BklynBoy Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 With my wife away for the past three months and quite a bit of travel on my part, I have not eaten out locally very much lately. Two weeks ago I came home from a two week trip at 9:45 PM on a Saturday night and with nothing in the house to eat, dropped my bags and went to Amoos as they were getting ready to close. The first thing that happens is I get a hug from Seb and he says "we haven't seen you in three months, we thought maybe you didn't like our food anymore". When a restaurant accurately knows how many months it has been since you came in last, you can understand why I said in an earlier post that eating there was like visiting family....except Amoo makes better food. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Seb Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Don, you wanted me to post this, so you got it my friend!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Seb Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Presenting the pomegranate tandoori Boston Black Cod... This dish was a huge hit during the month of November.. Pomegranate Sea Scallops Kabob We will be serving it for the month of December!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonc Posted January 5, 2014 Share Posted January 5, 2014 Amoo's House of Kabob embodies the notion of family. For one, it's a true family-run enterprise with several generations working towards a common goal, driven largely by the sheer will of their brother and son. It is also an incredibly family-friendly restaurant with an approachable staff and setting. So with only a couple of days in DC, I decided to take my dad here for his 84th birthday. Based on everything I had read, it seemed like exactly the kind of restaurant he would love "“ honest, but elevated cuisine, and a staff that would go the extra-mile to make him feel like a VIP. I've been wrong about 90% of the things I've done over the past year, but this wasn't one of them. Amoo's was the perfect restaurant this night. It's not hard to understand why Amoo's has racked up such impressive scores on the various social dining websites. Throughout the meal, Chef Seb and his staff made us feel completely at home. Of course, in addition to the stellar service, a great deal of thought is put into the menu. I've never had Persian cuisine beyond the standard kabobs, but after one meal here I was left wondering what the heck was wrong with me. And I was also wondering why the heck Chef Seb doesn't write a cookbook because there are not many people out there doing what he is doing, and people should know about it. On this night we had a stuffed acorn squash filled with gheymeh bademjan (beef, yellow split pea and eggplant stew; $18), zereshk polo with lamb ($18), and a lamb chimichurra dish ($30). There were several bright spots and not a dark one. I focused on the zereshk and it was fantastic. The lamb, impossibly tender, was deftly flavored with saffron. And I have never seen such detail paid to rice, which depending on the bite, was light, sweet and sour with just the right amount of oil. The stuffed squash was similarly complex, with the sweetness of the squash playing well the earthy split peas. I'm greatly looking forward to returning and trying some of the combination platters to see how Amoo's does the standards. A lot of nice things have been said here about the restaurant, Chef Seb and his staff. I wouldn't quibble with a single one. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Amoo's is a real treasure, and those stew-stuffed squashes are out of this world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Seb Posted February 26, 2014 Share Posted February 26, 2014 Good Evening!!As many of you folks know, Amoo's House of Kabob has come a long way since 2012. Originally, Amoo's was built in 2003 by different owners and the Oveysi family took over the business in 2008. At the time, Amoo's was just kabob house that catered mostly to carryout costumers and had only few tables that accommodated the dine-in patrons.When the Oveysi's took over, they realized that the restaurant needed a lot of work and was in desperate need of a system that was going to raise the quality of the food and service. In addition to converting the restaurant to a full service 5 star dining experience, they asked two of their own members of the family with years of experience in the hospitality industry to join the team. Executive Chef Sebastian Oveysi and his older brother Pejman Oveysi had an Idea on how to direct the restaurant to where it is today. The main focus was the food, and therefore Sebastian started to work on the menu.The Kabobs were always good at Amoo's, so not much modification was needed in that category except for buying better quality meat and produce such as organic and free range.Next up, adding daily specials that changed every day. Sebastian believes in variety and with that in mind, he started to infuse the traditional Persian dishes into mouth watering contemporary global fare. Currently, Amoo's is serving all the traditional Persian stews and Kabobs everyday and will continue to do so to accommodate the guests who like to stick with tradition Persian dishes. But as many of you know, Chef Sebastian also introduced the fusion menu in 2012 which includes some of the biggest hits and most popular items that are being served currently, such as the Sea Bass Kabob, the Stuffed Squash, and the Chimichurri Lamb kabob.In 2103 Amoo's was ranked #1 restaurant in Mclean VA and has maintained that ranking for the past eight months. Amoo's is thriving to maintain that status by innovation and creativity that the Oveysi brothers have implemented in the past two years.And so with all these changes that are taking place, we believe that all the new implementations will only enhance not only the quality of our food and service, but also our Image.Since the beginning of this year the family has started with these changes. Recently we upgraded the dining room furniture and placed beautiful mahogany chairs and marble tables, all of our dishes and silverware have been replaced with new and more modern ones, and all of our kitchen appliances are brand new and meet the Virginia Health Department Codes and Guidelines.The family is also in the process of obtaining a full liquor license, which we hope to receive by the end of this summer.And finally, since our menu is not just kabobs but rather a very diverse mix of Persian cuisine mixed with a hint of global taste, we believe that it only make sense to change the name of the restaurant to "Amoo's Persian Fusion"Please be advised that the name change does not reflect the quality of the food and nor the management has changed. All of this is simply a sign of growth and looking for a brighter future as this small family business has ahead of it.Please remember that we are operating at full capacity and are ready to serve you as we always have. And we will remain open during these small but effective changes.Thanks to all of you, all of Amoo's family and friends who have helped us through the years by supporting us and most importantly, staying loyal! Thank you and we are looking forward to have every single one of you at Amoo's Persian Fusion's table!NOW WHO'S HUNGRY FOR SOME GOOD FOOD??? