For people unfamiliar with Persian cuisine, or people who just like a great value, Safir Mediterranean Cuisine offers daily lunch buffet starting at 11:45 a.m. in Woodland Hills featuring a large swath of the lunch menu for just $11.99 per person.

Safir has been located in back corner of Winnetka Square since 2008. Owner Matt Barani presides over a patio with trickling fountain and dining room that provides flat-screen TVs for soccer games and a stage for live music. The name of Matt’s restaurant translates from Farsi as “ambassador, and he’s worked to make Safir accessible for more than Persian people. Thus the lunch buffet.

A couple options change daily, but you should expect some key dishes. During my visit, the lavish spread included standout options like herbed yogurt dip, juicy grilled beef koobideh, herb-flecked beef meatballs in tomato sauce, celery stew with tender beef chunks, and caramelized eggplant stewed in tomato sauce. Persian cuisine leans heavily on rice, and Safir builds three different rice mountains at lunch: saffron-stained grains and two flavored rices—sabzi polo with herbs and lima beans, and adas polo with lentils, currants, dates and caramelized onions. Round out your plate with grilled peppers and tomatoes, nutty tahini sauce, raw onion, and tangy cucumber and tomato salad.

Safir even serves a different soup each day. During my visit, that meant savory, fungus-flecked, mushroom cream soup. The lunch buffet doesn’t include dessert, but you won’t feel deprived after taking unlimited trips to dozens of bins at twin tables.

19940 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, 818-713-9090