- EAT & DRINK
- SPECIALTIES
- halal
- BOLBOL
- Price:
lunch ¥800 - ¥1000; dinner ¥1300 - ¥2000
- Address:
- 3 Chome-2-15 Koenjikita, Suginami City, Tokyo
- Distance from Station:
- 2 minutes on foot from JR Koenji Station, North Exit
- Phone:
- 03-3223-3277
- Open:
- 11:00am - 12:00am midnight (Shortened business hours until March 7th: 11am - 8pm)
- Website:
- http://bolbol.jp/ (external link)
- Communication:
- Japanese, English, and Arabic speaking staff
- no-smoking
- take-out
BOLBOL
Authentic Iranian Cuisine in Koenji
[published February 2021]
In the rocking Koenji neighborhood since 2004, Bolbol is a restaurant that offers genuine Persian and Iranian cuisine just a couple of minutes away from the north exit of Koenji station. Bolbol is situated on the second floor but you can’t miss it with its sign and table set up with some menus in the street.
Business hours at the moment are reduced (11am to 8pm) until March 7th due to the State of Emergency but Bolbol offers a good range of take-out options, available all day from 800 yen for a main dish with a generous portion of rice or naan.
While some more easily recognizable dishes are available, such as Indian curry and cheese nan, you cannot miss some authentic Persian stews such as ghormeh sabzimade (herb stew with lamb and beans) and khoresh karafs (persian celery stew with lamb), perfect to spice up a quick lunch break or a tranquil Saturday night at home. If you are not a soup aficionado, try their juicy kebab served with fluffy basmati rice for a day off from Japanese short-grain rice.
In addition, the menu is completely halal as the owner, an Iranian chef who opened the restaurant to bring Iranian cuisine and culture to the attention of Suginami ward, is also Muslim. They also offer vegetarian options such as koresh bademjan (eggplant and tomato stew).
The staff is particularly proud of the homemade rose sherbet and vanilla ice cream, served with hot chai tea (400 yen).
The ambience definitely sets up the mood, as we are catapulted into a middle eastern ambience from decorations and textiles to tableware.
Delivery is also available through Uber eats, and Bolbol also appears to be one of the rare establishments registered on the app “Tabete”, developed to help reduce food waste, through which restaurants can sell leftovers of the day for a discounted price. Although there are not many restaurants in Tokyo on Tabete yet, it’s easy to sign up and “rescue a meal” that would otherwise go to waste, for a discounted price.
Be it takeout or enjoying the Middle Eastern atmosphere dining in, Bobol can’t be beat for the authentic Persian culinary experience!
ACCESS
