Whenever I hop off my usual merry-go-round of Mexican, Italian and Asian eating, I turn to Persian. Then without fail, I’m left wondering how I could have ever craved anything else.

After indulging in several praiseworthy lunches at Bandar, I decided it was time to visit this culinary palace of Iranian food for dinner. Double vision struck as my dining companion and I made our approach through the neon haze of the Gaslamp Quarter. The small chic restaurant I know well by day had suddenly given birth to a second location only a few storefronts away. Both look similar and carry the same menu and name. The twin, however, flaunts a full liquor license and blue-lit bar toward the back of the dining room.

We moseyed to the original address (825 Fourth Ave.) where a half-awake hostess was slumped in a chair at the outside podium. The recent switch to Daylight Savings Time had thrown off the best of us, as the slow flow in the Gaslamp that evening was untypical. So was the tranquil atmosphere inside the restaurant, which normally attracts enough commotion to justify its new annex. Customer spillover is particularly evident on weekdays, when nooners flock in for one of the finest white-linen lunch deals in the area.

The big draw here is chicken, which sensationalizes the plated entrees and lavish kabobs. What remains a mystery is how the breast meat is shaped into plump, uniform baubles without seeming forged or manipulated. The chicken is almost fiery orange in color, achieved after marinating for hours in saffron, onion and lemon juice. It’s then flame-grilled for a final mouthwatering showdown.

About six pieces come with the lunch kabobs. The volume doubles in dinner entrees such as the Zereshk Polo, which includes a mound of super-fluffy basmati rice topped with little tart barberries. If you prefer sweet, the Albalu Polo features black cherries over the rice instead.

The surprise complimentary salad that comes with the priced-down lunch specials isn’t offered at dinnertime, although we utilized the usual basket of flatbread for mopping up an appetizer of Shallot Dip made with fresh, tangy yogurt. But the portion size was ridiculously hefty – enough dip to fill a mayonnaise jar.

An a la carte Shirazi Salad came alive with a squeeze of lime garnish. Though satisfying, any home cook can dice up this pile of cucumbers, tomatoes and onions on an unimaginative whim. Unfortunately, the mint listed in the lineup was undetectable.

As I trudged ecstatically through my Zereshk Polo, my companion took comfort in his Ghormeh Sabzi, a savory stew of veal shank, red beans and wilted parsley. Served in a deep bowl, the meal is wonderfully earthy and exotically Middle Eastern in flavor due to a few secret spices that get tossed in. Two other stews on the dinner menu radically depart from American and Euro concepts; one is made with eggplant and yellow split peas, the other with chicken, walnuts and pomegranate sauce.

Seafood takes a back seat with charbroiled Atlantic Salmon being the only fish entrée on the menu. Plenty of lamb and beef dishes, however, round out the remaining choices. And it’s rather amazing to taste what the Persians do with filet mignon when it’s spiced, skewered and grilled.

Fast, polished service is another highpoint at Bandar. The well dressed wait staff senses if you’re in a hurry or not, although the elegant motif, appointed with large potted palms, lends itself to a restful dinner experience that is casual enough to show up in jeans, formal enough to appease the fine-dining set.

Bandar’s primary location resides in a historic structure built in 1905. Before opening in 1996, it served as a pawn shop, cocktail lounge and card room, all of which are hard to imagine when you’re holding a shaker of sumac in one hand and forking a succulent kabob with the other.