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWBooneJr Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Perhaps it's a personal quirk, but if ever there were a signal to me for "avoid this restaurant," it's the presence of the word "fusion" in the name. I guess it just reminds me of all the terrible "fusion" restaurants of the 80's and 90's. For whatever reason, the term "modern" -- which generally means the same thing -- doesn't have the same connotations (Modern American, Modern Persian, etc.). Am I alone in thinking this? Imagine you knew NOTHING else about the restaurant other than the name. Anyway, just a thought . . . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 Perhaps it's a personal quirk, but if ever there were a signal to me for "avoid this restaurant," it's the presence of the word "fusion" in the name. I guess it just reminds me of all the terrible "fusion" restaurants of the 80's and 90's. For whatever reason, the term "modern" -- which generally means the same thing -- doesn't have the same connotations (Modern American, Modern Persian, etc.). Am I alone in thinking this? Imagine you knew NOTHING else about the restaurant other than the name. Anyway, just a thought . . . No, you're not alone. Ironically, "fusion" best describes what Seb is trying to do at Amoo's (what he's doing is very experimental, mixing Persian cuisine with precisely one other country in any given dish), so in this particular case, it's accurate, if not astute. I don't know if it's too late to use another name, but ... I would. Seb, I'll even help you think of one if you'd like. Even something as simple as Persian Golf would convey what you're trying to do, while driving (sorry) the name into peoples' minds. And am I alone in thinking "South by Southwest" was a perfectly good name? Southern cuisine offered in Southwest DC? A quibble on North by Northwest? Worked just fine with me - in fact, I thought it was rather ingenious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWBooneJr Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Irony: a guy who gave his website the most literal name possible and another who named his after himself pontificating about someone's choice of a name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 27, 2014 Author Share Posted February 27, 2014 Irony: a guy who gave his website the most literal name possible and another who named his after himself pontificating about someone's choice of a name. You can blame Tom Sietsema for the name of this website! Amoo's Bouche? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simul Parikh Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Interesting Even though I only met Seb like 3 times at his restaurant, he feels like a friend to me. And, I honestly had a little trouble sleeping after reading his post and directly messaged him about "fusion" and the connotation of it. Glad to know I wasn't alone. S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Seb Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Amoo's Bistro??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonc Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 just to add a data point and nothing else, i'm not wild about the connotation fusion carries either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirite Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 And "Bistro" sounds French--as in Bistro Vivant, just up the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 And am I alone in thinking "South by Southwest" was a perfectly good name? Southern cuisine offered in Southwest DC? A quibble on North by Northwest? Worked just fine with me - in fact, I thought it was rather ingenious It was a great name but already taken by a major music festival, one that started out local and has become enormous (and not just a music festival any longer). I wish good luck to Seb with his new concept and name. I think the word "fusion" is tainted when it comes to restaurants and food and it doesn't matter how much food really truly meets the definition. ETA: What about just calling the restaurant "Amoo." It's distinctive and memorable and doesn't lock anyone into boxes about what type of food it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonc Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 How about Ravi Kabob III? (I kid, I kid, Seb) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty L. Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Or, since "Amoo" is presumably long in the past, how about "Oveysi"? It was a great name but already taken by a major music festival, one that started out local and has become enormous (and not just a music festival any longer). I wish good luck to Seb with his new concept and name. I think the word "fusion" is tainted when it comes to restaurants and food and it doesn't matter how much food really truly meets the definition. ETA: What about just calling the restaurant "Amoo." It's distinctive and memorable and doesn't lock anyone into boxes about what type of food it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasonc Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Lucky Pomegranate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lperry Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Isn't it awfully expensive to rebrand, get new signage, and print logos on everything needed for a restaurant? Perhaps these things have already been completed, and it may not be feasible to change them again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simul Parikh Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Not sure if he's crowd sourcing the task, but if so Amoo's Persian Cafe Amoo's Persian Kitchen Taste of Tehran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 It was a great name but already taken by a major music festival, one that started out local and has become enormous (and not just a music festival any longer). Yes but (I personally loved the name from day one). