Travel by Taste
Travel By Taste convinced me that Persian food should be included in the mix. I’ve had a passion for Persian music and Persian cats for a long time. Travel By Taste may seem a bit too appropriate, as few restaurants in Oklahoma City contribute as much to the expansion of the food experience as the Persian cuisine.
Travel by Taste “deli-style”
Travel by Taste’s deli-style Service looks very casual. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food. The cash register takes orders, but unlike Nunu’s or other restaurants, the bill is paid after you have finished eating. The restaurant is not considered “fine dining”, as it closes at 8:20 PM. This may make it difficult for some to enjoy a relaxing dinner. However, I never felt pressured to finish my meal quickly so that I could go home. Travel by Taste, despite these limitations, is still a place I frequent for fine dining in OKC. The food lives up to my expectations.
Another reason I love this restaurant is the Middle Eastern-flavored hot tea. Customers are served at the counter, and food is brought to their table. When I order food and pay for it, I enjoy looking at the market.
Travel by Taste offers “halal” meats in the “Specialty Dishes” section of their menu. The meats you can choose from are the lamb shishkabob, grilled chicken and kabobs as well as the ghormeh-sabzi. These are my favorites, not surprising. Although the rest of their menu does not contain halal meat, I found it very tasty.
Items from the “Regular menu”
You can also find the cheaper items in the non-Persian section. The Falafel Sandwich is one of my favorite items. It’s a substantial meal in its own right. Its most distinctive features are the freshness, texture, flavor, and taste. This falafel sandwich is definitely one of my favorites. Although the bread had a classic pita flavor, it was large and thin enough to be used as a wrap. The bread was not brittle when the sauce was applied to it, as is often the case with this type sandwich.
Hummus was another outstanding item on the “regular” menu, placing it in contention to be the best in OKC. Hummus and other appetizers are served in large portions, so they may be more enjoyable shared than one.
Although the Persian Salad’s dressing was disappointing to me, I enjoyed the actual salad. The Greek Salad is my favorite in terms of flavor. However, the Greek Salad I tried was much better. It had one olive I could find and very little Feta. Although these salads were not disappointing, I believe they are better in other restaurants.
Shish Kabob (from Regular Menu)
Although the Shish Kabob wasn’t one of the restaurant’s “Specialty Dishes”, I believe it to be one of their most popular dishes. This dish was made with filet monsieur, and was reminiscent of eating steak at a top-end steakhouse. However, the marinated flavor makes it more delicious than a typical steak.
The Saffron Rice that was served under the meat and vegetables is what made the shish kabob stand out. The rice was delicious and fresh, and I enjoyed eating it by itself.