Taboon Noon o Kebab is tucked away in a shopping center in Hoover, near I-65 and 31. I’ve run across many hidden delicacies in strip malls over the years and Taboon is my most recent find. It’s a gem.
If you’re not familiar with Iranian food, let me catch you up. The bread is baked to order. The floor of their specialized oven, called a taboon, is covered with hot pebbles. The bread is baked directly on top of the pebbles, giving it a dimpled, crispy, pillowy texture. I’d drive across town just for the bread.
They serve chicken and beef kebabs, but I prefer the koobideh. Koobideh is grilled like kebabs, but the meat is ground and then formed around a skewer that resembles a sword into a long, flat patty. Sword meat? Why, yes, please. The chicken koobideh is my standard order, although there are no bad choices. I’ve not found a disappointing bite of food here.
Sumac is employed liberally in the preparation of the food but also as a lemony, dusted garnish. The pickles are fantastic, as is the fermented yogurt sauce, and both are a perfect foil for the richly spiced meat.
Savory Pie Superstar
I originally stopped in to sample their savory pies. This portable snack is perfect for eating and driving and wards off the hangry when running errands. The spinach pie and the meat pie are both great, but the potato pie is carb-on-carb comfort.
Taboon Noon o Kebab is a strip mall superstar. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: with simple food there is nothing to hide behind. It’s all technique, ingredients, and experience. They run a scratch kitchen and the execution is impressive. These folks know what they are doing.
Want more ideas? Check out the whole list at the Birmingham Food Guide.
Pro tip: another portable food you should also eat while running errands – and another strip mall superstar – Desi Brothers Indian grocery has grab-and-go samosas in a food warmer just to the right of the front door as you walk in.