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Seb Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Amoo's it is... Don please change the Title of this Forum Just "Amoo's" i think will do!!! Thank you everyone! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PappyVanWise Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 One final suggestion? Amoo's Hell Burger. Think of the possibilities. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Seb Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 If i was selling burgers, its one thing... but i dont Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 After the terrific lunch of rich, sweet fesenjoon and saffron rice I had today, I'd say you could call it Amoo Will Punch You in the Babymaker, and I'd still come back for more. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simul Parikh Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 I would go if it was Amoo's House or Crap. It is the place in the DMV. There will be a time when it gets difficult for locals to go there once the area discovers it. Bangkok Golden is experiencing it - try going on Friday night. Sebastian and Co. have good problems. Success problems... The best kind. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BklynBoy Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Amoo's Bouche? You devil you, I just laughed up my coffee on the keyboard Seriously Seb, good call on sticking with the name . You have done a great job turning the brand of Amoo's into your brand and it has wonderful brand attributes based on the reviews of everyone who has eaten there and written about it since your family took it over. Change the typeface, sure. Use the name as part of a new logo, sure. But you should not change the name and I am pleased that you decided not to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Seb Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 haha, yeah me too!! I think it was a smart decision Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted March 4, 2014 Author Share Posted March 4, 2014 I still like Amoo's Bouche and Persian Golf. My humor goes unnoticed and unappreciated. Seb, do you allow corkage? If so, when, how much is it, and what are the limits? If not, why not? Oh ... you might not have a license, come to think of it. You could be our new Mark's Duck House, bro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Seb Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 No corkage, as long as we dont charge you for bringing your own booz, it's all good. Bring your own wine and let me show you guys how a good time is done!! ;-) Don, you never go unnoticed bud!! C'mon now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktmoomau Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Sounds like a plan to me! And good choice on dropping the Fusion! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CajunJason Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Amoo's flavors of persia 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Seb Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Happy Friday everyone!! I have great news!! The second private dinner party for DR's memebers is in the works, Stay tuned! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 Congratulations on winning the readers' poll best Middle Eastern Restaurant in the City Paper Best of 2014. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Seb Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 Thank you Pat, believe it or not it still hasn't sunk in yet.. lol I feel like im going through a dream.. Everytime I think about it, I get teary, I get the goosebumps. Me, really?? My family and i did this and im so proud!!!! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Seb Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Happy Monday folks, I just wanted to let you guys know that the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland has some of the finest striper bass in this time of year. Starting today, we are serving striper bass kabobs... Come in and taste some of the finest local ingredients found in DC Metro area! see you all at my tables! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Seb Posted May 15, 2014 Share Posted May 15, 2014 When my family opened the doors to Amoo's, the only thing we wanted to do was to be able to run a successful restaurant and my goal was to just cook good food. Never, in my wildest dreams I thought the cooking will end up taking me to places that i never thought would be possible. But i guess its hard to tell when passion is involved. Today im contect because i had an oppertunity to write for one of DC's major news papers. Check out my culinary article on Washington City Paper's website under young and hungry section! Thank you guys for al lof your support over the past 2 years! And Don, you are the man! Can you believe it tho?? You can read the article by clicking on this link! Thanks again! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted May 15, 2014 Author Share Posted May 15, 2014 Can you believe it tho?? You can read the article by clicking on this link! Thanks again! Absolutely I can believe it. Why not? Congratulations, though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Seb Posted June 26, 2014 Share Posted June 26, 2014 Happy summer everyone. I just wanted to inform everyone that I am expanding my business to other areas of Nova by operating a food truck. This food truck will be an extension of Amoo's kitchen. And as many have you witnessed Amoo's progress over the past few years, you've noticed how far we have come. With all the confidence I have gained over that time, has only motivated my family and I wanting to expand. After a long thought process, I realized that opening a second location would only jeapordize the quality of food and service. Because honestly folks, lets face it, as a business owner you know you have to supervise every single aspect of your operation in order to ensure profitiblilty and growth. So what this means, is that by having a second location, your focus is subdivided. And when that happens, that's where you lose quality. I do not want that for myself nor my family. Therefore, I believe operating a food truck is a wiser and safer way to go about it. Especially, since it's mobil and we can reach areas that we have not reached. Food truck does not require the same amount of hours that's needed for a restaurant. So I am pleased to say, In about 2 weeks, Chef Seb's Gourmet Food Truck will be operating out of Arlington Va. I will announce the location via this site and facebook. Looking forward to see all of you at the Truck. Please let everyone know and thank you for all the support and love you folks have shown myself and my family. -Chef Seb 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genevieve Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 As an Arlingtonian who hasn't been to your restaurant yet but has heard so much good about it, I'll look forward to that! