Shiraz Persian Restaurant’s owner Erfan Jalilian and business partner Mohammad Shirmehrjerdi have been on the lookout for a new location for Shiraz Persian Restaurant for several years. In pre-COVID times, the restaurant would pack out with upwards of 250 hungry diners per night. As the country slowly assumes some sort of normality, the pair decided there’s no time like the present to expand in anticipation of a busy festive season. Thankfully for our tastebuds, Erfan and Mohammad found the perfect space in the former Pink Poodle building (that was previously home to Black Angus). The high-profile Gold Coast Highway-fronting site at the base of Mantra Wings Surfers Paradise ticked all of their boxes in terms of size, ease of parking and accessibility to the G:link, and so, Erfan and Mohammad set about creating Shiraz 2.0. Gone is the heavy black aesthetic of its predecessor and in its place, the team has opted for a bright white palette with a hint of Shiraz’s signature turquoise. A grand marble counter makes for a welcoming entrance while a stunning baby grand piano takes pride of place in the 200-seat dining area. Regulars to Shiraz’s original restaurant will also be pleased to know that the venue’s striking mirror has made the move to the new venue.
As for the fare, diners can expect the same award-winning Persian cuisine that Shiraz is widely adored for, with the addition of some exciting new dishes. Those who are perhaps not overly familiar with Persian cuisine can ease into their feast by plunging a piece of Turkish bread into a bowl of freshly made hummus or picking at a mezze platter loaded with three types of bread (Turkish bread, flat Persian bread and pita) alongside Persian-style marinated olives with pomegranate sauce, crushed walnuts and spices (that’s the Zeytoon Parvardeh, in case you were wondering). The Shiraz Shirazi salad (finely diced cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, mint, fetta, olives and sesame seeds tossed in olive oil, lemon juice and apple vinegar) is a popular palette cleanser in between meat-based dishes such as slow-cooked lamb shank and more kabobs than you can poke a stick at. Team it with a drool-inducing saffron rice bown with Zereshk (barberries) and slivered pistachios and you’re good to go. Shiraz Persian Restaurant is certified Halal and there’s a large variety of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes on the menu. Regulars to Shiraz’s original location will be pleased to know the Surfers Paradise Boulevard location will be kept and rebranded to Shiraz Bistro Mediterranean Cuisine to adopt a more casual-style of dining, featuring house-made souvlaki.
The new-look Shiraz Persian Restaurant officially opens to the public at the end of the month.