Iranian and Persian are often used interchangeably—this was the extent of my knowledge about Persian cuisine before trying Yeganeh Bakery and Kafe Unik. Now I count myself a convert. Food this delicious is universal, no matter what the label of the cuisine.

I’ve driven down Stevens Creek Boulevard past Yeganeh many times, but I never ventured inside because the long name, large black signage and bright orange umbrellas out front were somehow intimidating. My experiences here have been quite the opposite.

Yeganeh touts itself as the “first and only all natural whole wheat sangak bakery in Northern California Since 2009,” so when offered the option to have my sandwiches in a roll or in sangak bread, I chose sangak. The Sossis Bandari sandwich ($7.95)—beef sausage, potato, caramelized onion and chili that coated every ingredient in a reddish color—was fantastic. This sandwich itself makes the café worth a visit. The line isn’t long and the food is ready quickly once the order is placed and paid for at the register.

Hot toasted sangak bread envelopes the sandwich ingredients such as the tender beef tongue in the Zaban ($8.25). The bread adds a sweet nutty flavor thanks to the embedded, unprocessed sesame seeds. It is flat and long like Indian naan bread but fluffy like a pita. Other customers came to buy bags of sangak to take home, which sounds like a great idea. It’s the kind of bread that could go well with many fillings or be paired with a dip.

The alternative carb option to sangak is a regular baguette roll, which is also a fresh-toasted delight. It went well with cold cuts like the Zaban’s beef tongue and the chicken jambon sandwich ($7.50), consisting of sliced ham and chicken with mozzarella and a mayonnaise with a less unctuous texture.

In the recent late-summer heatwave, refreshing cold juices hit the spot. Along with breakfast and lunch food, Yeganeh Bakery’s other half is Kafe Unik, offering a variety of juices and beverages. The carrot juice with ice cream float ($4.20) is a popular item and also comes in a cantaloupe version. It is exactly as described with fresh cold carrot juice and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If all the juices are as refreshing as the carrot juice, then the pomegranate juice is a seasonal drink worth returning for in the fall. For a more complex option, I tried the Majoon ($5.99), a smoothie made from ice cream, banana, nuts and milk. There were also sprinkles of shredded coconut in the drink and drizzles of chocolate, making it very thick and heavy. The iced latte fared much better as it was not too sweet with just the right amount of coffee.

The huge black sign and bright orange umbrella are no longer intimidating, now that I have experienced the great customer service and even better food at Yeganeh Bakery and Kafe Unik. It bustles with large groups of diners and sometimes the tables will have plates leftover from the previous meal. Orders are placed at the register and servers bring food to the table, so a little patience may be required with the bussing. But good food in a nice portion size and reasonable price can overcome these minor inconveniences.

As an added bonus, if the rest of the food doesn’t sound enticing enough, pickle fans will rejoice over the crunchy salty and sour pickle slices that come with every sandwich.

Yeganeh Bakery & Kafe Unik, 3275
Stevens Creek Blvd., San Jose
408.666.1229
yeganehbakery.com