good too — although the rice at each of the Persian restaurants I’ve been to never, EVER has a saffron taste even if the menu says it has saffron in it: p I don’t think Parmida mentions saffron on their menu anyway — but the rice at any of these restaurants would be less boring with some saffron!
The atmosphere is ok, could be way more decorative. It’s rather plain & boring looking and as I’ve read in other reviews, it does have a strange layout. Atmosphere does have an effect on the dining experience for me, but the layout itself wasn’t a big deal.
The owner is very friendly, welcoming and helpful but they just need more help there, the service is very slow :/​It got crowded with the people that came to see the belly dance show, so they definitely need more staff on hand because each time I went, we had to ask for water (and waited… and waited… and waited…) & asked for drink refills, dessert or hot tea, AND boxes for the leftovers. So our server never came back to check on us to ask if we wanted any of those items. It’s bothersome to have to keep flagging down the server or remind them and still have to wait around.
I’ve only tried these few menu items but they were so delicious I do want to go back soon & try a new dish — I just hope they have more staff! :)

The Chelo Kabob Kobideh was extremely tasty however the service was terrible. We waited for over twenty minutes to get our drinks. The food did make it out within a reasonable time frame however we didn’t get waited on after that. My friend asked for a refill which she never got and my plate was left at the table until we left… I will go there again and hope the service is better the second time around.
If you don’t care about good service just Great food, then this place is Great. I’m giving it three stars as I expect good service if I’m going to be waited on and have to leave a tip.

This is a little gem in a strip mall. The owner is a nice guy, who cares about his customers and the quality of his food.
I had the spicy soup — excellent, but very filling and a large portion so be prepared to share. I also had the shish-​kabob, which was even better. The meat was perfectly cooked and rice had a nice texture. You will not leave hungry.

I have eaten here twice and think the food is great. But I cannot say how anything but the chicken kabob, rice and eggplant beef stew are since that is what we ordered both times since they were so good the first time.
And next time I return which I hope will be soon I will order the same thing again.

The wife and I visited for the first time today. It is indeed an odd setup within the confines of this narrow spot. This overly wide, low counter top bar runs almost the length with tables and booths opposite. I’m not sure that this place knows what it wants to be.
On to the food. We started with the yogurt and cucumber appetizer which was tasty. You really can’t screw this simple one up.
For entrees– beef koubideh for me and the chicken version for the wife. Both were excellent with the nod going to the beef, which was a very light version. The rice which accompanied it was cooked perfectly and moist vs. other versions that are overcooked.
The owner was attentive and pleasant. I’ll go back to try again.

My mom and Aunt had a long day and were hungry. so we decided to try the new Persian restaurant down the street… our first time. We wanted to get our food to go because we had my puppy with me… but The Mgr was soo nice he didn’t want us to be uncomfortable or to have take out so he moved a table outside for us and all of us sat outside and ate.
The food was Delicious! and good pricing also…
Although it is a little small inside… its still pretty nice– Very clean!

Parmida sits in a run down shopping complex right where Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, and Laguna Hills border meets. You know its an older area when they have a Chuck E Cheese in the same complex… don’t believe me, think about all the other Chuck E Cheese’s you know about… and then think about the complex it sits in and how run down it is. See!
It was a Friday night and this place is freaking empty. Empty is an understatement, but it does look like they probably get more to go orders than people dining there probably because the inside is a little awkward… To give you an idea, they have booths along the wall and just across the booths, there is a long counter which I swear used to be a bar with bar stools. In the corner next to the entrance where you come in, they have a little room that has sliding doors like you would find on a closet with a bunch of junk inside. I wonder what the previous business used that room for… hmmm. Anywho…
I ended up ordering the Chicken Koubideh and shared some Dolmeh to share as an appetizer. The koubideh was a lot better than a place I had recently been to in Aliso Viejo in that the koubideh actually tasted like Persian food. It definitely wasn’t the best I have had as it was a little on the dry side, but it was at least decent. Honestly, the real surprise was Dolmeh. It was very tasty and the grape leaves were not bitter at all. I would definitely give it a try if you end up coming here. They are a filling and you do get quite a bit of them so don’t try to eat them all. Just save them for another day.
As another Unilocaler mentioned, the location on Google maps embedded on Unilocal is way wrong. It is in the La Paz and Moulton shopping complex and that’s probably why I wasn’t able to check in on the iPhone. Overall, the food was average/​decent and might be better for take out if you live in the area.

Horrible!
We hired Parmida to cater our daughter’s second birthday this past weekend and what a COMPLETE DISASTER!
We spoke to the owner directly TWICE and reviewed our order for $ 250. We also confirmed (three-​way conference call between my husband, me, and the owner) the date/​time for pick up. Our party was from 11 – 1 Saturday and the owner said the soonest we could pick up our large order was 11:30 — so we agreed to pick up the food at that time.
My husband arrived at the restaurant at 11:25 and waited there, knocking on the locked door and calling on the phone (no answer) until 11:45. No one there. The hours posted on the door say they open at 11:00.
My 25 guests were left with no food and our party was a complete disaster. We were able to have WHOLESOME CHOICE in Irvine prepare food for us but it took them an hour. So, instead of our food being served at 11:45 — 12:00, we didn’t have it until 1:30 — and many of our guests had already left.
When the owner FINALLY called us back at 12:25, he had just arrived to the restaurant. He lied and said he thought the order was to be ready at 12:30. My husband asked, «Can we pick it up in ten minutes then?» The owner answered, «Well, uh, no…» and was caught in his lie. Why not, if the food was supposed to be ready at 12:30?
The owner had a crappy attitude and didn’t return our call when we called for him later that day. His wife answered the phone, said she didn’t know about anything and he’d call us. Yeah, right. Two days later, after calling again, my husband was able to reach him. Again, crappy attitude. What a jerk.
Bottom line: We tried to give this restaurant $ 250 worth of business because they’re new. Thought it would be a good deed. DON’T MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE WE DID. You’ll be sorry, disappointed and embarassed like we were.
Actually after reading how bad their food is, I’m not sure if it was better or worse they screwed us.

I was very excited to find a Persian restaurant opening near me. I have been to this restaurant many times since it has opened. They actually offer my favorite item of Tadig with a variety of stews and it has been tasty every time I have ordered it. This was already a big plus in my book. They also have a great variety of other appetizers that are equally as tasty. A couple of my favorites are the Dolmathes and the Samboosas. Their kabobs are consistently tasty and moist. And they have a wonderful pudding/​custard dessert that I love to order and take home.
The interior is simple and elegant for a small space. They boast two TVs that you can enjoy and even ask to change to a different program if you want. The owner is friendly and accommodating and is willing to help you better understand Persian cuisine if you need some assistance.
As an added bonus, on Fridays and Saturdays, they close at 5 AM. Now being this is South OC, being open this late into the wee hours of the morning is HUGE! I have gone here at during these late hours and was grateful to have something that wasn’t another sub sandwich or drive through taco.
Overall, Parmida is a nice, locally owned, inexpensive, and friendly establishment. Great hours, comfortable surroundings, ease of parking, and all around good food.