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schulju Posted July 3, 2014 Share Posted July 3, 2014 Good luck Seb! Make sure the folks over at Foodtruckfiesta.com are acquainted with your truck. Many food truck fans use their web site and email blast to find out which truck is where in the area. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Seb Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 I just wanted to post the link to my blog on Washington city paper's website under Young and Hungry section. The blog was published this afternoon and it covers our plans for the next few months regarding the food truck. Please take a few minutes to read about the future of this new business venture. Thanks everyone, and looking forward to see all of you in line, front of the truck, waiting to taste the best meal on wheels!! -Chef Seb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Seb Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 The food truck is at Courthouse Metro Station today and we are Serving 3 of Amoo's signature dishes! Join us! I'll be cooking!!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 The food truck is at Courthouse Metro Station today and we are Serving 3 of Amoo's signature dishes! Join us! I'll be cooking!!! I hope this is working out for you, Seb. From my best guess about the demographics, it should work very well during lunch. (Do you have an a-la-carte lunch at the restaurant too, or a buffet?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveO Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Stopped by today. The egg plant dip is an enormous success throughout the office. Our little school shares a floor with some personal trainers and a yoga studio. I think one of the trainers and a client are headed down to 15th and Courthouse right now!!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Seb Posted August 22, 2014 Share Posted August 22, 2014 The menu changes everyday. I make everything right there on the truck. Next week I' will be serving some of our hearty stew dishes! Please check us out! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveO Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 I was pleased to refer two people today to the restaurant and/or the truck. The eggplant dip was such an enormous success last week. Out of curiosity how does one follow the truck? Do you have to follow it on FB or twitter? Is there any other way? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted September 2, 2014 Author Share Posted September 2, 2014 I was pleased to refer two people today to the restaurant and/or the truck. The eggplant dip was such an enormous success last week. Out of curiosity how does one follow the truck? Do you have to follow it on FB or twitter? Is there any other way? Rich will hopefully see this, contact Seb, and add it to his food truck list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWBooneJr Posted September 2, 2014 Share Posted September 2, 2014 Rich will hopefully see this, contact Seb, and add it to his food truck list. The truck is actually called "Chef Seb on Wheels." You can follow it here: Twitter Facebook Website The map on DCDiningGuide comes from FoodTruckFiesta.com. To get listed, Seb will need to email Kyle at foodtruckfiesta@gmail.com with details. This should automatically add the truck to the map. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Seb Posted December 5, 2014 Share Posted December 5, 2014 What's up guys??? Its been couple of months since I have posted anything on here. Thought I drop by and let everyone know what is currently going on in my food world. As many of you know, I launched a food truck business about 3 months ago and its doing really well. The past few months have been my "trial and error" phase that I think anyone in my position would need to go through in order to understand how this business is operated properly. The one common mistake that most people make, is that they think operating a food truck is same as a restaurant. But in reality, food truck business is a complete different ballgame. Well for one, the weather can be your best friend or your worst enemy. The trick is, you need to learn how to operate in both conditions. Which successfully, I think, I have picked up on and have learned many new things. This past few months have been very crucial time for me, because my goal was the have the food truck up and running by the beginning of 2015. What I mean by that, is have people to talk the food truck, to finish installing new and upgraded appliances, and to install a stronger generator so the truck can handle bigger volume. I remember when I first got involved with Amoo's. I remember like it was yesterday when I first walked into the kitchen saying to myself, "man this place needs a lot of work" and then I see how far it has come as of today. And that my friends, is the only reason why I know the food truck will also make a name for itself just like Amoo's did. As long as I inject that thing with the same passion and hard work like I did with Amoo's, I think it'll be just fine. Currently the food truck is being upgraded and it should be back up and running in less than 2 weeks. I'm making the menu a little bigger and adding more gourmet sandwiches and subs as well. Also, I wanted to do another private pre fixe dinner event for the members of this site. Don and I organized one few months ago and it was a huge success. Amoo's dining room was packed. So I have been asked by few members as to when we were going to do another one. And just like the last event. This one will be private, which means you can bring your own wine, beer, and spirits if you like. Here are the dates that the Amoo's dining room will be available. Don, please let me know as to which date works best. Sunday January 18, 2015 Sunday January 25, 2015 Sunday February 1, 2015 I hope all of you have a great Holiday this year and remember, EAT!!! Chef Seb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now