For years, the food of Persia has been the centerpiece of Aladdin's menu. However, the menu is in a process of change. Without disrupting the already known quality of the Iranian offerings and the handful of Middle Eastern dishes already on the menu (hummus and tabouleh for example), they are in the process of adding new dishes celebrating the commonality - and the differences - between foods ranging from North Africa to the far borders of Iran.

In a spacious second story space with big windows overlooking Roppongi Hills, Aladdin's dŽcor is simple and homey. A sort of low-budget elegance pervades the room with its plastic-wrapped white tablecloths and paintings of desert nomads and scenes from 1,001 nights. The staff is welcoming and generous.

When we arrived we ordered up tall glasses of dugh. They spell it ÒdoughÓ on the menu at Aladdin, but don't confuse it with the pre-cooked bread. It's a much better starter for a meal. Similar to Indian lassi, but not sweet, dugh is yoghurt cooler. Yoghurt, soda water, dried mint and a touch of salt and white pepper make for a refreshing and very tasty concoction. Mildly fizzy, with the mixed tastes of light sourness, saltiness and cooling mint, dugh goes perfectly with Middle Eastern food.

We started our feast with tabouleh. Tabouleh is one of the many great, and popular, Arabic dishes that hails originally from the Levant. There are many variations of this bulgur-based salad. Bulgur (parboiled cracked wheat) is often the centerpiece of this salad, sometimes to overwhelming excess. Aladdin's seems to have a particularly Persian feel with its generous use of parsley, a favorite herb in Iran. It's not surprise that he refers to it as ÒParsley SaladÓ rather than ÒBulgur Wheat Salad.Ó

The salad arrived, a great mound of emerald glowing parsley and mint with flecks of cream-colored bulgur and cubes of bright tomatoes and a smattering of chopped onions. A mild lemony edge mediated the contrasting tastes of astringent tomato and onion. The nutty toothsomeness of the bulgur popped between the bright vegetal tastes of mint and parsley.

An elegant opener for any meal, Aladdin's version seemed particularly suited for what was to come - a rich selection of grilled kebabs.

One of the prides of Iran, or shall we say of all countries from the Arabian Peninsula to Persia, is a way with grilled meats. Kebabs, the yakitori of the Middle East, are one of the ubiquitous foods one can find from Tehran to Tel Aviv, from Aden to Beirut. Of course there are variations on spicing, but the basics of chunks of meat grilled over hot coals can be found from street carts to the finest restaurants. Aladdin's rate high on the scale.

Maybe it's the imported halal lamb. Maybe it's the careful spicing. Maybe it's the great charcoal grill that give the heat and taste of smoke and wood to the perfectly cooked chunks of lamb, chicken. No matter, the array of kebabs and the different tastes and textures made for a wonderful feast.

First up was barre kebab, lamb spiced with a complex blend of succulent Arabian spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and more - and a hint of lemon that complemented the rich meatiness of the halal lamb. Next were lamb chops, a similar treatment, but with tender medium rare fired cuts.

If there wasn't enough lamb, kubideh kebabs (minced spiced lamb) gave a whole different impression of the flesh of the Middle East's favorite viand. In Iran, known as Kubideh and through much of the Arab world as Kofta, Aladdin's version forefronted the taste of cinnamon against the succulent meat. A winning combination.

Then there were the chicken kebabs. Marinated in a light and mildly spicy yoghurt and tomato sauce, they were reminiscent of tandoori chicken, but completely of their own. Each bite left us with wanting more.

And to top it all off, dipping the tasty morsels of meat into house-made harissa took it all even higher.

We could safely say that Aladdin's way with the grill are certainly superlative. In addition, the kitchen boasts a tandoori oven where homemade naan are cooked and delivered piping hot to your table.

But not only does Aladdin specialize in the way of the grill, but they also offer a host of stews, curries and braised dishes. We're looking forward to coming back and trying such dishes as Fesenjan stew (chicken and walnut with pomegranate sauce), Ghormeh Sabzi (lamb with spinach and herbs), their Chicken Curry and Leg of Lamb.

Full beyond full, we couldn't leave without sampling the house-made baklava. Aladdin's were soaked with rosewater and sugar syrup. No matter how the baklava is made, with walnuts, almonds, pistachios, farina or whatever, it's one of the great pastries that's made it's home in that part of the world

Butter-laden flakey phyllo dough with a filling of ground pistachios almonds and walnuts, cinnamon and sugar, the scent of rose water with each bite, we fell into dessert bliss.

It's great to find an unpretentious dining Mecca in Roppongi, known more for its flash and glitter - and better still to find food so satisfying.