Zand's Persian Kababs- A Halal Restaurant in a Small Town

Restaurant: Zand's Persian Kababs
Address: 3105 South Texas Avenue, Bryan, Texas 77802
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 4/4/15

Photo Credit: https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/424007452204359680/gTCEiz2J.jpeg

Background: 

Salam/hey guys! I am back after a while. I have been busy preparing for a major engineering exam. Anyways, today I will be reviewing a Persian restaurant in a small college town: Zand's Persian Kebabs. Bryan/College station is home to Texas A&M University, which is a 75 mile drive from my house. I came to Bryan/College Station to participate in the MSA Showdown. This was an event I had been anticipating because MSAs from all over Texas (including Texas Tech, which is located all the way in Lubbock) gather and compete for bragging rights. I had watched the basketball event, and felt hungry. I hadn't eaten anything since morning, so I felt hungry. After watching a couple of the games, I head out to the restaurant. 

Let The Experience Begin.

Zand's is located a few blocks from the border of Bryan and College Station off Texas Avenue. It's located opposite a HEB and next to the Chef Cao. When I entered the restaurant, it was empty, even though it was 1 PM. It felt weird to be the only customer in the restaurant to be honest. The special menu was under the glass part of the table! After reading it, I was ready to order.

Let's Eat!

I ordered the lamb koobideh special. It was two skewers with rice and salad. I paid $10.83 (tax included). The waiting time was 10 minutes and 30 seconds.



Menu (click to view): The menu has basic Persian favorites like kababs and rice. The pricing is good though. The owner doesn't hesitate in saying that the place is halal. The prices were pretty decent.

Photo Credit: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/zands-persian-kebabs-bryan#uCUYdaIQFux9nlxlOi3UkQ

The Special Menu

The Lamb Koobideh Special

The Verdict:
So was it worth going there from A&M and paying for parking twice? The answer is yes. The lamb had taste and was very tender. The salad and the white sauce on the salad were delicious as well. The rice was fresh. The food was washed down by a nice glass of water. Overall, two thumbs up.
The service was standard, nothing good nor bad. I just ordered, got the food, paid, and then drove back to A&M.



Conclusion:
If you come to A&M and want some halal food, then this place is a wonderful option for you. You will definitely enjoy eating the food here. I hope to try the other places in Bryan/College Station, then decide which restaurant is the best in the area.



Grading:
Service: 8/10
Food: 9/10
Total: 17/20 = 85% (B)
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Zand's Persian Kabobs
3105 South Texas Avenue, Bryan, Texas 77802
Phone: (979) 822-4444
Website: none
Facebook: none
Timings: Mon-Sat: 11 AM - 10 PM; Sun closed
Caters: Yes

Feel free to comment below, message me on Facebook or Twitter, or send me an email!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed

CLOSED: Hunan Chef- The Largest Buffet I have Ever Been to

Restaurant: Hunan Chef
Address: 2310 Highway 6 South, Houston, Texas 77077
Buffet or a-la-carte: a-la-carte
Date of visit: 3/17/15

UPDATE 1/11/17: According to Google, they have closed down. I went back once and it spiraled down like anything. Food wasn't fresh and a lot of the items did not taste well at all.

Background:
Salam/hey guys! I hope you guys had a wonderful and safe Spring Break! Today I will be reviewing a Chinese place that has switched to halal: Hunan Chef. Unlike TG's Cravings, I found out about this place from zabihah.com. What caught my attention was that it mentioned that there were 60+ items on the buffet. This is by far the biggest halal buffet that I have ever seen. The previous record was 30 at a restaurant near Kayseri, Turkey back in 2012. I got the chance to go when my friend just suddenly told me to get ready. After praying, we headed to the restaurant.



Let The Experience Begin!
Hunan Chef is located near highway 6 and Westheimer. There is a very large and bright sign that says "Hunan Chef". Inside, it was packed! It was filled with families and people who came with their friends. We were immediately assisted to the tables, where I ran into other good friends of mine who came with their family. After being asked what to drink, it was time to get the party started!



Let's Eat!
Well, I obviously went for the buffet. The description for the buffet is below. I paid $13, which is slightly cheaper than Jamillah but with so much variety.



Menu: http://www.greathunanchef.com/menu.php
There are popular Chinese items such as Kung Pao Chicken and rice for their takeout menu, but the buffet is HUGE! You have literally everything. You have all sorts of popular Chinese beef and chicken places, different types of rice and noodles, and appetizers. You have seafood items such as tilapia, shrimp, and even oysters! You even have crawfish, sushi, ice cream, and PIZZA! It seemed like we were in some luxury place because there were so many items to choose from for a lot less the price!

Left: vegetarian lo mein, oyster, kung pao chicken, chicken balls on a stick, beans and beef, chicken egg roll, and chicken dumpling. Right: Chicken teriyaki, chicken fried rice, sushi, chicken egg roll, chicken on a stick, crawfish, sesame chicken, and baked potato

The Verdict:
Chinese buffets are often regarded to be horrible. This, however, is an exception. The food tasted great! I mean everything tasted wonderful! The food was of good quality. I drank a glass of Pepsi while chatting with my friends.
The service as good too. The people were nice, and were helpful. The owner was very confident that all the meat that was served was halal.



Conclusion:
60+ items in a buffet for less than $15? I'm so down to try it! I guess I'll come here more often considering that the nearest Chinese halal Chinese place has fewer options for a lot less the price, and lesser quality.



Grading:
Service: 9/10
Food: 9/10
Total: 18/20 = 90%
Pricing: $$ out of $$$$



Restaurant Information:
Hunan Chef
2310 South Highway 6 South, Houston, Texas 77077
Phone: (281) 597-9888
Website: none (they are making a new website; the old one is no longer used for the restaurant)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Great-Hunan-Chef/676110159182277?fref=ts
Timings: Mon-Sun: 11 AM - 9:30 PM
Caters: Yes

Feel free to comment below, send me a message on Facebook and Twitter, or send me an email!

Cheers!
Zain Mohammed